Scott Dawson/Special contributor
Photo illustration by Scott Dawson/special contributor for The Dallas Morning News
The Big 12's obituary had already been written a couple of times when the beleaguered conference targeted Bob Bowlsby five years ago as its next commissioner.
After two rounds of realignment, founding members Nebraska, Colorado, Texas A&M and Missouri exited in 2011 and '12. The departures took away programs with significant tradition and fan following and left questions about the Big 12's viability. Stanford, where Bowlsby served as athletic director, was part of the Pac-12, which had tried to lure six Big 12 teams west in 2010.