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USA Today released its annual survey of athletic director salaries, noting that they're rising almost as fast as coaching salaries. How did the Big 12 stack up?

Here's how they ranked:

• DeLoss Dodds, Texas: $1,095,756
• Joe Castiglione, Oklahoma: $975,000
• Bill Byrne, Texas A&M: $690,000
• Mike Alden, Missouri: $659,775
• Kirby Hocutt, Texas Tech: $580,000
• Jamie Pollard, Iowa State: $450,000
• Sheahon Zenger, Kansas: $450,000
• Ian McCaw, Baylor: $423,449
• John Currie, Kansas State: $412,500
• Mike Holder, Oklahoma State: $387,560

I kept old Big 12 schools in this list because they were in the Big 12 when these numbers were taken.

For the new schools?

• Oliver Luck, West Virginia: $405,600
• TCU's Chris Del Conte was paid $115,639 for a partial-year salary. He took over in October 2009, and his full salary was not available on public tax returns.

The most surprising name on the list was Mike Holder, who is at the bottom of the list, despite holding the position since 2005. Oklahoma State's not exactly starved for money these days, either.

Kansas State's John Currie is a newcomer to the job, and a first-time athletic director who has helped K-State become the most profitable athletic department in the country. You've got to expect a raise is coming his way, even though he had a high-profile gaffe when hoops coach Frank Martin exited stage right all the way to South Carolina.

Not surprising to see Texas and OU at the top, but that's a pretty big gap between Dodds, Castiglione and the rest of the league, especially now that Missouri and Texas A&M are gone.

Dodds is only the fourth-highest paid AD, behind Vanderbilt, Florida and Louisville's athletic directors.

What else stuck out to you?

Sent from one of my four iPads? This guy sounds amazing.

• How do the Big 12 coaches rank by age? You might be surprised, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman.
• According to tax documents, TCU coach Gary Patterson will enter the Big 12 making more than every coach but Mack Brown, Bob Stoops and Mike Gundy, reports Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• A Texas receiver and a TCU offensive lineman make CBS Sports' Bruce Feldman's annual "Freaks" list.
• One awful fall made Darrin Moore's 2011 season take a turn for the worse. Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal tracks the Texas Tech receiver's road back.
• Looking around the Big 12, West Virginia will enter in better condition than most programs, writes Mike Casazza of the Charleston Daily Mail.
• Heisman winner RG3 has decided to try and copyright "RG3," "RGIII" and the catchphrase from his Heisman speech, "Unbelievably Believable." He's also made his own company, Thr3escompany, LLC.
• Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World breaks down the wholesale changes on KU's roster this offseason.
• West Virginia is officially looking into how to monetize its Tier 3 media rights, which the Big 12 allows.
• Oklahoma's welcoming a transfer from Fresno State.
• Will West Virginia AD Oliver Luck leave for Stanford? He's not officially saying no, writes Mitch Vingle of the Charleston Gazette.
• Kansas legislature is honoring K-State coach Bill Snyder today.
• Texas A&M AD Bill Byrne and president R. Bowen Loftin disagree on Byrne's role in A&M's decision to move from the Big 12 to the SEC.
• A panel at Athlon discusses the big question at Oklahoma State: Is a Big 12 title possible with a true freshman quarterback?
• Paul Myerberg of PreSnap Read explains how you should judge Year 1 of the Weis Era at Kansas.
• One of the nation's top receivers is likely to receive an offer from Texas this weekend.

Here's a quick look at what you missed over the weekend.

Texas CB Diggs out with a wrist injury

Texas starting cornerback Quandre Diggs will miss the rest of the spring after undergoing surgery on his left wrist on Saturday.

He's expected to be available for the season, but as a rising sophomore, it's not what Texas would want to see from a young player with All-American potential.

The silver lining? Texas has just one week left in spring practice, so Diggs won't miss a ton of team action. Texas' spring game is next Sunday.

Diggs led the Longhorns with four interceptions last season and broke up 15 passes. He also made 49 tackles.

Byrne opens up about Texas A&M's SEC decision

Texas A&M is making preparations for its move to the SEC, which goes official on July 1. Athletic director Bill Byrne talked about the past decision and the future in the new league with the Birmingham News.

Change can be difficult in the small things.

"You wouldn't believe how many Big 12 logos we have up around this campus because we were one of the original members," Byrne told the paper.

He also noted the stability in the SEC, which famously does not have exit fees. Texas A&M is being penalized just over $9 million by the Big 12 to leave for the SEC.

"I think it was a brilliant move to go to the Southeastern Conference, which screams stability," Byrne said. "No one is trying to get out of the Southeastern Conference. That's not true of the current conference we're in."

And about that Texas rivalry? Byrne seems to be in disbelief about the Longhorns' insistence on being the side who officially brings the Lone Star Showdown to an end.

Texas insinuated that if Texas A&M left the league, the rivalry would be finished, but the Aggies pulled the trigger anyway.

"I feel badly about that," Byrne said. "I'm very foolish. I assumed -- and it was a rash assumption on my part -- that our friends over in the state capital would want to continue playing us. It turns out they didn't think we were as much of a rival as we thought of them."

He's absolutely right about that. The Longhorns' premier rivalry is Oklahoma, but for the Aggies, that's not the case.

They're now left to find a new rival in a new league. Expect it to be LSU.

Oh, Paul McCartney. Yup.

• Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star introduces you to a new central figure in the Sunflower Showdown rivalry: a kindergarten girl.
• Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman pitches an idea I'm all about: A Big 12-Big East football challenge. Yes. Yes. And yes. And what's the deal with the Big 12 schedule? The Oklahoman's Travis Haney catches you up on the delay.
• Chuck Carlton of The Dallas Morning News offers his thoughts on the schedule delay, too.
• Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman still wants to see Texas A&M AD Bill Byrne become the new Big 12 commissioner.
• Oklahoma State receiver Michael Harrison looked the part of a future star, but his status with the team is in doubt.
• Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal tracks the weight on Seth Doege's shoulders this year with dwindling numbers for Texas Tech at QB. At least those shoulders aren't hurt. Texas Tech suffered 24 long-term injuries last year.
• Gina Mizell of The Oklahoman tells the story of one of the newest Cowboys, and the community that teamed up to make his dream a reality. She also shares a little more that didn't crack the story.
• What will Texas' new class begin to look like? Here's a glimpse of guys who could be early commitments.
• Sure, former Longhorn Colt McCoy is OK. But Cleveland can do better. The Browns should grab Baylor's RG3.
• Could West Virginia's coaching staff add a former Oklahoma State head coach?
• Kansas looks like it has added an extra running back to its 2012 recruiting class.
• Condolences to Sooner legend Tommie Harris, whose wife died in Chicago this weekend at 29.
• Jarret Johnson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram introduces you to two local players being chased by Texas and Texas Tech.

Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman told reporters last week that he was notified he had been fired over the phone by Aggies athletic director Bill Byrne, leading some to criticize what seemed to be a cold measure.

As news of the firing leaked onto Twitter and news sites, Byrne had to act fast.

In his weekly web address on the school's website, Byrne defended the decision.

"What we believed to be a confidential decision was becoming public quickly. The last thing I wanted was to inform Mike Sherman of the decision via telephone, but with the news breaking and Mike on the road recruiting, I had no other choice. I’m extremely disappointed someone felt empowered to tell the media of this sensitive information before our head coach was informed. This action only hurt good people and their families. Social media reaches everyone these days, and this information reached the children of some of our assistant coaches before I could inform Mike, and before Mike could inform his staff and players.

Mike deserved to hear from me before he heard the news from anyone else. Needless to say, calling Mike on the phone was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. That’s not how I like to conduct business."

Since then, Byrne's made his way to New York and continued to conduct the search for the new head Aggie.

My biggest question in all this: Sherman was at the Texas A&M facilities on Thursday before leaving later in the day to recruit. This was reported by several outlets.

It was very, very clear that Sherman's status was in flux. As a coach, he's going to keep working until someone tells him to stop (even if it's by phone).

Someone couldn't have stepped in, however, and said going on the road wasn't the best idea until his status was settled?

That could have prevented this incident entirely.

Texas A&M football coach Mike Sherman has been fired, university athletic director Bill Byrne said Thursday.

The school has yet to decide on an interim coach for the Aggies (6-6, 4-5 Big 12), who are eligible to play in a bowl game, Byrne said in a statement announcing the decision.

Sherman was 25-25 in four seasons.

More coming on the blog shortly.

Spoiler alert: Not the right call, Aggies.

Byrne said Sherman had run the football program with "the highest levels of character and integrity" in four seasons and put the welfare of student-athletes first.

"He is truly one of the great offensive minds in football, both collegiate and professional, and I know that he has much to offer the game of football in the future," Byrne said of Sherman.

You named your baby Hurricane?

• Missouri tight end Andrew Jones is already fired up for Kansas week, writes Dave Matter of the Columbia Tribune. "I definitely wouldn’t feel sorry for them if they go 0-12 every year for the rest of their existence." Andrew Wagaman from the Columbia Missourian has more on the rivalry.
• Where's the bad blood in the Lone Star Showdown, though? Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman can't find it.
• Why didn't Brandon Weeden make the list of finalists for the Davey O'Brien Award? Colleague Ivan Maisel has a theory.
• West Virginia is planning on coming to the Big 12 in 2012, and just in time, says AD Oliver Luck. "We got out when the ship was seriously going down. I mean, only the tip of the sail was showing."
• Art Briles is a hot commodity at Baylor, and don't be surprised to see other schools come after him after the season. They'd be crazy not to, writes Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
• Forget his future, this week is all about Mizzou for Kansas coach Turner Gill, writes Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World.
• So KU doesn't want to play Mizzou any more? So be it, says Mizzou. One player says he thinks KU is just jealous, reports Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star.
• Texas Tech says A&M AD Bill Byrne's claim that Tech was threatened by ESPN is "unequivocally not true."
• What's it like to be the man responsible for the flyover at the Texas Tech-Oklahoma State game? Go along for the ride. Literally. (Sort of.)
• Funny promotion here from Baylor, encouraging fans to add "III" to their name on Facebook to promote RG3 for Heisman.
• Iowa State players and coaches have heard from a lot of folks in Oklahoma and even Alabama after beating Oklahoma State last week, writes Andrew Logue of the Des Moines Register.
• Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III took some time to go on the Scott Van Pelt show on Monday.
• Travis Haney of The Oklahoman has 10 reasons Oklahoma lost to Baylor.
• If you hadn't heard, Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein hasn't practiced for two weeks. "It's been all mental reps," he says.

Trying to hand out blame for the Big 12's diminishment over the last 16 months is a bit too convoluted. By now, just about everyone involved has had a hand in it.

But the possible end of the Lone Star Showdown, at least in football?

That's a bit easier.

Texas A&M's stance has been consistent throughout, punctuated by a repeated, clear stance on the issue.

"We want to make it abundantly clear we will play the game anywhere, any time," new Texas A&M chancellor John Sharp told the Austin American-Statesman last month. "If that game dies, it will not be on us. That game is bigger than Texas and bigger than A&M. That game belongs to the people of Texas, and if it goes away, it's not going to be on our watch."

Texas AD DeLoss Dodds, who admitted last month that scheduling the Aggies would be "problematic," delivered what may have been the rivalry's final blow on Friday.

"In my e-mail to [Texas A&M AD] Bill Byrne, I wrote that we were not in a position now to look at future football scheduling," Dodds said. "We're scheduled out with nonconference games through 2018 and our Big 12 schedule is not yet settled. What we have right now is a full schedule but if any future options are available, the decision will not be made by just one person."

Last month, Dodds had this to say: "We didn't leave the conference. They did. ... We'll make a decision that's best for Texas."

Each side is looking to pass the blame off to the other.

Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin told the Associated Press on Sunday: "We're able to accommodate them anytime they want to make that happen. ... It's their choice, obviously."

Sorry, guys. This one must be shared.

And drink it in, Lone Star State rivals, because it might be the last time you share anything for awhile, save a mutual disdain for one another.

This may return at some point in the future. In time, I'm betting it does. But the loss of this heated, annual rivalry is the most disheartening consequence of any recent college football realignment move.

As much as fans were clamoring to see Wyoming and New Mexico come to Austin in 2012, I'm betting all sides would have understood if those contracts had to be broken to make room for the Aggies. Pay to get out of those contracts? No, Texas shouldn't have to because of the Aggies' choice, but I'm also betting Texas A&M might have been willing to chip in on the cost to keep the rivalry going.

If nothing else, it would have forced A&M to quite literally put its money where its mouth is.

This rivalry dates back to 1894, is each school's most-played rivalry, and has been played every single year since 1914, a stretch of 97 seasons. It's the third-most played rivalry in college sports and the most-played intra-state rivalry.

Texas refusing to schedule A&M may kill one of college football's best rivalries, but the Aggies helped.

Texas delivered the death blow with the rivalry still salvageable. Texas A&M's move to the SEC, though clubbed the rivalry over the head, and put it in jeopardy.

Divy out percentages all you liked, but Dodds is both right and stubborn. Texas has been nothing if not consistent, insinutating throughout the process that if Texas A&M left the conference, the rivalry would be discontinued.

Texas A&M left the conference. Dodds is willing to sacrifice tradition for ego.

You know, like A&M sacrificed more than a century of tradition for "increased visibility for its student-athletes."

What, pray tell, was keeping Aggie athletes out of the spotlight? I'll hang up and listen.

The Aggies made their choice. Nobody, especially not Dodds, forced them to leave.

Dodds made his.

Now, college football fans may have to live with the consequences.

Earlier this week, Texas Tech investigated vandalism on Texas A&M buses and released a statement scolding Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne's "careless" use of social media.

He claimed the buses were spray painted with vulgarities on the outside and there was excrement on the inside and outside of buses.

Texas Tech's investigation revealed that the buses had washable shoe polish on them and there was fish bait inside one of the buses. The mess was also cleaned before Byrne saw it, though a strong smell lingered.

In his Wednesday Weekly column on Texas A&M's website, Bill Byrne had this to say:

"I don’t feel the need to defend my comments about the incident in Lubbock because whatever was thrown on that bus sure stunk and I know vandalism when I see it. I took personal offense just as I would have if someone did this to my own car. This was a first in my 28 years as an Athletic Director ... and hopefully a last."

He noted that A&M's media relations staff was given a gift by the Texas Tech staff to commemmorate the final game before Texas A&M leaves for the SEC, but Byrne wasn't happy about Texas A&M's injured players being booed, either.

"Apparently, they felt the injuries were faked in an attempt to slow the game down. I was in the locker room after we won the game and can attest to the separated shoulder, dislocated elbow, knee injuries, and concussion suffered by members of our team. It was a hard hitting game. We don’t coach our athletes to fake injuries. We’ve never done it before, and we are not going to in the future."

Texas A&M coaches also denied that players had faked injuries, and Texas Tech's coaches backed off their postgame comments earlier this week.

Texas Tech "strongly condemned" vandalism that targeted Texas A&M team buses this weekend, but disputed what it called a "careless" tweet by Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne.

Before Saturday night's game, A&M athletic director Bill Byrne said that manure went "from one end to the other" in one bus and was spread on the outside of three others. He tweeted the buses were "spray-painted."

Texas Tech said the buses were not spray painted, but washable shoe polish was used on the windows of one of the buses. Tech also said "No feces were found either in or on the buses. Fish bait was dropped onto the floor of one of the buses."

The mess was cleaned up by bus drivers and Holiday Inn staff before Byrne saw it.

"While incidents such as the ones alleged are inappropriate and strongly condemned by Texas Tech, it is no less wrong to condemn the entirety of our university, students and supporters by posting inaccurate information on the internet for the purpose of sensationalizing the actions of one or a very few," Texas Tech said in a statement.

Texas A&M's team buses were vandalized at the team's hotel sometime Friday night or Saturday morning, Texas A&M officials said on Saturday.

From Texas A&M:

Texas Tech logos and some derogatory comments were written on the buses in washable paint. One of the buses could not be locked. Inside of that bus, some type of animal excrement has been spread throughout.

Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne weighed in with a tweet on Saturday, too.

"Someone vandalized our buses in Lubbock. Excrement inside and outside of buses plus spray painted vulgarities on outside. Classy," he wrote.

"Bus 3 still reeks," he added later.

Texas Tech spokesman Blayne Beal told the San Antonio Express-News that the incident was "unfortunate" and it was "sad to see sportsmanship" compromised.

USA Today dug up the salaries for athletic directors at every FBS school, and in the Big 12, it's no surprise who came out on top.

Texas' DeLoss Dodds was one of six athletic directors making over $1 million.

Here's how the Big 12 ranked:

DeLoss Dodds, Texas: $1,095,756

Joe Castiglione, Oklahoma: $975,000

Bill Byrne, Texas A&M: $690,000

Mike Alden, Missouri: $659,775

Kirby Hocutt, Texas Tech: $580,000

Jamie Pollard, Iowa State: $450,000

Sheahon Zenger, Kansas: $450,000

Ian McCaw, Baylor: $423, 449

John Currie, Kansas State: $412,500

Mike Holder, Oklahoma State: $387,560

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas A&M won't be joining the SEC until next year, but the Aggies were welcomed with a brief ceremony at halftime.

Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long and chancellor Dave Gearhart presented Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin and athletic director Bill Byrne with a football commemorating the Aggies' new conference membership.

The big screen at Cowboys Stadium also showed a promotional video for Texas A&M to the SEC in 2012, which was welcomed by one of the day's loudest "Whoops!" from the Aggies fans.

How awesome are people?

• It's time for the Big 12 to move forward in expansion, with or without Missouri, writes Jimmy Burch of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• Here's your tweet of the day.
• Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star has a bit of what Tuesday's likely board of curators meeting at Missouri means. He also debunks the hot rumor earlier this week about a flight from Columbia, Mo. to Birmingham, Ala.
• Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman tells the inspiring story of Oklahoma State walk-on Kyle Hale.
• Texas isn't racking up sacks, but the pass rush has still been effective, writes Mark Rosner of the Austin American-Statesman.
• Deciding when players should return from concussions is a tricky issue, writes Travis Haney of The Oklahoman. Oklahoma saw this last week with receiver Kenny Stills.
• J. Brady McCollough looks into the development of Kansas quarterback Jordan Webb.
• Kansas State's defense has been at its best with its back against the goal line, writes Kellis Robinett of the Kansas City Star.
• Look for Kansas to try and emphasize its strength in the running game against Texas Tech's weakness defending it, writes David Just of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
• For all the talk of Heisman, Baylor QB Robert Griffin III knows it boils down to a team award, writes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• Texas A&M AD Bill Byrne defended Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman's playcalling.

Texas A&M announced its intention to explore its options regarding conference affiliation on Thursday.

That was followed by the school's athletic director, Bill Byrne, stating that he'd support the Aggies intention to do so.

Now, Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe has responded, confirming reports that the Big 12 is set on expansion should the Aggies leave, but reiterating the league's "strong desire" that the Aggies stay.

"The letter received today from Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin will be addressed by the Big 12 Conference Board of Directors," he said. "It remains our strong desire for Texas A&M to continue as a member of the Big 12 and we are working toward that end. However, if it is decided otherwise, the Conference is poised to move aggressively with options."

The league's board of directors is set to meet on Saturday.