Commissioner encourages strong nonconference foes

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Big 12 schools should still pursue strong nonconference schedules even though they're no longer a determining factor in the Bowl Championship Series, league commissioner and former BCS coordinator Kevin Weiberg said Tuesday.

"I certainly favored the move to eliminate it from the BCS, because it made things complicated," said Weiberg, who wanted more voter control over BCS standings.

The Big 12 currently rewards schools with challenging non-conference schedules by giving them an extra unit -- about $200,000 -- from the conference's revenue-sharing pot if the game is televised nationally.

Speaking during the league's annual football media days, Weiberg also stressed two game-day issues: moving school bands from behind the benches of opposing teams, and the Big 12's continued efforts to prevent fans from rushing the field after games.

Bands were sitting between the two 25-yard lines, Weiberg said, and were mainly a noise problem for the opposing bench.

"There's really no good reason for bands to be in that location," Weiberg said. The conference is stressing that member schools make their "best efforts" to keep bands away from the benches in 2006 and will require them to comply in 2007.