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    Tuesday, October 25, 2011

    Looking like WVU to Big 12 starting to take root. Here are a few posts from today.

    I am starting to see the Times post about everywhere on this.  I think that this smoke must be following some fire.  If that is the case then you shall see more posts on this in the very near future. Stay tuned.  But for your perusal: 

    New York Times
    By PETE THAMEL
    Published: October 25, 2011


    West Virginia is headed to the Big 12, according to a person with

    direct knowledge of the situation, a move that leaves the Big East with
    five football programs and an uncertain future. The person said Tuesday
    that the Mountaineers had “applied and are accepted,” leaving only
    legal entanglements from making the move official. The person spoke on
    condition of anonymity because the deal had not been formally announced.


    West Virginia is the Big East’s flagship football program, and losing

    its consistently strong performance will hurt the conference as it seeks
    to hold on to its automatic Bowl Championship Series spot. With the
    departure of the Mountaineers, who must pay a $5 million exit fee, the
    conference’s football members are Rutgers, Louisville, South Florida,
    Connecticut and Cincinnati. That gives it the same number of football
    teams it had when Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech departed in
    2003.

    The only good news for the Big East is that the Big 12 planned to stay

    at 10 teams for now, the person said. That will spare the Big East any
    more critical losses and give it a chance to build into the 12-team
    model that it would prefer.

    While Missouri, a current Big 12 member, has yet to announce that it is

    applying for membership in the Southeastern Conference, that move is
    still viewed as inevitable. The Kansas City Star reported Tuesday
    morning that Missouri Chancellor Brady Deaton said it could be “days
    or possibly a week or two” before Missouri’s application happened.

    Legal problems are holding up Missouri’s move, as it has to negotiate

    an exit fee, and there is a concern among Big 12 teams about how to fill
    the void in their schedules that Missouri would leave. That creates two
    problems, as universities will have to scramble to find another
    opponent, perhaps from the Football Championship Subdivision. A victory
    over a team from that level would not count toward a Big 12 member’s
    bowl eligibility. It will also cause the Big 12 to fall short of
    fulfilling its television contract. Both could be costly for the league.


    The SEC made it very clear during its courtship with Texas A&M that it

    would only accept the Aggies without legal issues, so Missouri must take
    care of those before joining.

    The Big East now moves toward putting together its proposed 12-team

    model; it hopes to add Air Force, Navy and Boise State in football and
    Houston, Southern Methodist and Central Florida in all sports. With West
    Virginia gone, the new team most likely to emerge as a possible member
    would be Temple, which has received resistance from its Philadelphia
    rival Villanova. But with the league’s future in peril, it is hard to
    imagine that Villanova would have enough influence to thwart Temple,
    which boasts a rising football program, a strong basketball program and
    the Philadelphia television market. East Carolina and Memphis would be
    other candidates. Both have openly lobbied to join the Big East in the
    past.


    ______________________________
    ______________________________________

    West Virginia leaving Big East to join Big 12


    By Kelly Whiteside, USA TODAY Updated 10m ago


    West Virginia will join the Big 12, according to an official in the Big

    East who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak
    publicly about the move.


    West Virginia could join the Big 12 if Missouri decides to leave the

    conference for the SEC. The Mountaineers would fill the spot vacated by
    Missouri when it jumps to the Southeastern Conference. Though Missouri
    hasn't formally withdrawn from the Big 12 just yet, that announcement
    appears to be a formality.

    The move by West Virginia will leave the Big East on life support with

    just five football playing members committed to the league. Syracuse and
    Pittsburgh have been accepted to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

    To make matters worse, West Virginia will only be held to a $5 million

    exit fee. The league recently doubled the conference's football exit fee
    to $10 million, a move contingent on the execution of the expansion
    plan.

    The increase in exit fee would be triggered as soon as Air Force or

    Navy agrees to join the league, according to an official in the Big East
    who asked to remain anonymous given the sensitivity of discussions.
    Since neither Navy nor Air Force has made such a move, the Mountaineers
    will only have to pay $5 million.

    Though the Big 12 would like the Mountaineers to begin league play next

    season, that timetable appears unlikely. Big East Commissioner John
    Marinatto is steadfast about not letting Pittsburgh and Syracuse leave
    for the Atlantic Coast Conference before their 27-month league
    notification expires.

    The Big East has said it would like to add six teams to form a 12-team

    football league. Now make that seven. The original model includes
    inviting Mountain West members Boise State and Air Force and independent
    Navy as football-only members and Conference USA members Central
    Florida, SMU and Houston to join in all sports.

    Houston regents will meet Thursday to authorize the school chancellor

    to negotiate a move to a new conference. But at least some of the
    institutions targeted by the Big East have been wary of additional Big
    East defections. Now with WVU's move, there's good reason.

    ______________________________
    _____________________________________________


    WVU headed to Big 12 if Missouri leaves

    Brett McMurphy, CBS Sports

    Shortly after Missouri officially announces it is withdrawing from the

    Big 12, West Virginia will be extended an invitation to join the Big 12,
    college football industry sources told CBSSports.com.

    The Mountaineers invitation to the Big 12 is contingent on Missouri

    leaving for the SEC. Once Missouri notifies the Big 12 it is leaving,
    the Mountaineers' official invitation could come within "24-48 hours," a
    source said.

    The Mountaineers would be the latest to leave the Big East Conference.

    Pittsburgh and Syracuse announced they are leaving for the ACC and TCU
    will join the Big 12 next season.

    If West Virginia informs the Big East of its intention to leave before

    the league adds Navy or Air Force, the Mountaineers would only be held
    to a $5 million exit fee. If the Big East has added Navy or Air Force
    before the Mountaineers notify the Big East, they would have to pay $10
    million. Either way, the Mountaineers would not be able to leave the Big
    East until June 30, 2014 – the same time frame as Syracuse and
    Pittsburgh.

    Without West Virginia, Pitt, Syracuse and TCU, the remaining football

    league members are UConn, Rutgers, USF, Louisville and Cincinnati.

    Two days ago in Washington D.C., Big East commissioner John Marinatto

    met with officials from Boise State, Houston, SMU, UCF and Navy, but no
    official invitations were extended. Air Force did not attend the
    meeting. Representatives from other Big East schools also attended.

    The Big East hopes to add those schools – along with Air Force – to

    get to a 12-team football league. Even if the Big East adds those
    schools, without West Virginia, they still would need another school.

    The Western contingent of the Big East's possible future members -

    Boise State, Air Force, Houston and SMU - are pushing for the Big East
    to pursue BYU. It's unknown if the Cougars, which had talks with the Big
    12, would be interested in joining a 12-team Big East.

    If the Big East could land BYU - along with the other five new schools

    - it would have two divisions: West - BYU, Air Force, Houston, SMU,
    Boise State and Louisville and East - UConn, Rutgers, USF, Cincinnati,
    Navy and UCF that Big East officials are confident would be worthy of
    retaining its BCS automatic qualifying status.

    Besides BYU, other possible candidates for the Big East's 12th member

    would be Temple or East Carolina.

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