The Big 12 is famous for its athletics--and well it should be. But what about the rest of the conference--the academic part? The Big 12's website says, "Performance in the classroom is just as important as accolades on the field." So what's happening off the field? How do the Big 12 schools fare when it comes to cost and quality? The fact is, across the country, schools are at a crossroads. And schools in the Big 12 are no exception. Nationally, reductions in state funding for higher education have been massive. Although these cuts have been partially offset by the influx of federal stimulus money, that money has been spent, and it's not likely there will be more. As outlined in this report, Big 12 schools are faced with many of the same problems plaguing institutions across the country: rising costs, low graduation rates, and curricular gaps that make real and proactive engagement imperative. It is hoped that institutional leaders--governors, regents, trustees, and administrators--will use this report to make the Big 12 as prominent off the field as it is on it. Selection Criteria for Core Courses are appended. (Contains 8 footnotes.)