European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 18, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Doug Tucker Kansas City to. A for imagination give them an p. For Prudic table practical horse sense give a solid a to the newest super conference on the Mcaa Block. After All at one time it was known As the big seven. Then Oklahoma state came in and they called it the big eight. When Texas Texas tech Baylor and Texas a amp a expand the big eight by 50 percent what else Are they supposed to Call it but the big 12? v the big 12 is what it is. That was the official announcement out of Kansas City on monday after two Days of the first full meetings of the 12-member megaton Fernc amp a i think its Nice to have a name in 5lace,�?� Colorado Chancellor James Cor it Ridge said monday during a news conference. A we looked at a number of names. None had the allure of big 12, Al though there were some Catchy names suggested. A we did not really give serious consideration to any other  officials were deluged with name suggestions including a the great big conference and a the dirty dozen a the lat Ter referring to the fact All 12 have served time on Mcaa probation. A the big crop conference was one a Corbridge added stumbling twice Over the  lineup for 1996 Baylor bears Colorado buffaloes Iowa state cyclones Kansas Jay Hawks Kansas state wildcats Missouri tigers Nebraska Cor huskers Oklahoma sooner Oklahoma state cowboys Texas longhorns Texas tech red raiders Texas a amp Maggie a the very fact in a having difficulty renouncing it suggests Why it Wasny trought  except for contractual matters the league will be called the big eight through the 1995-96 academic year. At that time pending possible change the 12 schools plan to integrate their schedules in All sports e of in the meantime the four Texas hew Comers will continue As part of the Southwest conference until after the 1995 football season unless three other members of the disintegrating Sec a Rice Southern methodist and Texas Christian a choose to get started before then in a proposed expanded Western athletic conference. The eighth former Sec school Houston is still without a conference officials from the four Texas schools were prepared to leave their new Brethren at noon tuesday for scheduled meetings with the Sec. Big eight officials will meet through thursday. A great Many other matters including division setups Revenue sharing and governing issues May be put on hold pending other decisions elsewhere such As an Mcaa football playoff and plans for what remains of the Sec. The big 12 presidents will meet in Ames Iowa next month and must approve any decision the athletic directors faculty representatives football coaches and women a administrators make this week in Kansas City. Gerald Lage Oklahoma state faculty representative said his group May not even come up with a recommendation this week on divisional structuring. The big eight has been promised a $2.1 million television guarantee for an intr conference football playoff. But with the stars and stripes ports May 18,1994 Page 40 the Mcaa poised for a possible vote on a National championship format and proposed changes in the bowl coalition its difficult to make plans. A a the More we can do in a timely fashion the better off the concept of the entire conference will be a Corbridge said. A a we re All excited about being together. We re excited about the new name. We re excited about the relationships and we want to get on with it. A but we done to want to get on with it so quickly that it leaves student athletes at at least three universities Rice thu sum in the lurch. They ought to have a championship to compete for. We re not in a Rush to get everything in  Emerson Fittipaldi clowns with his hat during the traditional front Row Pituc at the Indianapolis motor Speedway monday. Fittipaldi will Start on the outside of the front Row when the indy 500 is run on sunday May 29. By Mike Harris Indianapolis apr even a Novice in mathematics knows 13 does no to go into three. Starting the second week of practice for the Indianapolis 500, that is the situation a 13 Drivers trying to find enough Speed to take one of the three remaining positions in the 33-car lineup for the May 29 race. Thirty Drivers led by Al Unser  four Lap average of 228.011 Mph completed qualifying runs saturday and sunday the first of two weekends of time trials. Quot a / a a a. V once the Field is filled the slowest qualifiers from either weekend can be bumped out by faster Drivers. So far the slowest Drivers in the tentative Field Are teammates Bobby Rahal and Mike Groff at 220.178 and 218.808. Neither appears secure in Light of some of the practice speeds turned in so far by non qualified entries. A a we re going to Start getting the cars ready for the race a Rahal the 1986 indy Winner said monday. A a we re still in it at this Point. Who knows maybe it will rain All  Rahal who is having flashbacks to last May when he was bumped from the Field is co owner of a team that is developing the new Honda indy v8 engine. He said no contingency plan to go to any other Power Plant has been devised As yet. A that w Ould be a last gasp thing a Rahal said. A a we re committed to Honda As they Are to us. We re partners and we re not giving up on Honda yet. We re going to see if we can get some More Speed out of these  Rahal who is hoping to make his 12th indy Start admitted he is very frustrated at this Point. A i just told one of my Crew Guys i done to need this stuff at my age. Its no fun a the 41-year-old Driver said. A a we be been working real hard out there and it does get frustrating. A but you can just see How crazy this place is when you be got Lyn St. James out qualifying Nigel Mansell. All credit to Lyn but she a no Nigel Mansell. That a the Way this place Canoe a the qualified cars were Back at the Rahal Hogan teams race shop in Dublin Ohio being readied for the race. Groff who crashed in practice last monday ran the repaired Lola Honda on monday and Rahal was expected to test his backup car on tuesday. Groff finished 24th in 1991, his Only indy Start. He also qualified for the race in 1992, but was replaced in the car by then teammate Scott Goodyear who started last and went on to finish second. On monday Groff ran 49 laps in practice with a top Speed of 212.791 from his Lola Honda. The fastest among the Drivers who have not qualified is Goodyear who crashed his backup car on sunday and has a Quick Lap of 223.037 in his primary car. A a a a a a a. A a a a a a Gary Bettenhausen a Best is 223.447 and John Paul or. Has a 223.109. Others who have practice at speeds above 220 Are Willy t. Ribbs at 220.913 and buddy Lazier 220.550. All of them As Well As four time indy Winner Al Unser former pole Winner Pancho Carter indy veterans Jim Crawford Tero Palmroth of Finland and Johnny Parsons and rookies Mark Smith Marco Greco of Brazil and Ross Bentley of Canada Are searching for More Speed this week. Only 18 cars got on the track monday the quietest Day since practice opened on May 7, and three of those were driven by Robby Gordon who already has qualified