Wed, Jul 23 2008
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Published June 20, 2007 12:56 am - For OU AD, Big 12 chief’s suit could be a perfect fit By John Shinn CNHI News Service
It only took a handful of questions before outgoing Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg was asked what it took to sit in the seat he kept warm since for the last nine years. Weiberg, who announced Thursday he was leaving the Big 12 to join the newly formed Big Ten Network, didn’t give a short list. “I think it requires a unique combination of skills,” he said, “but I think a lot of people will be interested in the job.” There’s no doubt that’s the case. The Big 12 commissioner is one of the most powerful jobs in collegiate sports. Weiberg earned over $500,000 this past season. But the question swirling through Oklahoma circles is whether OU athletic director Joe Castiglione is one of those interested. Castiglione declined to comment on the situation, and hasn’t made any statements concerning whether or not he’s interested in leaving Norman for Dallas’ Big 12 office. But he has the credentials to run the conference. Castiglione forever indebted himself to OU fans by making Bob Stoops his first major hire in December of 1998. The football success has locked the national spotlight on the Sooners. During his nine seasons at OU, the athletic department has reached unseen heights. Every sport has seen facility improvements and success on the field has increased as well. The Sooners have become a mainstay in the Director’s Cup standings, which measure athletic success in every sport. They have won 26 conference titles in sports other than football during Castiglione’s tenure. The school’s success away from the gridiron has been the athletic director’s biggest achievement. Facilities have undergone nearly $90 million in renovations over the last eight years and an athletic department that once operated in the red is now in the black. The athletic department currently runs with a budget of over $60 million. The revenue streams have opened at OU under Castiglione. Keeping the conference’s tap flowing will be a big issue with the Big 12. The Big 12 distributed $106 million to its member schools over 2006-07. Most of that revenue comes from television contracts and bowl agreements that are locked in through for the next two seasons. Weiberg said his replacement will should be well versed in the world of college athletics. 
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