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Big 12 Will Withhold Money from Baylor

VIA KLNDONNELLY/FLICKR (CC BY 2.0)

The Big 12 athletic conference voted unanimously to withhold 25 percent of Baylor University's future revenue - potentially millions of dollars - pending a third-party review of changes the school has made in response to its sexual assault scandal.

"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," Big 12 Conference Board of Directors chairman David Boren said in a statement. 

The school will lose 25 percent of its payout until the Big 12 determines "that Baylor is in compliance with Conference bylaws and regulations as well as all components of Title IX."

Last year, each school in the conference received $30.4 million from the Big 12. 

In a statement Baylor interim president David Garland said he welcomes the independent review, adding the school has made "unprecedented corrective actions" including the dismissal of university president Ken Starr and football coach Art Briles and the resignation of Ian McCaw.

"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," Garland said. 

Last year the Big 12 called for the release of the full Pepper Hamilton report, the investigation into Baylor's handling of sexual assault claims.