Looking Forward to the Big 12

Trips to New Jersey and Connecticut will now be replaced with trips to Texas and Oklahoma if the news of WVU heading to the Big 12 is true. I, for one an excited about the new step for the Mountaineers, and look forward to those trips to the heartland and south.

WVU's football program should fit in well. They will be competitive wherever you put them, and let's not forget the last time they played a team from the Big 12 it was in the Fiesta Bowl...a game I'm sure Oklahoma fans would like to forget (Yes, I know WVU played Colorado twice, but they are gone). Sure, a lot has changed since then, but the fact that WVU is 2-0 in BCS games, shows they will not back down to anyone.

Dana Holgorsen also has some serious connections in the Big 12 world. Holgorsen has been on staffs at both Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, where you can still see plenty of his influence. He also knows the recruiting grounds of the conference, which should help expand WVU's recruiting base. Holgs has already been able to snag players like Dustin Garrison and Paul Millard, so we'll see if it continues.

Basketball is a different story. There is the chance for WVU to roll right in and be a major conference player. Not that football can't be that, but this is a Mountaineer basketball program that has been one of the more consistent performers recently. Since 2005, WVU has been to four Sweet 16's, one resulting in a trip to the Final Four, and an NIT Championship in the only year they missed the Tournament. There's no doubt this program will remain competitive with Bob Huggins at the helm.

As for the Women's team, Mike Carey continues to get premier talent, and has been a serious player in the Big East for the past decade. Look for the Lady Mounties to continue to stay competitive in another deep conference.

The Mountaineer Women's Soccer program will be a team to beat yearly in the Big 12 as well. The perennial Big East power will join a deep conference that has five teams in the RPI Top-50. WVU (26th in RPI) should make an immediate impact in the conference, the bigger question is what will happen to the Men's team? The Big 12 doesn't have Men's soccer. Maybe an invite to Conference USA?

The Olympic sports will be in for some great competition as well. The Big 12 is very strong in practically all of them, and should only help the WVU compete level. This is certainly an exciting time for Mountaineer athletics, and things will be looking differently soon enough.

As for the Big East, I will say that it is sad to see the conference dying. There's not much better in sports than the Big East Championship at the Garden in March every year. It's hard to believe that the event may be close to death. Sadly, the Big East brass just wasn't up to the task of understanding how important the football side was. As we all know football is King, but not to certain individuals in Newport, RI. I can't but think this all could have been avoided, but WVU had to lookout for its own interests...and the Big East is just too unstable.

Okay, I'm ready to mess with Texas!

Conference Realignment 2011: New York Post Says WVU on the Way to Big 12

Well, here is the news that West Virginia fans have been waiting for...if true.

The New York Post is reporting that WVU is set to replace Missouri, when the Tigers eventually head out to the SEC. The Post article goes on to say.

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.

This is huge news for WVU fans that have been destroying the Internet to find realignment info for the past two months, ever since Syracuse and Pitt announced a move to the ACC. The Mountaineer faithful's first choice seemed to be the SEC, but the Big 12 became an attractive locale since Texas and Oklahoma decided to stick around.

WVU will fit in well athletically. The Mountaineers have solid football and basketball programs that should be competitive right away. The soccer teams might dominate the league, and the Olympic sports should show well also.

The biggest hurdle will certainly be the travel. The closest school right now is over 800 miles away, but this is the direction we are going in now. Don't forget, Boise State may be in the new Big East.

With WVU seemingly on the way out, it will be interesting to see what happens to the football version of the Big East. Rutgers and UConn are still waiting for the ACC to call, and Louisville and Cincinnati will certainly be hoping that the Big 12 goes back to "12" teams. The future of the Big East just continues to get more and more dire. I guess that proactive approach didn't pay off.

UPDATE: Multiple sources are now reporting that WVU is headed to the Big 12. Brett McMurphy from CBS, who has been all over realignment just tweeted this...

@McMurphyCBS: West Virginia to Big 12 w/in 24-48 hours after Missouri withdraws from Big 12, sources tell @CBSSports bit.ly/vPPq77

Very telling news right there.

MORE UPDATES: Pete Thamel of the New York Times writes that a source with direct knowledge of the situation says WVU has "applied and are accepted" to the Big 12.

Thamel also writes that the Big 12 is planning to stay at 10 teams...for now.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Mitch Vingle of the Charleston Gazette just tweeted this....

@MitchVingle: Confirmed. WVU to Big 12 is a done deal. There will be a press conference with the Big 12 folks tomorrow.

And that might do it folks.

Conference Realignment 2011: Missouri Still in the Big 12...For Now

The conference waiting game continues for West Virginia, following the news Monday night that Missouri has yet to withdrawal or decide to stay in the Big 12. Interim Conference Commish, Chuck Nienes spoke to the Kansas City Star, saying

Missouri did no submit a letter of conditional withdrawal nor did it notify the conference on Monday of plans to leave.

The Big 12 Board of Directors met on Monday, and the hope for everyone in the entire universe was that Missouri would end this national nightmare. However, the wait continues for basically every school associated with the Big 12, SEC, and Big East. Missouri still seems to hold the fate of WVU, Louisville, Cincinnati, and possibly BYU as well. If they go, then a whole new round of debate begins about which one of these teams is best suited to fill Mizzou's void.

However, it may be a moot point if the Big 12 does decide to go 12 teams. In the scenario, it seems likely that WVU and Louisville would both be heading out of the Big East. And, if Missouri is gone, Cincy or BYU could be that final team.

If Missouri stays, then look for the WVU to SEC rumors to fire back up, which will really be good for nobody. Even though it makes sense, there hasn't been any concrete evidence that the SEC is a huge fan of bringing the Mountaineers in.

So, again a big thanks to Missouri for keeping the ridiculousness of conference realignment alive by holding out as long as humanly possible, and completely messing with the fate of half the country.

Big East Presser – More Confounding Conference Clutter

John Marinatto today held a conference call regarding the Big East and the future of its football program. Some highlights and thoughts…

--Asked if the numbers get low enough, would the conference consider dissolving the football side, Marinatto says it has not been discussed. I’m sure that Nova and Georgetown haven’t discussed this with the league’s commissioner. Or other people in the league. Get real.

--Big East says Notre Dame is as committed as any member to moving forward with the conference and excited about 12-team football model. Don’t be confused, Mountie fans. They aren’t excited because they are going to join. They are excited because if we get Boise St. to join and keep our AQ status, then they don’t have to join the Big 10 or the ACC. They can remain independent. If the Big East dies, it forces them into a conference.

--The basketball schools continue to be supportive & the message has been they want to help keep it together according to Marinatto. Meh. I’m sure they are supportive of the fee being $10 million instead of $5. Because when this conference finally does die, the Big East Basketball Conference will be swoll’ with cash.

-dookiestyle

Conference Realignment 2011: ESPN Report says WVU and Louisville are Two of the Top Choices for Big 12

West Virginia and Louisville are two of the top candidates to replace Missouri, if the Tigers indeed depart for the SEC. That's the word from ESPN's Andy Katz.

Katz writes...

A source with direct knowledge of the Big 12's expansion panel's plans told ESPN.com's Andy Katz that if Missouri departs, the Big 12 still must decide if it wants to go to 10 or 12 members. The source said Louisville and West Virginia are two of the top candidates to replace Missouri if it leaves.

Not a huge surprise. Both schools have a solid resume for athletics, fanbase, and television ratings. Louisville has the edge in geography, but WVU has the more suitable program. It may not matter if the Big 12 goes back to 12 teams, because both schools would probably be in.

The bigger question is what happens to the Big East? The conference surely can't keep it's AQ status if they lose two or three more schools. Hell, they may not even have a conference left.

Missouri is expected to meet later this week about its invitation to the SEC. This means we could start hearing more information about WVU and/or Louisville in regards to their future with or without the Big 12 soon.

Conference Realignment 2011: The Big East Strikes Back?

This could be a busy day for the Big East. Conference President, John Marinatto has a teleconference with the media scheduled for this afternoon. It is expected that he will announce the increase of the exit fee and possibly the announcement of invites.

The Big East may be proactive for the first time in a long time, but possibly too late. With the news of Missouri potentially on their way to the SEC, that leaves the door open for WVU, Louisville and/or Cincinnati to defect to the Big 12. And without one or more of those teams, it seems unlikely that the Big East will be able to keep its AQ status, let alone stay in business.

The rumors have Boise, Air Force, Navy, Houston, UCF, and SMU as the potential new teams. That's actually not a bad group of schools. Boise has been a BCS contender for years, Houston is undefeated, SMU seems to be back, UCF brings more attention to Florida, and the service academies bring some prestige. With these 12 there could be a pretty good chance of the conference retaining its AQ status.

However, the belief that nobody else will be defecting from the Big East over the next few years seems naive. Even if the Big 12 wants nothing to do with this conference watch for Rutgers and UConn to continue their push out.

Yes, the future is still incredibly unstable for the Big East, and may always be until SuperConferences are running the world. Keep that seatbelt on folks, this trip won't be over for a long time.

Conference Realignment 2011: WVU to vote yes for increasing Big East Buyout

Dave Hickman is reporting that WVU will indeed vote in favor of increasing the Big East buyout to $ 10 million. It was originally $ 5 million.

So, what does this mean for WVU? It could mean that WVU isn't going anywhere. They will be the football anchor in a conference with incredible instability, and one that may not have a future. Of course, the Big East looks much better with the Mountaineers, so this is huge news for the much beleaguered conference. A much easier case to keep its AQ status.

However, this could also mean that WVU doesn't want to burn any bridges. You would think that the school could spend the 10 million if they actually were invited to the SEC or the Big 12. Maybe they stay in the Big East, maybe they make the move. At least this way may keep it clean.

The only true info to take from this is the fact that the Big East could be sending out invites this week. Stay tuned...

Projecting the New Big East

So, maybe you're like me, and have already given up on the SEC and Big 12. You just know that WVU is forever stuck in the Big East, until superconferences take over the world. Well, if that's the case, it's time to try to figure out what the new Big East will look like. The conference would like to get 12 teams, which could give them a conference championship game, and possibly will help them keep the AQ status. So, what will the conference look like? Let's break it down.

The Returners:

Cincinnati

Connecticut

Louisville

Rutgers

South Florida

West Virginia

Assuming that none of these teams abandon ship (that's assuming a lot) it's not a bad core of teams. WVU is the flagship football program for the Big East, while the rest should stay competitive. Cincy, UConn, and Louisville have all been to BCS games, and South Florida and Rutgers have been NFL-producing machines. Again, could certainly be worse.

The Favorites:

Army

Air Force

Central Florida

Navy

Temple

I'm not a fan of bringing in the service academies. They have a good following, and are outstanding universities. However, going 6-6 every year with the best win being over Southern Miss just isn't really making you jump for joy. And, it does nothing for recruiting. In regards to UCF, I'm always a go for a Florida team. Plus, it would make for a solid rivalry for South Florida. Temple has really improved things since getting dumped from the Big East a few years back. And, the Philadelphia market is there for the taking.

The Possibilities:

East Carolina

Houston

Memphis

SMU

Villanova

I'm intrigued by Houston and SMU. The recruiting pipeline could always use Texas, and the Houston and Dallas markets would be solid. Both schools bring a fun version of football to the table, and could contain a level of competitiveness needed to keep AQ status. Memphis has been dying to get into the Big East since Louisville came in. Not a bad market, horrible football program...needs to improve. I'm mixed on Nova. If the conference was in better shape, then absolutely. However, this is a football program that is not sold on moving to the FBS level. The last thing the Big East needs is more insecurity. ECU has already applied to the Big East, just not sure if the conference cares.

The Long Shots:

Boise State

James Madison

The Broncos are the newest sexy pick for football-only. There is no denying the success that Boise has had recently. This team is constantly in the Top-10, and have a few BCS wins to their name. However, travel will be a killer. It's over 2,600 miles to get from Boise to Tampa. There would only be a few trips a year if they were football-only, but it's still a lot on the old budget. JMU is interesting. Their fanbase is already better than some in the FBS. They are also playing WVU next year at FedEx Field. This is a school that may be making the move to the FBS soon.

The Not Ever Going to Happen:

Notre Dame

Let it go folks, it's not going to happen...ever...ever.

The Projected Big East:

Old:

Cincinnati

Connecticut

Louisville

Rutgers

South Florida

West Virginia

New:

Air Force

ECU

UCF

Houston

Memphis

Temple

This is entirely a guess. I think Air Force is the only academy that is interested. Army and Navy will continue to roll strong as independents. ECU and UCF will finally get their wish of being in the conference. To me, Houston and Memphis are easy targets. Two schools that have a lot going for them (primarily markets), probably would drop C-USA in a second. And, Temple would welcome the Big East back. It's not a horrible conference, but certainly leaves something to be desired.

In Honor of Columbus Day, The Big East Ready to Pillage

Here is the latest from Big East conference realignment...

The Big East had a teleconference this morning, and are going to start talking to institutions in regards to joining the conference. Tom Liucci of the Star-Ledger writes...

According to the (Big East)statement, commissioner John Marinatto has been authorized "to engage in formal discussions with additional institutions and (we) are considering a model that includes 12 football-playing schools."

So, the Big East is going after it...at least that's the perception. Twelve schools would give the conference a championship game at the end of the year, and could put some pressure on the BCS heads to allow the Big East to keep its AQ status.

So, who are the teams? Air Force, Navy, UCF, Houston, Memphis, Temple, and SMU have all been rumored. And, ECU has already applied. Boise State for football may also be in the mix, but that just seems ridiculous for travel. Plus, there's no guarantee that WVU, Louisville, Rutgers, UConn, and/or Cincinnati will even be in the conference in the future. This is going to be interesting to watch.

Oliver Luck's Statement on Conference Situation

West Virginia Athletic Director, Oliver Luck releasesd a statement regarding the Big East meeting last night.

The Statement...

"President Clements and I represented West Virginia University at last night's BIG EAST meeting in New York. The group concluded the meeting with a strategy to recruit top level BCS-caliber institutions that match the league's strong athletic and academic histories and traditions.

"As I stated before, WVU is an excellent flagship, land-grant University, with national-caliber athletic and academic programs. We are, and will remain, a national player in college athletics.

"The conference office will coordinate any further discussion on this issue."

Umm, short and sweet. Where does this lead us? Good question. I guess we can ask the conference office.

Conference Realignment 2011: Where will WVU end up?

A lot has happened over the past 24 hours regarding the future of West Virginia and the Big East. Emotions ran high on Tuesday, considering most of the news was not positive. Some was downright embarrassing. However, Wednesday is a new day...and hopefully a better one.

Many are wondering what the status of WVU is moving forward. Let's take a look at everything that went down over the last day to try to figure it out.

-Brett McMurphy reported that West Virginia was rejected by the SEC and the ACC. Many have sighted academics and market size as being some of the big reasons.

-Then there were reports Missouri was to be the 14th team for the SEC. However, no-so-fast. Now reports say that those are premature.

-Meanwhile, the Big 12 may be alive, with the news that the schools are willing to keep the conference together(possibly with Missouri), with some reforms.

-Following the news that the Big 12 might stick together, the Pac-12 has decided not to expand...yet.

-And then the night closed out with the Big East having an emergency crisis meeting, where the remaining schools(including WVU) vowed to stay and rebuild.

-There are many reports that the Big East is looking to rebuild football with Army, Navy, Air Force, East Carolina, and Central Florida.

-It now seems unlikely that the Big East would merge with the Big 12 if both leagues keep the remaining of their members.

-And to close all of this, an SEC official says that the WVU "rejection" was an outright lie.

What to believe? Good question. The options for WVU seem to remain open. The SEC is potentially there until the 14th spot is filled. Maybe a spot in the reformed Big 12? Or, continuing to fight the good fight with the Big East. One thing is for sure; this is far from over. As Wednesday begins, so does another wild day of rumors concerning conference realignment. So, sit back and relax and try to enjoy the ride.

Projecting the Super Conferences

Conference realignment is a fun topic. It's essentially the best soap opera going in sports. Where will your new team end up? And, if the four super conferences is the future, you better hope that your team ends up in one of them. If not, well, kiss a national championship goodbye. The likely playoff scenario would have the four winners of the conferences to face-off in a small tournament. It's not ideal, but it still beat the BCS.

Here's a look at what those conferences may look like. I have eliminated both the Big 12 and the Big East. It seems that those power conferences are the most likely to disappear. Unfortunately, not every team makes the cut, so it may be one hell of an ugly process in real life.

ACC

Boston College-Existing Member

Clemson-Existing Member

Connecticut-Good sports, and a market that reaches from New York to Boston.

Duke-Existing Member

Florida State-Existing Member

Georgia Tech-Existing Member

Kansas-A good market for the ACC, grabbing Kansas City. Plus, another solid team for basketball.

Kansas State-See above.

Maryland-Existing Member

Miami-Existing Member

North Carolina-Existing Member

North Carolina State-Existing Member

Rutgers-The conference would get a good piece of New York by bringing Rutgers in.

Virginia-Existing Member

Virginia Tech-Existing Member

Wake Forest-Existing Member

Big Ten(16)

Illinois-Existing Member

Indiana-Existing Member

Iowa-Existing Member

Iowa State-Would be a good fit, considering they already have built-in rivalries

Michigan-Existing Member

Michigan State-Existing Member

Minnesota-Existing Member

Nebraska-Existing Member

Notre Dame-The Irish will hold out as long as possible, but if needed to join a conference the Big Ten is the best fit.

Northwestern-Existing Member

Ohio State-Existing Member

Penn State-Existing Member

Pittsburgh-Long rumored to go to the Big Ten, Pitt would fit in well geographically, and has rivals already in the conference.

Purdue-Existing Member

Syracuse-Good academics, solid sports and a connection to New York make Syracuse very attractive to the Big Ten

Wisconsin-Existing Member

SEC

Alabama-Existing Member

Arkansas-Existing Member

Auburn-Existing Member

Florida-Existing Member

Georgia -Existing Member

Kentucky-Existing Member

Louisville-Works geographically, and already has rivals in the conference. Would help the conference boost the basketball too.

LSU-Existing Member

Mississippi-Existing Member

Mississippi State-Existing Member

South Carolina -Existing Member

TCU-Great Texas markets, fertile recruiting ground, and solid athletics.

Tennessee-Existing Member

Texas A&M-Joining in 2012, the Aggies will be the 13th team in the SEC.

Vanderbilt-Existing Member

West Virginia-Solid sports, great fan base, and alum hotbeds in Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Baltimore, and Washington D.C. Plus, it's close enough to the South.

Pac 16

Arizona-Existing Member

Arizona State-Existing Member

California-Existing Member

Colorado-Existing Member

Missouri-Rumored to possibly go SEC, though a better fit would be the Pac 12.

Oklahoma-The rumors are there, and probably a done deal when the Sooners truly believe the Big 12 is dead.

Oklahoma State-Will go wherever big brother, Oklahoma goes.

Oregon-Existing Member

Oregon State-Existing Member

Stanford-Existing Member

Texas-The big money school may resist this, but a move to the west could be a genius move from an economic standpoint.

UCLA-Existing Member

USC-Existing Member

Utah-Existing Member

Washington-Existing Member

Washington State-Existing Member

Outside Looking In

Baylor-Solid sports, but did no favors in possibly creating an enemy in the SEC

Boise State-What is there beyond football? A geographical nightmare as well.

BYU-Draws good crowds, but may be stuck without a home if the Pac 12 gets the Big 12 schools.

Cincinnati-Perfect example of a boarder-line team. Decent market and athletics, but doesn't bring much more than that.

South Florida-Could sneak in somewhere, but seems to have Conference USA written all over it.

Texas Tech-In the middle of nowhere, and is behind many of the larger Texas schools.