Post by elp525 on Nov 2, 2011 5:03:18 GMT -5
Wednesday November 2, 2011
by Jack Bogaczyk
Charleston Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- If you want to grasp how much in flux West Virginia's future football schedules are, consider the following:
The only team that was on future schedules at the beginning of this season that WVU is certain to play in 2012 is TCU ... and that's only after both have jumped from one league home to another, back-to-back.
The Mountaineers' pending move from the Big East to the Big 12 in eight months - at least that's the design - changes WVU's conference schedule from seven games to nine. TCU would have presented an eighth Big East game starting in 2012, but that all has changed.
In moving to the Big 12, WVU went from needing a game in 2012 (to replace TCU, which left a Big East future earlier for the Big 12) to now having one too many games.
"We know we have to do something; there have to be alterations," said WVU Deputy Athletic Director Mike Parsons, whose many duties include scheduling. "But we literally haven't talked about it in any detail, so it's too early to speculate."
Wrong, Mikey. It's never too early to speculate ... but Parsons does make some very good points.
"We know we have to move quickly, not only on our part, but we need to do some things out of courtesy to other teams (scheduled opponents). We could negotiate games to other years, or pay liquidated damages (for breaking contracts), but until we know just what's going to happen ..."
Asked if WVU is going to be in the Big 12 next season, Parsons responded, "That's the plan." It's also the root of the lawsuit WVU filed against the Big East on Monday for - basically, in my words - caring more about basketball than football.
Parsons said West Virginia won't begin selling season tickets to its major contributors until the end of March, but the Mountaineers need some schedule answers long before that.
"The whole Missouri thing (leaving the Big 12 after this season or a year later) is still up in the air," Parsons said. "So, do they figure into the schedule? I think we'd play nine conference games, but do we have five (Big 12) home games (next season)?
"We've got to get into a room and get all of the facts onto the table, once we know them. Are we in for '12 or '13? Do we start 5-4 (home-road) or 4-5? Is Missouri still in?
"And then after that, what you need to do is sit down and map out a long-range scheduling plan and go from there."
There has been speculation - sorry, Mike - that if Mizzou figures out financially how to extricate itself from the Big 12 for SEC membership, that WVU would simply be plugged into the Tigers' 2012 league schedule.
Even that's not easy. WVU would have Oklahoma, Kansas State, TCU and Baylor in Morgantown, and face Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech on the road? But what about the annual (since 2007) Mizzou-Kansas game in Kansas City, at the NFL Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium home.
On the current rotation, it would be Missouri's home date in 2012, so if the deal works that way, WVU would start with a 5-4 schedule plan.
"No, no," Parsons said, laughing, when asked if WVU would play the Jayhawks "neutral site" at Arrowhead.
West Virginia's four non-league games are home against Marshall and Maryland, at Florida State (the start of a home-and-home and the final games of the ACC-Big East lawsuit settlement from 2005), and a FedEx Field date with FCS member James Madison.
Only the JMU game wouldn't seem to be in play for cancellation.
The buyout payment to the host Washington Redskins is "more than $1 million," Parsons said.
Parsons said getting out of the attractive series with Seminoles would cost in the $800,000 range in liquidated damages, but that nothing in the previous lawsuit settlement would prevent that.
The buyout for the final Friends of Coal Bowl under contract is only $150,000, because the breach would be by the home team (WVU). It would be $300,000 if the visiting team walked. Marshall would then have to find another FBS opponent for the Sept. 1 weekend (the Herd already has an FCS foe next season in Western Carolina).
WVU might ask Maryland to push the scheduled 2012 game in Morgantown back to the end of the current contract, to the 2018 season.
"But then what happens the year after (2012)?" Parsons said. "It isn't just one game to move one year. It's a whole philosophy you're going to have to consider."
Or, WVU might get more creative. It could buy out Marshall, move Maryland into a Sept. 1 game (the Terps don't have a game scheduled that date yet) for a home opener, then play in Tallahassee and JMU at FedEx before starting league play.
Or, West Virginia could play Marshall and then FSU and move the Maryland game on Sept. 15 to FedEx Field, buying out James Madison in the process. (Maryland has scheduled Connecticut that date.)
Down the road, WVU could buy its way out of a six-game, home-and-home (2013-18) with East Carolina.
It's no secret that somehow, West Virginia and Pitt would like to continue their "Backyard Brawl," but 2012 looks mighty iffy for a 104-game series that has been interrupted in the last 95 years only for two world wars.
"You'd like to play (Pitt), but there's also the question of where will Pitt be playing next year, the Big East or the ACC, and how the game might fit whatever their schedule is," Parsons said. "You have to work with what works, not always what you really would like to do."
Parsons also said the Mountaineers really would "hate to give up the intersectional" series like LSU (2010-11, Florida State (2012-13) and Michigan State (2014-15), but that ultimately playing in a conference that has had eight of its 10 future members in the polls at one time or another this season might be daunting enough.
Parsons agreed that WVU will be able to get the seven home games it desires in those seasons when it has five Big 12 home dates, but the four-game seasons will be tougher to achieve that.
At some point down the road, the WVU schedule might look like this: nine Big 12 games, Pitt, Maryland and an FCS team. Parsons said that might be nice, but it also might not work.
"Right now," Parsons said, "everything's on the table."
by Jack Bogaczyk
Charleston Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- If you want to grasp how much in flux West Virginia's future football schedules are, consider the following:
The only team that was on future schedules at the beginning of this season that WVU is certain to play in 2012 is TCU ... and that's only after both have jumped from one league home to another, back-to-back.
The Mountaineers' pending move from the Big East to the Big 12 in eight months - at least that's the design - changes WVU's conference schedule from seven games to nine. TCU would have presented an eighth Big East game starting in 2012, but that all has changed.
In moving to the Big 12, WVU went from needing a game in 2012 (to replace TCU, which left a Big East future earlier for the Big 12) to now having one too many games.
"We know we have to do something; there have to be alterations," said WVU Deputy Athletic Director Mike Parsons, whose many duties include scheduling. "But we literally haven't talked about it in any detail, so it's too early to speculate."
Wrong, Mikey. It's never too early to speculate ... but Parsons does make some very good points.
"We know we have to move quickly, not only on our part, but we need to do some things out of courtesy to other teams (scheduled opponents). We could negotiate games to other years, or pay liquidated damages (for breaking contracts), but until we know just what's going to happen ..."
Asked if WVU is going to be in the Big 12 next season, Parsons responded, "That's the plan." It's also the root of the lawsuit WVU filed against the Big East on Monday for - basically, in my words - caring more about basketball than football.
Parsons said West Virginia won't begin selling season tickets to its major contributors until the end of March, but the Mountaineers need some schedule answers long before that.
"The whole Missouri thing (leaving the Big 12 after this season or a year later) is still up in the air," Parsons said. "So, do they figure into the schedule? I think we'd play nine conference games, but do we have five (Big 12) home games (next season)?
"We've got to get into a room and get all of the facts onto the table, once we know them. Are we in for '12 or '13? Do we start 5-4 (home-road) or 4-5? Is Missouri still in?
"And then after that, what you need to do is sit down and map out a long-range scheduling plan and go from there."
There has been speculation - sorry, Mike - that if Mizzou figures out financially how to extricate itself from the Big 12 for SEC membership, that WVU would simply be plugged into the Tigers' 2012 league schedule.
Even that's not easy. WVU would have Oklahoma, Kansas State, TCU and Baylor in Morgantown, and face Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech on the road? But what about the annual (since 2007) Mizzou-Kansas game in Kansas City, at the NFL Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium home.
On the current rotation, it would be Missouri's home date in 2012, so if the deal works that way, WVU would start with a 5-4 schedule plan.
"No, no," Parsons said, laughing, when asked if WVU would play the Jayhawks "neutral site" at Arrowhead.
West Virginia's four non-league games are home against Marshall and Maryland, at Florida State (the start of a home-and-home and the final games of the ACC-Big East lawsuit settlement from 2005), and a FedEx Field date with FCS member James Madison.
Only the JMU game wouldn't seem to be in play for cancellation.
The buyout payment to the host Washington Redskins is "more than $1 million," Parsons said.
Parsons said getting out of the attractive series with Seminoles would cost in the $800,000 range in liquidated damages, but that nothing in the previous lawsuit settlement would prevent that.
The buyout for the final Friends of Coal Bowl under contract is only $150,000, because the breach would be by the home team (WVU). It would be $300,000 if the visiting team walked. Marshall would then have to find another FBS opponent for the Sept. 1 weekend (the Herd already has an FCS foe next season in Western Carolina).
WVU might ask Maryland to push the scheduled 2012 game in Morgantown back to the end of the current contract, to the 2018 season.
"But then what happens the year after (2012)?" Parsons said. "It isn't just one game to move one year. It's a whole philosophy you're going to have to consider."
Or, WVU might get more creative. It could buy out Marshall, move Maryland into a Sept. 1 game (the Terps don't have a game scheduled that date yet) for a home opener, then play in Tallahassee and JMU at FedEx before starting league play.
Or, West Virginia could play Marshall and then FSU and move the Maryland game on Sept. 15 to FedEx Field, buying out James Madison in the process. (Maryland has scheduled Connecticut that date.)
Down the road, WVU could buy its way out of a six-game, home-and-home (2013-18) with East Carolina.
It's no secret that somehow, West Virginia and Pitt would like to continue their "Backyard Brawl," but 2012 looks mighty iffy for a 104-game series that has been interrupted in the last 95 years only for two world wars.
"You'd like to play (Pitt), but there's also the question of where will Pitt be playing next year, the Big East or the ACC, and how the game might fit whatever their schedule is," Parsons said. "You have to work with what works, not always what you really would like to do."
Parsons also said the Mountaineers really would "hate to give up the intersectional" series like LSU (2010-11, Florida State (2012-13) and Michigan State (2014-15), but that ultimately playing in a conference that has had eight of its 10 future members in the polls at one time or another this season might be daunting enough.
Parsons agreed that WVU will be able to get the seven home games it desires in those seasons when it has five Big 12 home dates, but the four-game seasons will be tougher to achieve that.
At some point down the road, the WVU schedule might look like this: nine Big 12 games, Pitt, Maryland and an FCS team. Parsons said that might be nice, but it also might not work.
"Right now," Parsons said, "everything's on the table."
