The Big 12 Conference board voted unanimously Wednesday to withhold 25 percent of future revenue distribution payments to Baylor, pending an outcome of changes within the school's athletic programs.
Baylor was not included in the board of directors vote and will be responsible for all associated costs, the conference announced.
Each Big 12 school received about $30 million in revenue from the conference last year, and 25 percent of that would be about $7.5 million, according to the Houston Chronicle.
"The Board is unified in establishing a process to verify that proper institutional controls are in place and sustainable," University of Oklahoma president and Big 12 board chairman David Boren said in a statement. "Effective immediately, the Conference is withholding 25 percent of Baylor's share of any future revenue distribution until the proper execution of controls is independently verified.
"By taking these actions the Board desires to ensure that the changes that were promised are actually made and that systems are in place to avoid future problems. The proportional withholding of revenue distribution payments will be in effect until the Board has determined that Baylor is in compliance with Conference bylaws and regulations as well as all components of Title IX."
Baylor Interim President David E. Garland in a release Wednesday labeled the announcement "an unexpected financial event" but it won't "materially impact the overall financial position of the University."
Big 12 spokesman Bob Burda told ESPN that Baylor would have the opportunity to recoup any withheld revenue if it satisfied the board's demands at the conclusion of a third-party verification review.
A lawsuit filed by a Baylor graduate student on Jan. 27 alleged that 31 football players were involved in a minimum of 52 rapes from 2011 to 2014. The student alleged she was gang-raped in 2013 by two Baylor football players after a party. The woman's lawsuit accused the university of Title IX violations and negligence.
The Wall Street Journal reported in October that 17 women filed sexual or domestic violence complaints against players in former coach Art Briles' football program since 2011. Among the allegations were four gang rapes.
Baylor interim president David Garland released a statement after the Big 12's announcement.
"Upon learning the scope and scale of the troubling incidents that occurred within our campus community through an independent investigation, Baylor University took unprecedented corrective actions that led to leadership changes within the University administration and athletic department and 105 recommendations to strengthen the safety and security of our students," Garland said. "No other university in the country has responded as aggressively and decisively as Baylor regarding incidents of sexual assaults on its campus.
"Under the university's new leadership, Baylor has demonstrated a firm commitment to athletics compliance and integrity, increased awareness and prevention of sexual assault, implementation of Title IX best practices and providing comprehensive support services for any student in need of them. Baylor already had planned to hire an outside auditor to audit the implementation of our enhanced practices, and we welcome the Big 12 Conference's request of an independent review. While the withholding of conference distributions is an unexpected financial event, we do not deem these actions to materially impact the overall financial position of the University. We pledge our full cooperation, and we will work with the Big 12 Conference to conduct the audit as expeditiously as possible.
"This third-party review at the request of the Big 12 Conference will provide an opportunity for us to demonstrate our progress to date and our ongoing commitment in establishing Baylor as a leading institution in athletics compliance and governance and for preventing and addressing sexual assaults on college campuses."
