Print edition: 
MANHATTAN — Life — and sports — will go on at Kansas State should it face a future without the Big 12. The question is where.
Because of solid revenue distribution, consistent national TV exposure and historical ties with teams in its own region, K-State would prefer to stay where it is. Even if that means forging ahead in a new Big 12 without Nebraska and Colorado.
The Kansas City Star reported that athletic officials from K-State, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa State and Baylor were connected by conference call on Saturday, and all five schools reportedly expressed hope that the Big 12 will remain alive.
If that's not possible, the Wildcats have privately begun to plan their next step.
K-State president Kirk Schulz and athletic director John Currie have been vague about what could come next, but they have hinted at a few options. Ideally, they want to find a habitat similar to their current home.
Schulz has said he values a regional fit. Being part of a conference that spans multiple time zones means missed class time for athletes that play non-revenue sports. And he is all for limiting their time on the road.
"The Olympic sports, you can't imagine people leaving early in the morning, competing and being back home that night," Schulz said. "Some of those three time-zone conferences, it's going to take a couple days to play conference opponents."
Currie has said he values the allure of a BCS conference more than other factors. Having a tie-in to one of the BCS bowls brings in staggering amounts of money for any conference, from both games and added national exposure.
The Big 12 last year distributed $139 million to its schools and regularly helped its teams play in front of national TV audiences on ESPN and ABC.
Currie believes the Wildcats and their fan base will be attractive to another BCS conference should they need to look for one.
"The three highest-rated basketball games on ESPN last year all included Kansas State. That's significant," Currie said. "The television people will tell you the Powercat has more pop than you might think. You might think that it doesn't have pop nationally, but it does."
Landing in another BCS conference could be difficult, however. A source close to the athletic department said earlier in the week that the Pac-10 could be interested in both the Wildcats and Jayhawks should it miss out on some of the teams it is reportedly courting — Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
The Dallas Morning News reported Friday that the Pac-10 might target Kansas if Texas A&M heads to the SEC. If such an invitation is offered, K-State and Kansas would face a conference breakup, which could cause a political stir in the state.
Schulz and Currie say they are working in concert with the Kansas Board of Regents and Kansas to find a new conference that is a good fit for both schools. It is their desire to stay together.
Another option could be the SEC, should Texas A&M make that league a 13-team conference. In all likelihood, the SEC would seek further expansion to maintain an even number. There is hope within the K-State athletic department that Currie, who came to Manhattan from Tennessee, could use his connections in the SEC to get the Wildcats a look.
Beyond that, the only remaining BCS leagues are the ACC and Big East. Little has been said about the ACC; reports on the East Coast say it is the Big East that is exploring expansion.
Should Missouri, Iowa State, Kansas and K-State be left behind in the Big 12 shuffle, the Washington Examiner reported that the Big East would be interested in adding all four to its conference. Such a move would give the league, which currently has eight teams for football and 16 in basketball, added exposure in the Midwest and allow it to stage a championship game in football.
The Big East is highly regarded as a basketball league, and that perception would be strengthened with the addition of K-State.
Such a move would allow the Wildcats to play a handful of conference games close to home every season, stay in a BCS league and continue playing on ESPN and ABC. But it would likely not receive as much revenue as it does in the Big 12. In 2009, the Big East distributed $69 million to its football institutions.
K-State would also face lengthy trips to Syracuse, South Florida and Connecticut.
Options closer to home could include the Mountain West or Conference USA. Both have teams in states that border Kansas.
On Friday the Mountain West added Boise State as its 10th team, and commissioner Craig Thompson said further expansion could be a possibility.
"We are having conversations with a number of institutions," Thompson said during a conference call Friday. "Many of those are included in the Big 12."
The Mountain West would offer K-State better regional opportunities than other conferences, with schools such as Colorado State, UNLV, Utah and Wyoming in the league.
But the Mountain West currently has no affiliation with the BCS, and distributed $26.5 million to its members last year. By comparison, K-State's athletic budget is listed at $44.17 million.
The Mountain West also fails to put games on traditional TV networks. It plays all its games on its own television network, The MTN, which is available regionally and nationwide on the CBS College Sports Network.
Conference USA member East Carolina has said the league is ready to expand. ECU athletic director Terry Holland, in a letter posted on the school's Web site, said "Conference USA is rapidly preparing to compete for the remaining Big 12 members if the meltdown continues to a full implosion."
Conference USA can offer a league with a similar footprint to the Big 12, with teams in Oklahoma and Texas. It also brings a basketball power in Memphis. But unlike the Mountain West, none of its teams have recently played in a BCS bowl game, and it offers even less shared revenue than the Mountain West.
Multiple sources have said K-State is considering all options, but will pursue deals with current BCS conferences before exploring less prestigious leagues.
