The Big 12 conference made an emphatic statement Wednesday, informing Baylor that it will withhold 25 percent of future revenue distributions until an outside review deems that the university has implemented needed reforms.
In short, it's a message that Big 12 schools want proof, not mere assurances, that Baylor will follow through on sweeping changes in the wake clean of a sexual assault scandal that has rocked its football program and campus.
Unfortunately, fellow Big 12 schools now have double-reason to wonder about Baylor's ability to prove it can learn from high-profile, university- and league-scarring mistakes.
Not that anyone should need reminding, but also on Wednesday, Showtime announced that it has produced a feature-length documentary about the June 2003 murder of Baylor basketball player Patrick Dennehy by a teammate, and the subsequent fallout, including the discovery that Bears basketball players were receiving illicit payments.