The Big 12 has the framework of what is essentially a conference network, and that partnership with ESPN+ has a name. Big 12 Now will debut with coverage of four conference schools this athletic year and grow to incorporate West Virginia and three other teams next season.

In one way, being on the side of a streaming service is being on the winning side of monumental battle. Cord-cutters rise. Cable subscriptions fall. Speculation on future contracts between cable networks and conferences rides the wave. Standing simultaneously with a cable company and a streaming platform is, even in these uncertain times, smart.

"It is very much anticipatory of what tomorrow's technology environment is going to look like," Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said.

It's also guesswork. Bowlsby said someone who professes to know what this arena will look like in three or five years is "delusional" because things can and do change so quickly, dramatically and continuously. He also happens to break from the pack when it comes to part of the presentation model. Cable, he said, remains viable.

"What I can tell you is we are not going to see an environment where cable television is going to see more subscribers. It doesn't seem likely. I don't think it's going away," he said. "It continues to be the manner in which most Americans receive their sports viewing, but the migration is extraordinary, and the past year our conference has been very much involved with our partners at ESPN to dramatically move forward in the area of how we deliver our product to our fans."

So, the Big 12 is in business with ESPN, because that's still an immense and influential force and, as Bowlsby said, "a huge part of our strategy" -- ESPN and Fox still have the rights to Tier 1 inventory, which is the major football and basketball content. But another part of the strategy as it relates to exposure for the conference and access for fans is to get on board with ESPN+ and be "on the right side of technology." Big 12 Now has the rest of the inventory for the other sports -- Bowlsby said Fox will have "some selection opportunities" -- as well as one football game and a small number of basketball games for every school but Texas and Oklahoma.

The service will stream on Apple TV, Roku, ChromeCast, FireTV, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Oculus Go and new Samsung televisions.

"It doesn't diminish our reliance on ESPN and Fox as our partners with our Tier 1 consumption, but all of our sports will be available on ESPN+ -- on Big 12 Now -- at one time or another," Bowlsby said. "There's a Big 12 landing page that is menu-driven, very easy to use, and when it's fully functional and operational, ESPN+ and Big 12 Now on ESPN+ will be carrying over 800 Big 12 events."