Art Briles seems like a terrible person, and it’s possible the problems at Baylor are even beyond his reach, but if you were wondering if, when or how the Big 12 could do something punitive after months and months of stonewalls and stories that sullied the conference’s reputation, the morning’s news is for you.

The Big 12 is threatening to withhold money from the private university.

“…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.”

What’s it mean? Maybe a lot, maybe a little. I think precedent matters — this isn’t just a story about Baylor or the Big 12, so this could have meaning throughout the NCAA — and a third-party evaluation is a line in the sand, so to speak. It states that members have to be up to the conference’s standards and expectations and not just the member’s. Remember, Baylor was a mess when it came to enforcement. Essentially, the Big 12 is demanding that Baylor is and can prove it is Title IX compliant. Safe to say there’s an apparent difference between Baylor’s ideals and the Big 12’s ideals.

But the Big 12 also threatens to withhold “future” revenue. There’s no fine. There’s no reaching for money already earned. If Baylor gets in line and does what’s promised and what’s asked by the conference and by plain decency, then the university gets a full share of the future revenue distribution.

Much of this will depend on the third party, how it’s structured and what access it receives … and along those likes, how quickly the review occurs. Honestly, this could end up costing Baylor nothing, and that’d be fine for the Big 12. This is more about sanctity than it is sanctions. Baylor seems surprised and confident all at once.

“…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.”