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October 25, 2011

Hoopies West

Filed under: Big East,Big XII,Conference,Money — Chas @ 1:25 pm

Well, so much for that basketball post I was hoping to do. Or something on the football game that is tomorrow night.

It looks like the Big 12 isn’t waiting for Mizzou the make up their mind. Everything but a formal announcement at this point has West Virginia heading to the Big 12.

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.

The same thing is being reported locally in West Virginia.

WVU would be subjected to the Big East Conference’s exit fee and 27-month wait before it could leave. WVU was part of the unanimous vote last week to increase the exit fee from $5 million to $10 million. However, since no one has joined the Big East since that decision, WVU would only have to pay $5 million.

The details of WVU’s move are still being finalized — specifically when WVU could leave the Big East and join the Big 12, but the sources told the Daily Mail the decision has been approved on both sides.

WVU personnel are to meet Tuesday to discuss the resolution and an announcement could be made soon, likely as soon as Missouri says it is leaving the Big 12.

Man, are Hoopie fans going to be pissed when someone does the math for them, and they have it explained to them how long they may have to wait in the Big East. If they don’t storm the Providence offices and burn it to the ground.

We still don’t know when Missouri will formally make a decision. Their Chancellor, who has been given the authority to make the move, has remained vague on all things related to expansiopocolypse.

“There has been a coalescing of view on what is best for the University of Missouri longer-term, and that’s really driving where we’re heading right now,” said Deaton, who earlier said, “We’ve reached a firmness in where we are headed, where we want to analyze and focus our attention.”

Asked by host David Lile if he could assess a time frame on a resolution, Deaton said, “Our hopes were days, possibly a week or two. We’re hoping the sooner the better.”

While MU’s intent is rather clear, paving the way is another matter at play from multiple angles.

Among other key issues likely requiring negotiation would be departure fees and the timetable:

Whether it’s merely posturing for negotiating purposes or not, the Big 12 has indicated it wants MU to stay for 2012 because of criteria it needs to meet for inventory for its football television contracts.

The Big 12 seems to have targeted one or more Big East schools as potential replacements and may look to go back to 12 if MU becomes the fourth school to leave in just over a year, but the Big East has indicated through its actions with Pittsburgh and Syracuse that it would hold members to a 27-month departure time frame.

The implications of legal snares in turn could leave the SEC delaying an acceptance of a MU application until all such matters are reconciled.

The bad news for Pitt (and Syracuse), is that the Big 12 seems determined to stay at 10 rather than go to 12. That still puts the Big East technically alive and able to hold Syracuse, Pitt and now WVU for the duration. Again, unless the conference is dissolved or something amazing happens with regards to getting 3 new members in for the 2012 season, the Big East will not let any of the schools bolt early.

Obviously that can change. With West Virginia now prepared to leave the fold, Notre Dame is going to feel more pressure than before to make the hard choice on conference membership. Ideally they finally break and join the ACC which means Rutgers or UConn also go to make it a full 16. That would knock out half the football conference and the basketball schools would lose their one ace.

Notre Dame was not just the big brother of the Catholic schools, but the ties of ND to the Big East played a big role in the football side getting the bowl deals they have. Without that as well, dissolution becomes the proactive thing for the basketball schools. Get their revamped basketball conference up and running.

I don’t think it’s any exaggeration to say that all of this is going to get more convoluted, complicated and weird before it gets clear.





The powers-that-be at our fine alma mater are looking smarter and smarter. They were proactive and got us into a great situation–top basketball conference, solid football conference, realistic geographic scope (at least as much as that really matters anymore), and academic fit as well. Bravo.

Comment by The Big Egg 10.25.11 @ 1:37 pm

Amen-Egg
Academics do matter, and its sure nice to not have to hear/read all the ‘poor academic record’ reports that the WVU folks are hearing. Landing in the ACC was a GREAT move. It sure beats having to run to Lubbock or Stillwater for games! Or worse yet – hoping (as WVU has done for the last 4 wks), that someone (ANYONE) will rescue you from the sinking BE ship.
What if Mizzou doesn’t go – does WVU sign up for the $10 mill and life against SMU and Houston?? It sure is nice to be on SOLID ground. HTP and kudos to Nordenburg (and maybe even Peterson)!

Comment by giffer 10.25.11 @ 1:58 pm

Picture the 26th month, with just Cincinnati and USF as valid fb members. On the plus side, lots of gelt for the remainders to spend on things like books for their libraries (yeah, right).

Comment by steve 10.25.11 @ 2:13 pm

This is strictly my ignorance, but does the BE retain BCS on competitive grounds without WVU if BSU doesn’t join (that would be a steep price to boot)? Pitt and Syracuse saddly don’t impact this too much right now, but WVU seems like one of the few genuinely good football team in the current BE (or at least until last week).

BE is looking more and more interchangeable with C-USA in football. Maybe they should just merge into a ‘Super Mediocre’ conference. They can split the ESPN3 loot 40 ways.

Comment by Ghost of Hornman 10.25.11 @ 2:49 pm

Glad that WVU landed on its feet-they have been a great team to play year in and year out, but like Penn State I see this yearly game ending soon. I’m sure WVU fans, like Pitt fans, are relived that they are on the inside looking out, unlike UCONN, CINCY, RUTGERS, LOUISVILLE.

Comment by Bruce F 10.25.11 @ 2:54 pm

If big 12 goes to 12 and big east lose wvu and louisville than they are done and know one waits past this year.
Also a rumor that big 12 goes to 16 if that happens look for ucon and ND to go to ACC.

Comment by FRANKCAN 10.25.11 @ 3:15 pm

This megaconference thing might force the outher conferences to go to 16 teams as they would want the pick of teams before this thing took off.
It mighy be what gets the ball rolling to the 16 team super conferences if so look for ND and ucon to ACC and big east to die

Comment by FRANKCAN 10.25.11 @ 3:31 pm

Tell me I’m wrong here… Is it possible that WVU hit the biggest home run of the whole expansion-ocalypse mess so far? Even without Missouri and Texas A&M, the Big XII might be a better football conference with WVU than the ACC with Pitt and Syracuse. This year, the new Big XII might be better than the B1G too. And if the Big XII adds Louisville too, WVU won’t be too far out of its geography. Plus, the Big XII wouldn’t suck at basketball.

I’m just speculating, though. Trust me, I’d rather be in the ACC where I can drive to some away games. I agree with The Big Egg. Kudos to Nordy.

I think Luck’s big mouth did doom the Backyard Brawl though. Nordy is a little bitch about stuff like that.

Comment by Lee in Altoona 10.25.11 @ 3:41 pm

Not to be (too much of the Pitt homer) but no, WVU didn’t hit a home run going to the Big 12. They got a solid double. They got the best landing they could hope for given their academics and market. And I’m actually glad they didn’t get screwed by expansiopocolypse.

They will be geographically isolated from the rest of the conference.

Closest opponent:
Iowa State at 871 miles.
Kansas — 900 miles
Kansas State, 981 miles
Oklahoma St. — 1091 miles
Oklahoma — 1140 miles
TCU — 1240 miles
Baylor — 1300 miles
Texas — 1400 miles
Texas Tech — 1472 miles

WVU may have to raise their game, when it comes to the claims that they travel well.

Added bonus. They were a back-up choice by the conference well after Pitt.

Comment by Chas 10.25.11 @ 4:12 pm

ND considering moving non-football sports to Big 12? That would be another heavy-weight defection from the Big East table.

link to texas.rivals.com

Comment by JCE 10.25.11 @ 4:02 pm

You’re wrong. 😉 Big 12 is probably a better football conference than the ACC with or without WVU (right now.) WVU has hardly hit a home run. Big 12 is far from the most stable situation long term — and that is what this is really all about. Not who is better than who in football.

Comment by JCE 10.25.11 @ 4:08 pm

Here is how things could go down if ACC thinks big 12 really wants to go to 16 teams.

They offer ND but if ND hestiates they take ucon and rutgers to protect the east coast there space.
The SEC takes USF to keep big 12 out of there space
the big 12 takes wvu and louisville and cininnati and houston and smu.
ND goes to big 10.
the big east is dead no one waits for 27 months.

Comment by FRANKCAN 10.25.11 @ 4:11 pm

That is right Chas and we were higher on the list for the SEC till we went to the ACC then WVU was per a site called Mr SEC and we were higher on that list then mizzou also so for thoes that put down PITT the outher conferences think highley of us. except the big 10 who dont like us.

Comment by FRANKCAN 10.25.11 @ 4:28 pm

The Hoopies playing those teams every year? There won’t be a couch that’s safe in the entire state.

Comment by longsufferingpittfan 10.25.11 @ 4:30 pm

And those schools won’t like having to fly into Pittsburgh and then taking a bus ride 90 minutes down to Morganhole where the players and fans have to fear for their lives. That routine will get old real fast.

Comment by TX Panther 10.25.11 @ 4:49 pm

Can someone please explain to me why academics matters in a conference affiliation? Why, for example, does it help a Pitt mechanical engineering student if his school is in the Big 12 vs the ACC, any more than being right down the street from Carnegie Mellon?

Comment by Hollywood 10.25.11 @ 5:06 pm

First, glad to see WVU landed on their feet somewhere.

Second, I agree Pitt is much better off than WVU. We stay in only in one time zone. Our travel time is no more than it was when Miami was part of the Big Least. We have kept some of our rivals whereas WVU has lost all of theirs.

Last, I hope Notre Dame takes their Olympic sports to the Big Twelve. That along with the WVU move would be the end of the Big Least in not only football but also greatly weaken them in all sports.

Comment by John In South Carolina 10.25.11 @ 5:12 pm

It matters to the ACC that is why wvu did not get in,

Comment by FRANKCAN 10.25.11 @ 5:18 pm

Hollywood: It does not matter to the mechanical engineering student, it matters to the college administrations. A conference affiliation is about having a level playing field for recruiting. If a school has a low academic standard, that supposedly gives that school an advantage in getting better athletes who may not qualify at other schools.

To my knowledge so far only the Big Ten has an academic alliance between their schools. This alliance is called the “Committee on Institutional Cooperation” which is comprised of all the current twelve members of the Big Ten as well as former member, the University of Chicago. Hopefully some day in the not too distant future the ACC will form such an alliance.

Comment by John In South Carolina 10.25.11 @ 5:20 pm

Hollywood – Because the school Presidents decide what schools get in and academics is important to them as it should be. Really, who wants to hang around stupid people when you have the chance to engage in intelligent conversations that can lead to meaningful partnerships. AAU = research dollars = benefit to students. Academic quality also helps the school’s brand and attracts a better caliber student.

Comment by TX Panther 10.25.11 @ 5:32 pm

Bye bye hillbillies. Let Texas and Oklahoma risk their lives traveling to Morgantown. Good riddance.

Comment by San Diego Panther 69 10.25.11 @ 5:34 pm

The Hoopies will need a big ole jar of vasoline because the LongHorns call the shots and the playing field is not level. Texas has the money to buy wins. In 6 years when the Big 12 falls apart and Texas goes to the Big 10 or Pac 10, the Hoopies will be back in whatever is left of the Big Least.

Comment by TX Panther 10.25.11 @ 5:52 pm

The Hillbillies will fit right in with the other Tier 3 Community Colleges in the Big 12. (OK, OKie State & Texas Tech & K State & Kansas) The conference is littered with them.

But this is ONLY a 6 year or less reprieve for the Hoopies, as eventually Texas and her consorts will move to the PAC 12 and the remainders will be scrambling once again to find a BCS-AQ conf.

I bet that a-hole (or a-holes) from Loserville, their AD Jurich, loved this. Since HE LOST OUT YET AGAIN. Couldn’t happen to a nicer a-hole.
haha

Comment by EMel 10.25.11 @ 5:57 pm

Those wrecks the Billies drive will NEVER make it on those long road trips in the BIG 12.

I can see I-70, I-64 & I-40 littered with Billie-mobiles and 40 year old hoopie-trailers.

Plus they won’t be able to afford the gas either.
Sad Billie 🙁

Comment by EMel 10.25.11 @ 6:04 pm

Why the negative talk for WVU. Who cares???? All we do is hate on PSU and WVU instead of worry about our own house.

Comment by Upittbaseball 10.25.11 @ 6:31 pm

Not sure how a tiny market like theirs will keep Texas happy; soon they will get tired of shipping more cash to WV than they receive.

Also not sure how kindly Texans will take to Hoopies running amok in Austin shouting obscenities to anyone in burnt orange. I’m pretty sure that punching pregnant women is frowned upon down there as well.

Comment by Chuck Morris 10.25.11 @ 7:43 pm

EMel have you read the posts abought big 12 going to 16 teams what do you think is it bull shit or could it happen.

Comment by FRANKCAN 10.25.11 @ 7:45 pm

I wonder how this plays out for UCONN. They are the only attractive school without a home.

Comment by Omar 10.25.11 @ 8:36 pm

C’mon pittbaseball, it’s a blog, those are rivals, that’s what this is. Have a sense of humor!

Yes, I’m actually glad they landed on their feet.

I would say they hit a solid double. Didn’t get left behind, and in the Providence Circle of Hell.

No rivalries, but like Pitt and everyone else, they are only one blown call, or one butt kicking (either delivering or receiving) from having a new rival. It will happen.

Geography is terrible.

On the good side, have some great teams coming in, in Okie, OSU, Tejas’ and Tech.

Hoops, got Kansas.

So, not the greatest, but still with one of the players in the conference scheme.

Worst thing, probably going to be more trouble with that conference in the future.

To the few WVU fans that are decent people, and the kids (10-16) like this was life and death, like I did with Pitt when I was a kid, I say, “good for you”, that was a terrible feeling you had, going to be left in the Providence sink hole.

I know that is how I would have felt.

Hats off again, Nordy and even Steve.

A sweet stroke of the bat, over the fence and out of the park!!!

Comment by Dan 10.25.11 @ 9:24 pm

One other thing, that is kinda nice, that WVU got picked………

Have fun Ricky P!!!!! Your in a mid-major buddy!!

Actually, they may yet take Louisville, but, any fondness I may have had for Louisville, Ricky lost all of that with me with his comments the past couple weeks.

What if Louisville does get a Big12 invite???

And they go??? “Rick, how come you guys aren’t sticking around, down with the ship, sticking together and all that stuff???”

The Big East could still have a great “Catholic” league in hoops. Would still be mid-major.

A great, great hoops conference, add Dayton, Xavier, St. Joes etc. etc.

But, in the eyes of the nation, they will be mid-major, by, not having football. Just the way it is.

Hey, what if the hoops teams do say, time to just form our own basketball conference and bag it all.

Where does that leave those 4 or 5 football teams?? Independents????

Comment by Dan 10.25.11 @ 9:32 pm

does Pitt fear joining the ACC will make them the next Boston College?

Comment by Jim Davis 10.26.11 @ 11:44 am

As Lee Corso would say… “Not so fast my toothless friend!”

Comment by cnorwoodaz 10.26.11 @ 1:20 pm

[…] So now we are back to where things were on Tuesday. […]


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