Championship Subdivision Football | FCS Football | Stadiums | Blogs | Forums

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.

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

ODUalum11 wrote:I thought Missouri to the SEC was close to a done deal.

BlueHen86 wrote:

SuperHornet wrote: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 Source wrote: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.

SuperHornet wrote:

ODUalum11 wrote: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....

BlueHen86 wrote:
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.

AP Source wrote: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

DSUrocks07 wrote:

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.

bluehenbillk wrote: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.

dal4018 wrote:

bluehenbillk wrote: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

tampajag wrote:

DSUrocks07 wrote:

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.

bluehenbillk wrote: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 wrote:

bluehenbillk wrote: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 wrote:

tampajag wrote: 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.

93henfan wrote:

bluehenbillk wrote: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.