University of Missouri athletics officials insist they are done flirting with another conference.

The Big 12 loses two teams after this season with the exit of Nebraska to the Big 10 and Colorado to the Pac-10.

Missouri had flirted with the Big 10, but never received an invitation to join the conference. MU Athletic Director Mike Alden says the new Big 12, with its ten teams, is sound.

“With the ten teams that we have in the league, clearly at this time committed to one another and certainly everybody has made that statement and I think all of us work really well together, I think the future looks extremely bright,” Alden tells the Missourinet. “I think we take a look at the Big East, taking a look at expanding by one football-playing member, why? Because from a scheduling standpoint, and other things, a ten-team league in the sport of football, in all sports for that matter, makes a lot of sense.”

Alden says it’s time for MU to distance itself from rumors of moving to the Big 10 or any other conference and shift its focus to making the Big 12 stronger.

“Will those rumors and speculation come out again at some point? They may. Who knows? Nobody knew where that was going to be coming from a year ago or a year and a half ago until the Big 10 came out and made the statement that it did (inviting Nebraska),” Alden says. “But, for our part, we think that all that kind of stuff is over with we’re locked on to where we’re at right now.”

Alden says the key component to keeping the Big 12 together is the new television contract, which could prove lucrative to the member schools.

AUDIO: Brent Martin reports [1:20 MP3]