Specifically, why did the big 12 use the word “next” in this phrase, what was their intent?

“Win % against the next highest placed common opponent in the standings proceeding through the standings”

Remove “next” and it reads different. When you have a tiebreaker with byu and Iowa St, remove next and it’s clear that the respective results against Kansas St mean BYU wins. However, by including the word next, it’s not clear that the Kansas St result will be considered.

Why would the Conference have done this and created this confusion?