West Virginia to the Big 12

[DSUrocks07]

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/ ... fAyQ6qlw4O

The Big East Football Conference's survival as a league with BCS automatic-qualifier status is about to take a serious hit because the Big 12 has lined up West Virginia to replace Missouri, The Post has learned.

The Big 12 held a board of directors meeting yesterday, and a source said the league's plan is to hold on to Missouri, which wants to leave for the SEC, for one more year then replace it with West Virginia.

That would mean the Big East is losing a fourth FBS-playing member, leaving the league with five schools that play FBS football: Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Rutgers and South Florida.

The Big 12's thinking, which could become more aggressive, forces the Big East to look at "Plan C" as it heads into its annual meeting of presidents and board of directors next Tuesday in Philadelphia.

Initially the league was hoping it could survive by inviting Air Force, Boise State, Central Florida, Houston, Navy and SMU. But if the league also must replace West Virginia along with Pittsburgh, Syracuse and TCU, the Big East must look at Temple and perhaps Army.

"Of all the schools the league has lost, from a football standpoint losing West Virginia would be the most damaging," a source told The Post. "Despite what anyone says, that's the program the league has hung its hat on."

A source said the Big 12, by holding Missouri, might hold at 10 teams for next season and then consider a jump to 16 teams. Louisville and Cincinnati are under consideration as well as Boise State and BYU.

The Big East is dead in the water.

[bluehenbillk]

I agree the BEC is dying for football. Don't see Boise coming to join what's left of that motley crew, or Air Force & Navy.

[BlueHen86]

I'm not ready to bury the Big East just yet. While losing WVU is very bad, as long as the conference has it's BCS bid it can stay alive. To keep the bid the Big East doesn't have to be better than the SEC, Big 10, Big XII, Pac 12 or ACC. It just has to be better than the rest and that is doable if it can raid the right teams.

The Big East may be on life support, but until the conference juggling stops and the dust settles we won't know if the Big East dies or not.

[youngterrier]

The big east is 6-7 in 13 BCS bowl games. only 3 teams won those 6 games, 5 of them coming from 2 teams that either aren't in the conference anymore or may not be in the conference soon (Miami and West Virginia)

[SuperHornet]

This isn't a done deal yet. This only goes into effect if Mizzou actually leaves. That hasn't officially happened yet.

[BlueHen86]

This isn't a done deal yet. This only goes into effect if Mizzou actually leaves. That hasn't officially happened yet.

According to ESPN; WVU to the Big XII DOES NOT depend on Missouri leaving. Take it with a grain of salt, who knows whats really going on, this is the college football version of Silly Season.

[ODUalum11]

I thought Missouri to the SEC was close to a done deal.

[SuperHornet]

I thought Missouri to the SEC was close to a done deal.

Well, UNH would have us believe that it happened YESTERDAY. Just look at TCU....

This isn't a done deal yet. This only goes into effect if Mizzou actually leaves. That hasn't officially happened yet.

According to ESPN; WVU to the Big XII DOES NOT depend on Missouri leaving. Take it with a grain of salt, who knows whats really going on, this is the college football version of Silly Season.

AP said it DOES depend on Mizzou taking off.

Because there is no timetable for Missouri to complete its expected departure from the Big 12—and the league’s board of directors expressed “a strong desire” for Missouri to stay—there is no timetable for West Virginia to receive a formal invitation, the person said.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/n ... inia-big12

[BlueHen86]

I thought Missouri to the SEC was close to a done deal.

Well, UNH would have us believe that it happened YESTERDAY. Just look at TCU....

According to ESPN; WVU to the Big XII DOES NOT depend on Missouri leaving. Take it with a grain of salt, who knows whats really going on, this is the college football version of Silly Season.

AP said it DOES depend on Mizzou taking off.

Because there is no timetable for Missouri to complete its expected departure from the Big 12—and the league’s board of directors expressed “a strong desire” for Missouri to stay—there is no timetable for West Virginia to receive a formal invitation, the person said.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/n ... inia-big12

Like I said, it's Silly Season.

[DSUrocks07]

Looking at this map, if you include Louisville and Cincinnati as part of the Big 12...WVU doesn't look so much out of place.

[tampajag]

Looking at this map, if you include Louisville and Cincinnati as part of the Big 12...WVU doesn't look so much out of place.

There was talk of shifting Bama east so they can still play Tennessee and Auburn.

[dal4018]

I agree the BEC is dying for football. Don't see Boise coming to join what's left of that motley crew, or Air Force & Navy.

I agree imagine a school like Rutgers traveling all the way to Idaho or vise-versa

[BlueHen86]

I agree the BEC is dying for football. Don't see Boise coming to join what's left of that motley crew, or Air Force & Navy.

I agree imagine a school like Rutgers traveling all the way to Idaho or vise-versa

Why is that so hard to imagine? Boise has traveled to Georgia and Washington DC in the past two seasons. If the Big East gets to 12 schools they would probably have two divsions, Rutgers might not even play Boise every year, let alone have to fly to Idaho every other year.

[DSUrocks07]

Looking at this map, if you include Louisville and Cincinnati as part of the Big 12...WVU doesn't look so much out of place.

There was talk of shifting Bama east so they can still play Tennessee and Auburn.

Actually Auburn to the east makes more sense geographically. And probably competitively as well.

[bluehenbillk]

Per multiple outlets (ESPN, CBS Sports, The Big East) it's now official that West Viriginia is going to the Big 12.

This should be the final dagger for the Big East - no matter who they bring on board at this point - I can no longer see them being involved in BCS football. They have now joined the ranks of the MAC, SunBelt, MWC, WAC C-USA, etc.

I wonder who would be next in the defection game? Rutgers? UConn? Louisville?

[93henfan]

Per multiple outlets (ESPN, CBS Sports, The Big East) it's now official that West Viriginia is going to the Big 12.

This should be the final dagger for the Big East - no matter who they bring on board at this point - I can no longer see them being involved in BCS football. They have now joined the ranks of the MAC, SunBelt, MWC, WAC C-USA, etc.

I wonder who would be next in the defection game? Rutgers? UConn? Louisville?

Rutgers and UConn to ACC sounds logical.

[DSUrocks07]

Per multiple outlets (ESPN, CBS Sports, The Big East) it's now official that West Viriginia is going to the Big 12.

This should be the final dagger for the Big East - no matter who they bring on board at this point - I can no longer see them being involved in BCS football. They have now joined the ranks of the MAC, SunBelt, MWC, WAC C-USA, etc.

I wonder who would be next in the defection game? Rutgers? UConn? Louisville?

Rutgers and UConn to ACC sounds logical.

Big Ten wants Rutgers, UConn wants in the ACC. Louisville (despite Pitino's statements) and Cincy to the Big 12. South Florida looks like to be the odd man out...

[bluehenbillk]

WVU has anted up $$ to buy out of the Big East immediately too word is - no 27-month wait like Pitt & Cuse. Makes you wonder if those 2 schools will leave early too or play it out. The ACC said today they're ready for them whenever they wanna come.

Makes tix to this year's Big East Hoops tourney at MSG a hot one if it's the last time around for the Cuse.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

USF will likely join the CUSA-MWC Mega-conference... (Cincy and L'ville too in all likelyhood)

UConn will end up in the ACC - and my guess is that either Rutgers or Cincy will end up in the ACC to round out the 16

[BlueHen86]

You guys are burying the Big East way too soon. Until teams start saying "no" to them, the conference is not dead. Their fate may rest with Boise. Interesting that Boise contacted the Big West about moving all sports there except football. That tells me that Boise is at least cosidering the Big East.

[youngterrier]

bottom line on ESPN said Big East looking to offer Houston, UCF, and SMU

[tampajag]

There was talk of shifting Bama east so they can still play Tennessee and Auburn.

Actually Auburn to the east makes more sense geographically. And probably competitively as well.

but that won't allow Bama to play them both, which is the issue. you satisfy Bama and then everyone else.

[tampajag]

USF back to CUSA their ego will be crushed

[TheDancinMonarch]

Per multiple outlets (ESPN, CBS Sports, The Big East) it's now official that West Viriginia is going to the Big 12.

This should be the final dagger for the Big East - no matter who they bring on board at this point - I can no longer see them being involved in BCS football. They have now joined the ranks of the MAC, SunBelt, MWC, WAC C-USA, etc.

I wonder who would be next in the defection game? Rutgers? UConn? Louisville?

Rutgers and UConn to ACC sounds logical.

I don't think that the word "logical" is applicable to any of this.

[DSUrocks07]

Looks like WVU is attempting to force its way out of the Big East.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story ... -marinatto

Copy of the lawsuit:

http://espn.go.com/photo/preview/!pdfs/ ... iasuit.pdf

Going to be a LOT of bad blood over all of this...