During a period of great change in intercollegiate athletics the last couple of years, it has become apparent that commissioners Mike Slive (SEC), Jim Delany (Big Ten) and Larry Scott (Pac-12) have been major powerbrokers.

Bob Bowlsby is joining that group in his role as Big 12 Commissioner.

During his time as a university Athletics Director, Bowlsby worked alongside both Delany and Scott. To say Bowlsby wasn’t observing their actions would underestimate the visionary approach of the soon-to-be Big 12 commissioner.

Delany has a legal background and worked in the rules compliance area of the NCAA earlier in his career. Scott, a former pro tennis player, climbed the administrative ranks of the Women’s Tennis Association before joining the Pac-12. Slive also worked in NCAA compliance and is the only one of the three with campus A.D. experience (albeit just two years at Cornell).

Bowlsby has a college athletics administrative background. His recent track record is six years at Stanford, the most successful total sports program in the nation. No one has married athletics excellence with academic prowess better than the Cardinal.

“Having had campus experience recently causes me to look at issues differently than Larry or Jim or Mike,” Bowlsby said recently. “I think that may allow me to be a productive contributor to discussions (about the future landscape of college athletics) going forward.”

There is no question that a keen understanding of athletics and its place on campus will be valuable as the Big 12 charts its future. Bowlsby has been in the trenches and that perspective should be a huge asset as the landscape of college athletics continues to shift.

Reader feedback is welcome at 2minutetimeout@iastate.edu. You can also follow me on Twitter at: twitter.com/SteveMalchow

Bob Bowlsby has a familiarity with the Big 12. That comes with the territory having served as a Director of Athletics for more than a quarter century.

“I know every institution in this league and have been on every campus,” Bowlsby said in his opening news conference.

That includes soon-to-be-minted league members TCU and West Virginia.

While at Stanford, Bowlsby said the Cardinal played the Horned Frogs in football twice and he came away impressed. The most celebrated student-athlete at Stanford the last two years was quarterback Andrew Luck, the son of Mountaineer A.D. Oliver Luck.

Bowlsby also mentioned that his college wrestling days touched league campuses.

“I wrestled in Gallagher Hall (at Oklahoma State) and the old men’s gym at Iowa State,” Bowlsby said. “(Beyond my personal familiarity) this league’s tremendous history is front-of-mind for me. I’m very excited and bullish about the future of the Big 12.”

Bowlsby takes the leadership reins in mid-June. But, the wheels are already turning and changing the perception of the Big 12 is foremost on his mind.

“It must be an early initiative to make it known broadly that we’re (stable) and that the future of the conference is exceedingly bright.”

Bowlsby will hit the ground running and his familiarity with the institutions and the issues will shorten his transition phase.

Reader feedback is welcome at 2minutetimeout@iastate.edu. You can also follow me on Twitter at: twitter.com/SteveMalchow

Bob Bowlsby has a familiarity with the Big 12. That comes with the territory having served as a Director of Athletics for more than a quarter century.

“I know every institution in this league and have been on every campus,” Bowlsby said in his opening news conference.

That includes soon-to-be-minted league members TCU and West Virginia.

While at Stanford, Bowlsby said the Cardinal played the Horned Frogs in football twice and he came away impressed. The most celebrated student-athlete at Stanford the last two years was quarterback Andrew Luck, the son of Mountaineer A.D. Oliver Luck.

Bowlsby also mentioned that his college wrestling days touched league campuses.

“I wrestled in Gallagher Hall (at Oklahoma State) and the old men’s gym at Iowa State,” Bowlsby said. “(Beyond my personal familiarity) this league’s tremendous history is front-of-mind for me. I’m very excited and bullish about the future of the Big 12.”

Bowlsby takes the leadership reins in mid-June. But, the wheels are already turning and changing the perception of the Big 12 is foremost on his mind.

“It must be an early initiative to make it known broadly that we’re (stable) and that the future of the conference is exceedingly bright.”

Bowlsby will hit the ground running and his familiarity with the institutions and the issues will shorten his transition phase.

Reader feedback is welcome at 2minutetimeout@iastate.edu. You can also follow me on Twitter at: twitter.com/SteveMalchow

College sports information offices around the nation were buzzing with news from the 2012 NFL Draft last week.

Reams of statistics, touting who had the most picks and which conference led with first-round selections, cluttered Twitter.

But, there probably isn’t one college coach in the nation with a clause in his contract stating a bonus plan for number of players drafted. Yet, this data is collected and shared relentlessly.

Someone is trying to make it relevant. What’s really relevant is whether your coach is leading your program to wins, championships or bowls and doing so within the rules while graduating players.

With that as background, I counted the number of NFL Draft picks and the winning percentages (over the last three years) for every AQ conference school plus Notre Dame. Then, the lists were contrasted.

Which schools won the most with the fewest number of draft picks? In other words, who is doing the most with the least?

Here’s the Top 10 in order: Kansas State (28^th in win%, 59^th in NFL picks), Missouri, Auburn, Texas Tech, Oregon, Oklahoma State, Rutgers, Arkansas, West Virginia, Iowa State (tie) and Georgia Tech (tie).

Which schools won the least with the most number of draft picks? In other words, who is doing the least with the most?

Here’s the Top 10 in order: Illinois (52^nd in win%, 18^th in NFL picks), Cal, Miami, Georgia, Tennessee, Colorado, North Carolina (tie), Clemson (tie), Baylor (tie) and Wake Forest.

Reader feedback is welcome at 2minutetimeout@iastate.edu. You can also follow me on Twitter at: twitter.com/SteveMalchow

College sports information offices around the nation were buzzing with news from the 2012 NFL Draft last week.

Reams of statistics, touting who had the most picks and which conference led with first-round selections, cluttered Twitter.

But, there probably isn’t one college coach in the nation with a clause in his contract stating a bonus plan for number of players drafted. Yet, this data is collected and shared relentlessly.

Someone is trying to make it relevant. What’s really relevant is whether your coach is leading your program to wins, championships or bowls and doing so within the rules while graduating players.

With that as background, I counted the number of NFL Draft picks and the winning percentages (over the last three years) for every AQ conference school plus Notre Dame. Then, the lists were contrasted.

Which schools won the most with the fewest number of draft picks? In other words, who is doing the most with the least?

Here’s the Top 10 in order: Kansas State (28^th in win%, 59^th in NFL picks), Missouri, Auburn, Texas Tech, Oregon, Oklahoma State, Rutgers, Arkansas, West Virginia, Iowa State (tie) and Georgia Tech (tie).

Which schools won the least with the most number of draft picks? In other words, who is doing the least with the most?

Here’s the Top 10 in order: Illinois (52^nd in win%, 18^th in NFL picks), Cal, Miami, Georgia, Tennessee, Colorado, North Carolina (tie), Clemson (tie), Baylor (tie) and Wake Forest.

Reader feedback is welcome at 2minutetimeout@iastate.edu. You can also follow me on Twitter at: twitter.com/SteveMalchow

As the 2012 NFL Draft approaches, talk heats up about the quarterback prospects. That’s understandable as Cam Newton (Auburn), Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) and Matt Stafford (Georgia) have been the No. 1 overall pick the last three years.

This year’s debate for top pick centers around Andrew Luck (Stanford) and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III (Baylor). The Colts will pick one of them, likely Luck per reports, and be very pleased. The Redskins will get the other and celebrate as well.

Shooting up the charts of many draft experts is another Big 12 quarterback, Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill. Another Big 12 gunslinger, Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State), would be getting more mention if he wasn’t already 25 years old. Weeden played pro baseball before leading the Cowboy football team.

The plethora of Big 12 quarterback success isn’t a new phenomenon. People like to criticize Big 12 defenses, but the stellar QB play is what differentiates the Big 12 from other leagues.

In the last three NFL Drafts, six quarterbacks from the Big 12 and SEC have been drafted. The other major conferences lagged behind (ACC – 3, Pac-12 – 3, Big Ten – 3 and Big East – 2).

The Big 12 will break its tie with the SEC in a week when you can surely expect Griffin III and Tannehill to go in the first round while Weeden teeters on the edge of that status.

The NFL scouts certainly recognize what Big 12 fans enjoy each week. That is, outstanding play from the quarterback position.

Reader feedback is welcome at 2minutetimeout@iastate.edu. You can also follow me on Twitter at: twitter.com/SteveMalchow

Some people learn from life’s lessons and they prosper. Maybe, that’s the path that Jerome Tiller is taking.

One year ago, Tiller was engaged in a battle to become Iowa State’s starting quarterback. He left the 2011 Cyclone Gridiron Club Spring Game with positive momentum after completing 12-18 passes for 174 yards and two TDs.

Tiller, unfortunately, let his grades slip. He was declared ineligible during fall camp and became a non-factor in the quarterback competition. Steele Jantz and Jared Barnett took the reins of the offense and each directed the Cyclones to three wins. Tiller watched and worked on his academics.

In the off-season, the coaching staff moved Tiller to wide receiver. He had one year to learn a new position. But, he has taken the challenge and Coach Paul Rhoads feels he can contribute this fall.

“He really has shown us that he can leverage a defensive player with his long arms, long levers,” Rhoads said. “He catches the ball well enough to make some football plays for us. He’s not going to create a lot of separation so we’ve got to create that separation for him.”

But Rhoads noted that in the last five practices he was productive. Tiller had five catches in this year’s spring game and recorded a 50-plus yard TD the week before in a scrimmage.

Tiller has certainly embraced his new role and latest opportunity. Now, he’s in the mix to be a contributor in 2012.

Reader feedback is welcome at 2minutetimeout@iastate.edu. You can also follow me on Twitter at: twitter.com/SteveMalchow

Football coaches preach every year about playing physical and fast.

In nearly every media session this spring, Coach Paul Rhoads has noted his team’s physical play.

His comments Tuesday never referenced physical play, but instead, centered on trying to improved as a fundamentally sound and smart football team.

“I want a better fundamental football team,” Rhoads said, “as well as a more intelligent football team (by the end of spring).”

The way to get better fundamentally is practicing technique in drills. The way to become a more intelligent team is through constant teaching and repetition.

One of the offshoots of being a smarter team, according to Rhoads, is that it leads to playing faster.

“With intelligence goes confidence,” he said. “With confidence goes speed.”

It sounds like Rhoads has liked the physical nature of spring camp and now his team is starting to play faster. That’s a good combination.

Your chance to witness the team’s growth is Saturday when the Cyclone Gridiron Club Spring Game kicks off at 2 p.m. in Jack Trice Stadium.

Reader feedback is welcome at 2minutetimeout@iastate.edu. You can also follow me on Twitter at: twitter.com/SteveMalchow

Doing more with less is something to be proud of. In the world of major college athletics, there is a wide disparity in resources.

According to data compiled by the Department of Education, 10 schools have athletics budgets greater than $100 million. Half of them – Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU and Tennessee – reside in the SEC. Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State represent the Big Ten and Oklahoma and Texas (the national leader at $150.3 million) participate in the Big 12.

Nine schools have budgets less than $50 million and the list includes Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Florida, Utah, Wake Forest and Washington State.

NACDA compiles an annual all-sports ranking called the Directors Cup.

In the most-recent standings (prior to adding points for men’s and women’s basketball), Iowa State is the only school of the lower-funded departments in the standings’ Top 50.

The Cyclones are 31^st and the Demon Deacons (63^rd), Bearcats (70^th), Cougars (95^th), Bulldogs (98^th), Bulls (121^st), Yellow Jackets (180^th) and Rebels (217^th) trail.

Iowa State, in fact, is currently ahead of the Volunteers (60^th), Crimson Tide (49^th) and Tigers from Auburn (43^rd) among the $100 million and above club. ISU is also breathing down the neck of the Sooners (26^th) and Tigers from LSU (24^th).

Those are just the facts, but it’s not hard to argue that ISU is maximizing its performance so far this season.

Reader feedback is welcome at 2minutetimeout@iastate.edu. You can also follow me on Twitter at: twitter.com/SteveMalchow