Post by elp525 on Nov 2, 2011 5:06:24 GMT -5
By Jenn Menendez
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Big 12 conference interim commissioner Chuck Neinas said he is confident West Virginia will play in the Big 12 next year, dismissing the notion that the school could be bound to the Big East by its 27-month exit rule.
Neinas met with reporters Tuesday at Milan Puskar Stadium, minutes after West Virginia celebrated its move with Big 12 officials in a short news conference in the stadium's Touchdown Terrace.
Neinas was flanked by university president James Clements and athletic director Oliver Luck.
On Monday, West Virginia filed a lawsuit against the Big East claiming breach of contract should void the waiting period. The Big East said it will consider its own legal options.
"I'm not concerned because I trust the two gentlemen on either side of me," Neinas said. "As I say, Oklahoma State told me they don't want to play Oklahoma twice. It will be very difficult to obtain games at this late stage. We fully expect that West Virginia will be there."
Neither Clements nor Luck would comment directly on the pending lawsuit, though Clements intimated he had confidence in the outcome of the lawsuit.
"We were a very proud member of the Big East for a long time, and a good member," he said. "Now it's all about the Big 12. We are thrilled to be a member of the Big 12. ... From an academic standpoint, from an athletic standpoint, from a leadership standpoint, we couldn't feel better. The stuff with the Big East will work itself out."
Drew Payne, who chairs the university's Board of Governors, said an expedited divorce from the Big East seems in the best interest for all parties.
"It's better for us. It's better for the Big East. It's better for Pittsburgh. It's better for Syracuse," Payne said. "You're getting divorced, do you still live together for a year? It doesn't usually work."
West Virginia announced its new affiliation with the Big 12 last month. Pitt and Syracuse announced their departure for the Atlantic Coast Conference in September.
The celebration kicked off with the pep band's version of John Denver's "Country Roads." Neinas presented Clements with official paperwork, and extolled the virtues of the new partnership.
"We certainly welcome West Virginia to the Big 12 family," Neinas said. "We think we have a great conference and West Virginia makes it greater. You've got an outstanding program."
Clements presented Neinas with a Mountaineer statue, fitted a black baseball cap with a Big 12 logo on his head, then spoke about the strength of the Big 12.
"It's official," he said to a round of applause. "The Big 12 is a good fit for us. It's a strong, very vibrant conference. The Big 12 has great momentum heading into the future."
In Philadelphia, Big East commissioner John Marinatto stood by his earlier comments that the conference will consider its own legal options.
"In light of the lawsuit filed by West Virginia yesterday, the
residents ... discussed and confirmed our continuing commitment to enforce the [c]onference's 27-month notification period for schools choosing to leave," Marinatto said in a statement.
Multiple issues must be worked out before West Virginia plays a single game in the Big 12.
Travel costs will increase, facilities improvements will have to be considered, and a home is needed for men's soccer and rifle teams, two sports not sponsored by the Big 12.
"We've started the process of looking at all the variables in terms of travel, TV revenue, all the bits and pieces we need to know," Luck said. "I can't give you specific numbers because there are a lot of things we don't know yet. Clearly, the television thing is much bigger than in the Big East."
West Virginia will get a cut of Big 12 television revenue matching what another new member, Texas Christian, was given, Luck said -- a 50 percent share in year one, a 67 percent share in year two, an 85 percent share in year three and 100 percent in year four.
That number is expected to dwarf the $7 million the school receives annually from Big East television contracts.
Neinas said there is no backup schedule in place if Missouri does not leave the conference, but that the league could work with 11 teams. He also did not rule out Louisville becoming a member down the road.
"Who knows, someday they may be a Big 12 member," he said. "West Virginia is here and ready."
Football coach Dana Holgorsen, who spent eight years in the Big 12 as an assistant with Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, said the move is a monumental one for the football program.
"As a program, I'm excited. I can assure you that. I understand the Big 12 and what they're about from a national perspective, from a facilities perspective and academic perspective," he said.
"The amount of changes and challenges that are going to take place here at West Virginia is something that will take a long time to get done. It's a huge task, it's not an overnight fix.
"It's great to be able to solidify our future and put ourselves in a position to be successful."
