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Post by elp525 on Oct 29, 2011 12:14:05 GMT -5
Saturday, October 29 2011 Staff MetroNews Sports
Big East Commissioner John Marinatto was a bit surprised when both Pitt and Syracuse left the Big East, but not West Virginia.
In statement released shortly after WVU announced it was heading to the Big 12, Marinatto released the following statement.
“This move by West Virginia does not come as a surprise," said Marinatto in a statement released by the Big East. "League officials, members of our conference and the candidate schools to whom we have been talking were aware of this possibility.
"We have taken West Virginia’s possible departure into account as we have moved forward with our own realignment plans," continued Marinatto. "West Virginia is fully aware that the Big East Conference is committed to enforcing the 27-month notification period for members who choose to leave the conference. We are confident that in the coming weeks we will complete our own realignment program, adding a number of high-quality members to remain among the top conferences in both football and basketball.”
West Virginia becomes the the third current Big East school to leave the conference and the fourth overall. Pitt and Syracuse were the first to leave for the ACC back in mid-September. TCU, who agreed to join the Big East before the end of last season, moved to the Big 12 Conference a few weeks afterward. Now West Virginia joins the Horned Frogs in the new look Big 12.
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Post by elp525 on Oct 29, 2011 12:11:53 GMT -5
Saturday, October 29, 2011
But Big East procedure clouds timeline of move
By Jenn Menendez Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
West Virginia hitched itself to the Big 12 Conference on Friday, ending a wild week at the university and making a long-term investment in the school's future.
Poised to leave the Big East Conference for the Big 12 three days ago, the move was put on hold while last-minute concerns about the number of teams in the league were worked out, said Chuck Neinas, the interim commissioner of the Big 12.
The Mountaineers will become the 10th member of the Big 12 next season with the anticipated departure of Missouri to the Southeastern Conference.
"What happened was, we were moving forward and we came across the fact that if we were to add a new member and the University of Missouri for some reason either remained or delayed their departure we would have to look at an 11-member conference," Mr. Neinas said. "We came to the conclusion that if we had to, we could play an 11-team schedule."
He spoke to reporters on a conference call Friday evening along with West Virginia President James Clements and athletic director Oliver Luck, hours after the announcement was made official.
West Virginia's two Democratic U.S. senators were not under that impression, however.
Sens. Joe Manchin and Jay Rockefeller reacted strongly to reports that political pressure by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to favor entry for the University of Louisville was what held things up.
Mr. Manchin even threatened a congressional investigation.
Media reports suggested that both teams might be added. And fans waited anxiously hoping to not be left out of the conference realignment game.
In the end, Mr. Luck said, he was patient as the week played out.
He said a more celebratory news conference in Morgantown likely will be early next week.
"I think we felt very confident and comfortable with our position, where we were," he said. "I wouldn't be completely honest if I didn't say we had a little bit of nervousness. Ultimately at the end of the day we felt very comfortable working with Chuck, the process. We're just glad it's been finalized."
West Virginia will join Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, TCU and Texas Tech in the Big 12.
The university wired $2.5 million Friday to the Big East -- half of a required $5 million exit fee due at notification of a team's intent to withdraw. The other half is due upon exit, July 1, 2012.
What isn't clear is how West Virginia plans to get out of the 27-month waiting period required by the Big East, terms Pitt and Syracuse are being held to after bolting for the Atlantic Coast Conference. Mr. Clements and Mr. Luck refused to explain how that would work.
"Our intent is July 1 we'll be a member of the Big 12. Our team and their team are in discussions how to make that happen," Mr. Clements said.
The Big East reaction?
"West Virginia is fully aware that the Big East Conference is committed to enforcing the 27-month notification period for members who choose to leave the conference," said Big East commissioner John Marinatto.
Financially, the move is expected to be a windfall for West Virginia. In April, the conference signed a 13-year TV deal with Fox worth $1.17 billion that kicks in next year and was based upon the league having 10 members.
Still, the move is not without concerns.
Geographically, West Virginia's closest competitor will be 870 miles away in Ames, Iowa. While that might be fine for a football team that flies a charter plane six times a year, West Virginia has 17 athletic programs, and the Big 12 sponsors all but rifle and men's soccer.
"The student-athletes' welfare is very important. In today's BCS geography, there's not a BCS league that doesn't have a trip within their conference of over 1,000 miles," Mr. Luck said.
He would not divulge a specific time line of when the Big 12 first became an option but said the wobbling Big East became a concern after the departure of Pitt and Syracuse.
"When Pitt and Syracuse made the decision to leave and join another conference, all the remaining Big East schools really had to take a step back and think about what was best," he said.
"I'm not sure I can give you any time lines. I think certainly [there was] a lot of thought by a lot of schools to look at what's important and what opportunities may exist."
Reaction from coaches on campus was overwhelmingly positive.
Football coach Dana Holgorsen, who coached at Oklahoma State and Texas Tech before arriving in Morgantown, said the move is a step forward.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for WVU athletics, our fans and the state of West Virginia," he said. "Having coached in the Big 12 before, I appreciate the excitement, passion and expectations associated with the conference, and I have no doubt that WVU athletics will be a great addition to the Big 12."
Women's basketball coach Mike Carey echoed those thoughts.
"For West Virginia to continue to be a major player on the national scene, this is a great move for us," he said. "I have researched the Big 12 and what they've done over the years, and they are a very competitive conference on the women's side. They are national contenders year in and year out."
Ultimately, said the university president, it is a good direction for the Mountaineers.
"We have a saying here in Morgantown after a big win. We say it's a great day to be a Mountaineer," Mr. Clements said. "So believe me when I say it's truly a great day to be a Mountaineer and a great day to be a part of the Big 12 Conference."
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Post by elp525 on Oct 29, 2011 12:07:50 GMT -5
October 28, 2011
Conference invites Mountaineers to play next season
By Dave Hickman & Mitch Vingle The Charleston Gazette
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia University President Jim Clements sent out a text message around 2 p.m. Friday.
It simply said: "It is a great day to be a Mountaineer!!"
That day was originally planned to be Wednesday, but after a few days of concern and consternation, WVU sealed its deal to leave the Big East Conference and become a member of the Big 12 in July 2012.
The Big 12 Board of Directors, meeting via conference call early Friday, officially voted to invite the Mountaineers, and the school accepted.
"It's a real privilege to be invited," said Clements via a Friday evening conference call. "No doubt, we are in great company. It's a long, long-term investment . . . We are very, very excited."
The Big 12 board met by phone at 7 a.m. EST and selected the Mountaineers over Louisville. Both schools were informed shortly thereafter.
"Their record speaks for itself," Big 12 interim commissioner Chuck Neinas said of the Mountaineers.
West Virginia officials informed the Big East of its intentions Friday morning. That was critical, in that the school will owe only a $5 million exit fee and not $10 million. The amount will double when and if the Big East begins adding new members, which could happen any day now.
Clements said $2.5 million was wired to the Big East on Friday and the remaining $2.5 million would be paid next year, as per conference bylaws.
The question of when WVU will join the Big 12 lingered for much of Friday, even after the conference officially announced the move. In addition to paying the $5 million exit fee over a two-year period, the school was obligated to give 27 months notice. The Big East has been adamant about holding exiting members (Pitt and Syracuse are leaving for the Atlantic Coast Conference) to that 27-month wait and issued a statement Friday morning saying it will do so with WVU, as well.
"This move by West Virginia does not come as a surprise," said Big East commissioner John Marinatto via the release. "League officials, members of our conference and the candidate schools to whom we have been talking were aware of this possibility. We have taken West Virginia's possible departure into account as we have moved forward with our own realignment plans.
"West Virginia is fully aware that the Big East Conference is committed to enforcing the 27-month notification period for members who choose to leave the conference. We are confident that in the coming weeks we will complete our own realignment program, adding a number of high-quality members to remain among the top conferences in both football and basketball."
The Big 12, however, issued a release announcing the move, and indicated otherwise.
"The Big 12 Conference Board of Directors have voted unanimously to accept West Virginia University as a full conference member effective July 1, 2012," said that release. "The Mountaineers will begin competing in the Big 12 beginning with the 2012-13 athletic season."
WVU athletic director Oliver Luck and Clements reiterated that the school will join next summer.
"We're excited and look forward to joining on July 1, 2012," Luck said during the teleconference.
Clements said, "Our team is working with their team. We're confident, come 2012, we'll be a full member of the Big 12."
When pressed on the issue and asked about a settlement or withstanding a lawsuit, Clements said WVU has "been a good member of the Big East and we've been in discussions with them. I'll leave it at that for now."
West Virginia is the second new member to join the Big 12 since it began in 1996 after the addition of Texas Christian University earlier this month. Lost of late, however, have been Nebraska, Colorado, Texas A&M and, soon, Missouri. WVU will be the easternmost member, by far, joining Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, TCU and Iowa State. Ames, Iowa, is the closest conference city to Morgantown, at 870 miles away.
"The Big 12 presidents and chancellors are excited to welcome another outstanding institution to the conference," said Burns Hargis, chairman of the Big 12 Board of Directors and president of Oklahoma State University, via the release. "The addition of West Virginia, while expanding the reach of the Big 12, brings an impressive institution with esteemed academics and a proud athletic tradition into the conference. This is another step in building a strong foundation for the future of the Big 12."
Pitt and Syracuse last month announced their intentions to leave the Big East for the ACC and those schools have been told they will have to wait the 27 months.
If WVU were to wait that long, it wouldn't begin competition in the Big 12 until the 2014-15 school year. The Big 12 television contract, however, stipulates the league have 10 members.
As the Big East begins adding new members, there exists the possibility the league might wish to jettison its former members in order to move forward.
The decision by the Big 12 Friday morning ended a turbulent week in which that same Big 12 board on Monday agreed to invite WVU to join the league, but never voted formally to do so. At that time, the conference was preparing a news release and making plans to travel to Morgantown on Wednesday for a news conference.
The deal hit a snag, though, with lobbying to make Louisville the new member of the conference instead of West Virginia. That ignited two days of political battles in the media involving West Virginia's U.S. Senate delegation after it was learned that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had stepped in on behalf of Louisville.
Neinas gave a difference account of what he called the "hiccup."
"We were moving forward and came across the fact that, if Missouri remained or had a delayed departure, we would be at 11," Neinas said. "We had to make sure we could accommodate 11 teams. We determined we could."
"I wouldn't be honest if I said there wasn't some nervousness," Luck said, "but I felt comfortable with our talks with Commissioner Neinas and others."
Friday morning's vote by the Big 12 board will keep the Big 12 at 10 teams. There had been speculation the league might invite both West Virginia and Louisville -- as well as Notre Dame as a nonfootball member -- but those plans are on hold.
"Expansion is not on the horizon at this time," Neinas said.
West Virginia will replace Missouri in the Big 12. Missouri has not officially left the conference, but is widely expected to do so soon to join the Southeastern Conference. The Tigers were not among the 10 schools listed Friday by the Big 12 as participating in the league for 2012-13.
In April, the Big 12 signed a 13-year deal with Fox worth $1.7 billion that kicks in next year. That was based on the league having 10 members.
WVU was one of the founding members of the Big East football conference, which branched out from a basketball league, in 1991. Among the original football members, only Rutgers remains.
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Post by elp525 on Oct 29, 2011 11:55:43 GMT -5
October 28, 2011
By Mitch Vingle The Charleston Gazette
IT FELT like deja vu.
West Virginia joined the Big 12.
Again. As it believed it did a few days ago.
This time, however, it was no dream. This time, there were no nightmares. The Mountaineers are indeed in the Big 12 - according to WVU, anyway - beginning next season.
"I think the excitement will be off the charts - and that's just for football," said WVU athletic director Oliver Luck.
Indeed, WVU fans will undoubtedly enjoy teams like Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State at Milan Puskar Stadium. They will relish seeing Kansas and Kansas State in the Coliseum for basketball.
Is it the perfect fit, as West Virginia President Jim Clements portrayed? No. Of course not. The closest league member to Morgantown is in Ames, Iowa, 870 miles from Morgantown.
But it is the best available option for WVU. It is the best available conference. It is better than whatever shape the Big East will take after the loss of Pittsburgh and Syracuse.
There are concerns. One popped up when the Big 12 invited WVU, then put the brakes on the deal. One also has to wonder why Colorado, Texas A&M, Nebraska and, now, Missouri decided to bolt.
There are the travel concerns. ("There's no league," Luck countered, "that doesn't have teams facing at least one 1,000-mile trip these days.")
Financially, the move will cost WVU. The school wired $2.5 million to the Big East as half of its exit fee. The other $2.5 million will be wired next year, as per conference bylaws.
The move will cost extra if the Big East doesn't simply allow the Mountaineers to skip out on their contracted 27-month promise to stay after filing its withdrawal.
Unless, of course, lawyers find a loophole by, say, claiming the league as it stands isn't a viable conference. Otherwise, one would think West Virginia would have to make a financial settlement or face a lawsuit.
Clements avoided the subject Friday, saying his school's "team" was working with the Big East's "team." The bottom line, though, is West Virginia has to be a member of the Big 12 next season for the conference's 13-year, $1.7 billion television contract with Fox to be valid. That calls for 10 teams.
So expect this to get messy or expensive. (Can you say "billable hours?")
Still, this move is one West Virginia needed to make. Football coach Dana Holgorsen and his style of football are a nice fit with the Big 12. His roots are in the Big 12 area. And, importantly, he'll be able to recruit.
Had WVU stayed in the floundering Big East, recruiting quality athletes, especially out of Texas and Oklahoma, would have been more than a chore for Holgorsen.
Mountaineer basketball coach Bob Huggins will feel right at home in the Big 12 - because he was there before moving to Morgantown. He'll meet Kansas State, the team he coached, along with a host of other quality opponents, topped by Kansas.
Mostly, WVU fans should enjoy the move. They are probably trading in opponents like Louisville, Air Force, Connecticut, Rutgers, etc., for Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, etc. Home ticket sales won't drop, as they would have with the reconfigured Big East.
A couple things though. Although the Big East slumped badly before hitting its current state, it was a nice vehicle for West Virginia to ride in for all these years. It helped get the Mountaineers national exposure.
It provided excitement on the football end and it provided incredible basketball moments. Remember, when WVU joined the football league in 1991, the school's athletic program was adrift.
So the hope here is an amicable split between West Virginia and the league.
Loose ends? Well, Big 12 interim commissioner Chuck Neinas said he's confident the league is solidified. "Everybody signed the [media] grant-of-rights [for six years]," Neinas said. "I don't know how more solid you could be than that." Final approval there is expected Tuesday.
The Big 12 doesn't sanction men's soccer, but Luck said he's committed to keeping WVU strong there.
Playing Pittsburgh still seems to be an option, although Luck said he hasn't talked to his "counterpart" in the Steel City.
Oh yes, and beer sales in the stadium?
"My understanding is the Big 12 doesn't have a policy on beer sales in stadiums," Luck said. "We'll review that at the end of the academic year with our board and pull in Big 12 officials."
So the kegs might not run dry.
Which is a good thing.
Because for WVU, despite the travel ahead, despite the potential showdown with the Big East, Friday was a time for Mountaineer fans to celebrate.
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Post by elp525 on Oct 29, 2011 11:53:47 GMT -5
October 28, 2011
West Virginia University kicker Tyler Bitancurt was named as one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Friday.
Bitancurt, a junior from Springfield, Va., has made 12-of-13 field goals and 32-of-33 extra points on the season. Other semifinalists include Chris Boswell of Rice, Quinn Sharp of Oklahoma State and LSU's Drew Alleman.
The award will be presented Dec. 8.
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Post by elp525 on Oct 29, 2011 11:52:42 GMT -5
October 28, 2011
By Dave Hickman The Charleston Gazette
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - It didn't take long during Dana Holgorsen's weekly press conference before he spewed forth two sentences that were equal parts coachspeak and perhaps a dire warning about today's opponent.
"Rutgers is the same type of team as Syracuse,'' Holgorsen said. "They're well coached and they play hard.''
Now that might sound rather benign on the surface, but it also serves as a warning to both Holgorsen and his team: Coach better and play harder this week or risk the same fate as last.
Eight days after suffering an embarrassing 49-23 loss at Syracuse, No. 25 West Virginia (5-2, 1-1 Big East) pretty much puts its Big East championship hopes on the line today against Rutgers (5-2, 2-1). The 3:30 p.m. game at renamed High Point Solutions Stadium (formerly Rutgers Stadium) will be broadcast regionally by ABC.
How important is today's game? Well, Rutgers coach Greg Schiano rightly points out that in a league without a championship game, every game can be considered as such.
But for West Virginia it is much more than that.
The Mountaineers went into that Syracuse game riding high. They were 5-1, had lost only to No. 1 LSU in a game that was separated by six points in the third quarter. West Virginia was considered a prohibitive favorite to march through the rest of the season against a Big East slate that included no other ranked teams and cruise to a BCS bowl berth.
But that Syracuse loss was more than just a game in which WVU's offense, defense and special teams were exposed as flawed. It was a wake-up call that this team is far from one that can simply go through the motions in a mediocre Big East.
Or at least everyone involved with the Mountaineers hopes it was a wake-up call. After the loss last week, defensive end Julian Miller said he thought maybe it was just what West Virginia needed, and Holgorsen was forced to admit that Miller might be right.
"We try to prevent that on the front end. For two weeks all we told them was that Syracuse is a very well-coached football team that's going to think that they can win,'' Holgorsen said. "And they played harder, they played with more effort, they had more energy, more excitement than our guys. And all we told them for two weeks was that very thing.
"Sometimes you don't get through to them. And if that happens and it does wake us up to the point where we will do exactly what we're told from a coaching and a playing standpoint, then I'm all for it.''
The test begins today. Rutgers has seldom had much success against West Virginia. The Scarlet Knights have lost 16 straight to the Mountaineers and Schiano is 0-10 versus WVU. Rutgers has beaten WVU just four times in 38 tries and is 3-28 since the teams began playing regularly in 1980.
But if that makes Rutgers a big underdog then it's no different than last week. In fact, West Virginia was a two-touchdown favorite over a Syracuse team it had beaten eight of the last nine years. Rutgers is but a one-touchdown underdog.
And the Knights have the capability of doing to West Virginia exactly what the Orange did. They can put pressure on the quarterback (Rutgers is sixth in the nation in sacks), control the ball on offense and play solid on special teams.
Truth be told, though, the most intriguing matchup will be West Virginia's offense against Rutgers' defense. The Mountaineers have arguably the most explosive attack in school history but were throttled by Syracuse and its pass rush. If WVU's offense plays to its potential, it really doesn't matter what the team's defense and special teams do. This is a group that can outscore an opponent 75-74 if necessary.
But that means adjusting to Rutgers' inevitable pass rush, making plays and not turning the ball over.
"The thing most impressive about [Rutgers'] defense is how hard they play and how aggressive they are to attack the ball to get the ball out,'' Holgorsen said. "They lead the nation in turnovers. They've got 25 of them. We've got eight, if I'm not mistaken. They do a good job of that.''
More than anything else, though, West Virginia simply needs better effort. The hope within the program, again, is that last week was a wake-up call. Now is the chance the rectify that.
"We got embarrassed,'' defensive end Bruce Irvin said. "We've been exposed and the only people who can change that are us, and we have to do it this week.''
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Post by elp525 on Oct 29, 2011 11:50:41 GMT -5
October 28, 2011 A collection of quotes on WVU’s move to the Big 12 The politicians "This is a great day for West Virginia and a very proud day for [the] Mountaineers. I'm so happy that the Big 12 made its final decision on the merits: the strength of WVU's athletics, our academics and our spirit. Joining the Big 12 will showcase our state in a whole new way. I've always said that West Virginians can compete - and excel - on any field, and I look forward to great things from our teams in this excellent conference. Like most great successes, [Friday's] news was a team effort. I thank Senator Rockefeller and our entire Congressional delegation for their hard work on this issue, [as well as] President [Jim] Clements and Athletic Director [Oliver] Luck for their diligence and all the fans, students and athletes who have taken WVU to the next level." - Sen. Joe Manchin "It's a terrific day for West Virginia and for college football writ large - the merits won out and WVU is back in the Big 12. The Big 12 picked WVU earlier this week because of its first-rate football program, its standout athletes, and its fine university, academics and fans. The intervening days have been troubling, most especially the reports of an eleventh-hour political intervention to undermine the first, merits-based decision. Those reports prompted me to get involved, too - to push everyone to get back to the merits. It is encouraging that the Big 12 stuck to its guns and is following through on its commitment to add WVU to the conference. College football is struggling with the weight of its own success right now, and with all eyes on the conference system, this was an important moment to get it right. Conference decisions have far reaching consequences for publicly-supported state universities - and every school has to get a fair shake." - Sen. Jay Rockefeller WVU brass "The Big 12 is a perfect fit for West Virginia University. It is a strong conference that, like WVU, values quality academic and athletic programs, and has a great tradition of success. This is a very exciting time for WVU and Mountaineer nation. I am confident that the future of WVU athletics has never been more promising." - WVU president Jim Clements The Big 12 "We are excited to add West Virginia to our exceptional lineup of conference members. They bring an excellent overall athletic program to the Big 12 and allow the league to expand into an area that boasts a passionate group of fans and alumni throughout its region." - Big 12 interim commissioner Chuck Neinas The vanquished "I'm not sure what happened with [WVU]. They got invited. I'm not certain how everything went down. They fought a good battle and won. We will continue to build on. We have a lot of different options to look at." - Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich The media "The school announced it is joining the Big 12 in 2012, which means they should have a good transition since Geno Smith, unless he opts to bolt for the NFL, will be a four-year starter and have great grasp of this system. That'd be huge for them. This will be a dangerous team right away because of the firepower."
CBSSports.com college football columnist Bruce Feldman
WVU coaches
"Tremendous opportunity for WVU athletics and fans! I look forward to once again competing in the Big 12."
- Dana Holgorsen, football, via Twitter
"Obviously having spent a year in the Big 12, we are familiar with the schools and the venues that they play in. We are excited to compete against the outstanding teams that the Big 12 Conference fields annually."
- Bob Huggins, men's basketball
n "For West Virginia to continue to be a major player on the national scene, this is a great move for us. I have researched the Big 12 and what they've done over the years and they are a very competitive conference on the women's side. They are national contenders year in and year out."
- Mike Carey, women's basketball
"We are extremely excited to be joining the Big 12 Conference and are looking forward to competing in possibly the top conference in college baseball. Also, we are very fortunate to have people of the quality of President Clements and Oliver Luck providing outstanding leadership for us in this turbulent time in intercollegiate athletics. This is truly a great day for WVU and our baseball program."
- Greg Van Zant, baseball
"As far as the move to the Big 12 and its impact on men's soccer, that is something that we're looking towards what the best avenue for our program will be. Regardless, Oliver Luck has assured me that the university is committed to maintaining men's soccer at the very highest level. It remains a top-level program to our athletic department and university. With that being said, our administration is already working towards solidifying our best options moving forward. We have put in a lot of effort growing this program in to one of the nation's finest on the field and in the classroom. My athletic director has made it quite clear that West Virginia University is both committed to me and the continued growth of men's soccer."
- Marlon LeBlanc, men's soccer
n "I would like to congratulate President James Clements and Director of Athletics Oliver Luck for getting us into the Big 12. This is very critical to the success of all of our sports. From a wrestling perspective, this is a tremendous advantage for us. Three of the best teams in the country, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Iowa State, will now be in our gym every other year. We can talk to recruits about the top-tier competition they will be competing against. We will have the chance to showcase some of the best wrestling in the country. It will allow us to keep some of the best wrestlers in the country around home. Since this will not be a 10- or 12-team league in the Midwest, we will still be able to keep our regional affiliations and rivalries. This is a tremendous opportunity not only for West Virginia, but also for our wrestling program."
- Craig Turnbull, wrestling
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Post by elp525 on Oct 29, 2011 11:14:31 GMT -5
October 28, 2011
Posted by Ben Kercheval
Representatives from the Big 12 and West Virginia held a teleconference this afternoon welcoming WVU as the 10th member of the league, and to answer questions about the decision-making process.
It¡¯s been a hellacious week for WVU, who appeared to be on their way to the Big 12 as early as Wednesday. But reports that Louisville was making a late surge to overtake the Mountaineers caused the decision to be delayed until today. If you felt a breeze at all, it was probably the collective sigh of relief coming from the state of West Virginia, which wanted nothing more than to leave the sinking life boat that is the Big East conference.
¡°I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t a little nervous,¡± WVU AD Oliver Luck admitted.
Interim Big 12 commissioner Chuck Neinas hardly made mention of Louisville this evening or indicated that there was political pressure from senator Mitch McConnell, a Louisville graduate, about the Cardinals becoming the Big 12¡äs 10th member. On the contrary, Neinas said the ¡°mystery¡± surrounding Missouri and the possibility of an 11-game schedule caused the 72-hour hold-up.
¡°We were moving forward, and we came across the fact that if we were to add a new member, and if Missouri remained or delayed their departure, we would ahve to look at an 11 member conference,¡± Neinas explained. ¡°As a result, the [expansion] Executive Committee shared that info with the Board of Directors.
¡°The athletic directors and the Board of Directors agreed to move forward with 10 members¡ Expansion is not on the horizon.¡±
Speaking of the Tigers, Neinas wouldn¡¯t comment on Missouri¡¯s status.
And what about the rumor that getting to Morgantown was a central problem for Big 12 teams? ¡°Blown out of proportion,¡± answered Neinas.
Wherever WVU will be departing from ¡ª Neinas mentioned the airport in Bridgeport, a half hour away from Morgantown ¡ª they hope to be doing so in 2012. In fact, Luck mentioned twice that WVU looked forward to being a member of the Big 12 ¡°beginning July 1, 2012.¡± That date would be contrary to the one mentioned in a press release by the Big East, which has maintained they will hold WVU to the same 27-month waiting period as Pitt and Syracuse, who are leaving for the ACC.
When asked about getting out of that waiting period, Luck said ¡°Our team and their are in discussions about how to work that out.¡±
As far as finances are concerned, WVU confirmed they sent $2.5 million in a wire transfer to the Big East today as part of the $5 million buyout. They will send the rest upon leaving. One of the reasons WVU wanted to leave the Big East as soon as possible was to avoid paying any more in exit fees. Big East presidents agreed to raising exit fees to $10 million, but the amount hasn¡¯t been enforced yet. What amounts WVU will have to pay for leaving before the 27-month waiting period ¡ª if they can get out before then ¡ª remains unclear.
When WVU does get into the Big 12, they¡¯ll be a part of a revenue distribution model similar to TCU¡¯s, despite previous reports to the contrary. The Big 12 needs to stay at 10 members in order to fulfill their obligation with the Big 12 Network and to stay viable with their TV partners, so getting WVU to the Big 12 ASAP is a priority.
¡°Our TV partners and bowl partners are elated about the addition of West Virginia,¡± Neinas said. ¡°West Virginia¡¯s going to be on any [conference's] list.¡±
But, for a while, it looked like WVU might get left out in the conference realignment cold. The ACC showed no interest in WVU (they never have and never will), and West Virginia simply doesn¡¯t have the TV market the SEC desires. It wasn¡¯t until Pitt and Syracuse left for the ACC in September that WVU said they began evaluating their options.
¡°Clearly when Pitt and Syracuse chose to leave, all the remaining Big East schools had to take a step back and think about what was best for each individual school,¡± WVU president James Clements said.
Up until this week, WVU had remained one of the quietest programs in college football on the realignment front, and you can bet that was a premeditated approach. For having no natural TV market or recruiting grounds, and without being considered a top-notch academic institution, a ton of credit needs to be given to Luck and Clements for selling the Big 12 on the brand of WVU athletics.
Say what you will about the Stewart/Holgorsen debacle, or the beer sales at Mountaineer Field (for what it¡¯s worth, the Big 12 doesn¡¯t have a beer sales policy), but Luck put WVU in the best position to get out of the Big East without a plethora of selling points. The benefit of WVU is that it¡¯s a good, self-sustaining athletic department with a value in viewership.
And the Big 12 took notice.
¡°We started looking at West Virginia when we thought we might lose a member,¡± Neinas said about the eventual departure of Texas A&M.
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Post by elp525 on Oct 28, 2011 10:37:47 GMT -5
10/28/2011 MetroNews Statewide MetroNews has learned that WVU has been invited to the Big 12 and has accepted. Sources have confirmed the story CBS Sports first reported on Friday morning.
"It's final," U.S. Senator Joe Manchin said on Friday's MetroNews Talkline. "We accepted. They extended as the deal was proposed and it has been finalized."
CBSSports.com Brett McMurphy reported the following on Friday:
West Virginia has been invited to join the Big 12 Conference, college football industry sources told CBSSports.com Friday.
The Mountaineers will accept the invitation, sources said. The Big 12 is expected to officially announce the invitation later today.
The Big 12's board of directors voted Friday morning and chose West Virginia over Louisville. They will stay at 10 schools, a source said.
On Tuesday, West Virginia had received a verbal offer to join the Big 12, but then the league put the Mountaineers on hold because the league’s board of directors wanted to perform “due diligence.”
The league was split between adding West Virginia or Louisville to replace Missouri, which is expected to leave the league for the SEC.
Missouri still hasn’t officially left the Big 12. The Tigers are still negotiating an exit fee to leave the league. The SEC’s Digital Network, an official website of the SEC, accidentally posted a story Thursday night that Missouri would join the SEC on July 1, 2012.
If Missouri joins the SEC next season, West Virginia may have to wait until 2014 to leave the Big East for the Big 12.
The Big East has a 27-month notice before teams may leave the league. West Virginia is the latest team to announce they’re leaving the Big East Conference. Pittsburgh and Syracuse are headed to the ACC and TCU will join the Big 12 next season.
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Post by elp525 on Oct 28, 2011 10:36:06 GMT -5
October 28, 2011
By Dave Hickman The Charleston Gazette
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia's on-again, off-again relationship with the Big 12 is on again, this time officially.
The Gazette has confirmed that the Big 12 Board of Directors, meeting via conference call early this morning, officially voted to invite the Mountaineers to join the league and that the school will accept.
The board met by phone at 7 a.m. (ET) today and selected the Mountaineers over Louisville. Both schools were informed shortly thereafter.
West Virginia officials also informed the Big East Conference of its intentions Friday morning. That is critical in that the school will now owe only a $5 million exit fee and not $10 million. The amount will double when and if the Big East begins adding new members, which could happen any day now.
When West Virginia might be able to begin play in the league remains a question. The school is obligated to pay the Big East that $5 million exit fee and give 27 months notice. The Big East has been adamant about holding exiting members to that 27-month wait and is expected to do so with WVU, as well.
Pitt and Syracuse last month announced their intentions to leave the Big East for the ACC and those schools have been told they will have to wait the 27 months.
If that waiting period can't be adjusted, the school would not begin competition in the Big 12 until the 2014-15 school year. But as the Big East begins adding new members, there exists the possibility the league might wish to jetison its former members in order to move forward.
The decision by the Big 12 this morning ends a turbulent week in which that same Big 12 board on Monday agreed to invite WVU to join the league, but never voted formally to do so. At that time the conference was preparing a press release and making plans to travel to Morgantown on Wednesday for a press conference.
The deal hit a snag, though, when lobbying began to make Louisville the new member of the conference instead of West Virginia. That ignited two days of political battles in the media involving West Virginia's Senate delegation after it was learned that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had stepped in on behalf of Louisville.
This morning's vote by the Big 12 board reportedly will keep the Big 12 at 10 teams. There had been speculation that the league might invite both West Virginia and Louisville -- as well as Notre Dame as a non-football member -- but those plans are apparently either on hold or off.
The Big 12 and WVU are both expected to announce the decision later today.
West Virginia will replace Missouri in the Big 12. Missouri has not officially left the conference, but is widely expected to do so soon to join the SEC.
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Post by elp525 on Oct 28, 2011 10:34:44 GMT -5
October 28, 2011 9:32 am
West Virginia has accepted an offer to join the Big 12 Conference, college football industry sources told CBSSports.com Friday.
The Mountaineers informed the Big East Friday morning that they were leaving the league. The Big 12 is expected to officially announce the invitation later today.
The Big 12's board of directors voted Friday morning and chose West Virginia over Louisville. The Big 12 will stay at 10 schools, a source said.
On Tuesday, West Virginia had received a verbal offer to join the Big 12, but then the league put the Mountaineers on hold because the league’s board of directors wanted to perform “due diligence.”
The league was split between adding West Virginia or Louisville to replace Missouri, which is expected to leave the league for the SEC.
Missouri still hasn’t officially left the Big 12. The Tigers are still negotiating an exit fee to leave the league. The SEC’s Digital Network, an official website of the SEC, accidentally posted a story Thursday night that Missouri would join the SEC on July 1, 2012.
If Missouri joins the SEC next season, West Virginia still may have to wait until 2014 to leave the Big East for the Big 12. The Big East has a 27-month requirement notice before teams may leave the league. West Virginia also will have to pay a $5 million exit fee. That figure would have been $10 million if the Mountaineers would have informed the league after Navy or Air Force joined the league, which they have not.
West Virginia is the latest team to announce it's leaving the Big East Conference. Pittsburgh and Syracuse are headed to the ACC and Big East commissioner John Marinatto has said both schools would not be able to leave until July 1, 2014.
TCU, which was scheduled to join the Big East next season, will join the Big 12 and begin play next season. The Horned Frogs were not bound by the 27-month requirement since they left the Big East before they officially joined.
With the Big 12 only taking West Virginia - and not taking Louisville as well - the Big East’s chances of retaining its BCS automatic qualifying status in 2014 is greatly improved.
The Big East is seeking a 12-team football league and is expected to issue invitations to Boise State, Air Force, Navy, Houston, SMU and Central Florida. That would increase the football membership to 11 teams.
On Friday morning, UCF's board of trustees voted unanimously to give UCF President John Hitt the authority to make decisions about conference affiliation. A day earlier, Houston's board of regents granted President Renu Khator the authority for the Cougars to change conferences. UCF and Houston are both currently in Conference USA.
On Wednesday, Marinatto and associate commissioner Nick Carparelli visited Air Force officials in Colorado Springs, Colo., and Thursday visited Boise State officials in Boise.
"We appreciate the effort John Marinatto is putting forth stabilizing the Big East," Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk said Friday morning. "We're in the bullpen watching this unfold, doing our due diligence waiting for the dust to settle. When it does, we'll decide what is best for Navy."
With the loss of West Virginia, the Big East would need a 12th member. Sources have told CBSSports.com that the Big East’s potential Western schools are in favor of adding BYU. It’s unknown if the Cougars would be interested, but the fact the Big 12 will stay at 10 schools may increase BYU's chances of joining the Big East as a football-only member.
Temple also is a very strong candidate as the 12th member.
The Big East could extend official invitations next week. The league’s presidents are scheduled to meet with Marinatto in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
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Post by elp525 on Oct 28, 2011 10:29:28 GMT -5
October 28, 2011, 10:12 AM EDT Posted by John Taylor
Here we go again.
On Tuesday it was reported that West Virginia¡¯s move to the Big 12 was ¡°imminent¡°, and that an announcement was scheduled for the next day. The press conference announcing the move was reportedly scuttled, thanks in large part to some behind-the-scenes and very public political wrangling involving the states of Kentucky and West Virginia.
Two days later, an announcement is apparently back on.
Brett McMurphy of CBSSports.com is reporting that the Big 12¡äs Board of Directors voted Friday morning to add West Virginia as the conference¡¯s 10th member. McMurphy writes that the board chose WVU over Louisville and will remain at 10 members ¡ª pending Missouri officially following through on a late-night SEC website oops ¡ª following the addition of the Mountaineers.
An announcement from the Big 12 is expected to come at some point today.
The delay from the initial reports to today¡¯s vote of extending an invitation to WVU stems, McMurphy says, from the board wanting to perform its due diligence. Translation? The intervention of Kentucky politicians slowed the process.
WVU would become the fourth school to leave the Big East in less than two months ¡ª Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the ACC, TCU to the Big 12 ¡ª casting further doubt on that conference¡¯s viability as a football league. Eaxctly when the Mountaineers would leave the Big East for the Big 12 is unclear; the Big East has been staunch in publicly stating they will force Pittsburgh and Syracuse to honor the 27-month waiting period for withdrawal outlined in the conference¡¯s bylaws.
This move to invite West Virginia appears to signal the imminent departure of Missouri for the SEC. It would seem unlikely that the Big 12 would invite WVU knowing that Mizzou is staying, giving the conference 11 members and further diluting each member¡¯s share of the television contract pie.
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Post by elp525 on Oct 28, 2011 5:30:46 GMT -5
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Post by elp525 on Oct 28, 2011 5:28:45 GMT -5
10/27/2011
Frank Giardina WVU
Here are some thoughts and observations from the Dana Holgorsen radio show on Thursday.
1. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM RUTGERS THIS WEEKEND...WILL THE MOUNTAINEERS BE THE HUNTED OR THE HUNTER?---Comment---We're finding out what it is like to have the bullseye on our back. Syracuse wanted it more last week than we did. We will face the same kind of intensity this week at Rutgers. Everyone wants to beat us.Last week when we got hit, we didn't respond. This week we will get hit again. I have told the captains, player and coaches that we have to do something about it.
Translation---We are picked to win the league and we are trying to leave the league. We are everyone's "big game". We got pushed around last week and didn't fight back. We won't let that happen again. Syracuse was the more physical team last week and that will not be the case this week.
2. RUTGERS HAS NOT WON IN THIS SERIES SINCE 1994. IS THIS A SET-UP? -Comment--It is and I can't wait. Rutgers is a good team that is well coached. We'll see if we learned anything from last week. We need to stay together and finish the game. We need to say enough is enough and I want to see how we respond.
Translation--I know they are pulling out all the stops for this game and I welcome that. It is a compliment to our program that we are a big game for them. It is a compliment to our program that they have not won in this series for almost 20 years. It will be a tough, physical challenge and I want to see if we respond to that.
3. CALLER QUESTION--WHAT IS GOING ON WITH LEAVING THE BIG EAST FOR THE BIG 12--Comment-I don't watch the shows that are dealing with the Big 12 news. I told the team on Tuesday that I don't know what is going on and I don't care. My job is not to worry about that, but to prepare to beat Rutgers. It is a distraction, though to the players. I walk by the players lounge and every television in there is talking about it.
Translation--I can't stop the players from talking about and reading about it. It is impossible for them not to hear about it. But, I don't have time to worry about it. The coaches have too much work to do to get ready for the game.
4. WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY ON YOUR QUARTERBACK STAYING IN THE POCKET--Comment--It depends on the situation. If your guy is moble and you might want to get him out there and run him a little more. But, I have never really done that. We maybe should do more of it when teams are dropping back. But we don't want to do a lot of it and put him (Geno) in harms way.
Translation--Our hands a little tied. We only have the one quarterback that we can win with. We can't afford to get him running arond and getting hurt. Geno is athletic enough to run a little, but the only other scholarship quarterback we have is a true freshman.
5. WHAT ABOUT THE RUTGERS DEFENSE---Comment--They do a good job of recruiting players for one position and then swithching them to another position that suits them better. They bring in players and get them bigger, coach them up and then move them to a spot that is best for them.
Translation--Greg Schiano was a young coach at Penn State and he learned this from Joe Paterno. The Penn State staff is well known for putting players in the position that turns out to be the best for them to play at the next level. Telling this story over and over is a big help in recruiting.
6. HOW WAS THE RUNNING GAME VS. SYRACUSE--Comment--I should have called 40 running plays instead of 20. I am the first to admit that i got out-coached last week. I got spooked by the blitz and didn't call enough runs.
Translation---West Virginia abandoned the running game in the first half and get themselves in a hole. The opening drive of the third quarter was the Mountaineers most effective of the game. That drive featured Dustin Garrison and the running game.
7. WAS IT HARD TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ON OFFENSE DURING THE GAME TO CHECK INTO THE CORRECT PLAY?--Comment--We couldn't call plays to attack what they were doing because they were doing so many things that we couldn't tell what they were doing. We want to eventually get our quarterback comfortable to where he calls some plays.
Translation---I have already admitted that Syracuse did a great coaching job last week. They kept our offense off balance most of the night.
8. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON YOUR DEFENSIVE PLAY LAST WEEK--Comment--After the game, Jeff (Casteel) said that we didn't do a good enough job of winning first down. We could not get them in 3rd and long and they were 12-17 on third down conversions. The job of the defense was to get them off the field and we couldn't do that.
Translation--We weren't very good. We didn't tackle and we got pushed around. We can't let that happen again.
9. IS THE 3-3-5 GETTING ENOUGH PRESSURE ON THE OPPOSING QUARTERBACK?--Comment--This is a good scheme. There is nothing wrong with the scheme. It is the same scheme that was a top five defense last year. We just have to get better at making plays. Our safeties and corners were filling against the running game and they missed too many tackles.
Translation--This is a personnel driven game. There is nothing wong with the scheme or the coaching. We are replacing seven starters from last year and maybe new guys are not as good a players as last year's guys.
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Post by elp525 on Oct 28, 2011 5:26:56 GMT -5
Friday, October 28, 2011
By Jenn Menendez Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
W.Va. senator gives confirmation details
West Virginia University's invitation to join the Big 12 Conference was a "done deal," with league officials booking flights to Morgantown for a Wednesday news conference, when the move was suddenly halted, Sen. Joe Manchin said in a television interview Thursday.
If that weren't enough to incense West Virginia fans, billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens, an Oklahoma State University booster, stepped into the fray, raising concerns to a reporter about the isolation of Morgantown when it comes to air travel. The runway is too short for large planes used by many teams.
But, while Big 12 officials refused to comment on the controversy that has reached Capitol Hill, Manchin, D-W.Va., told MSNBC that conference officials had reserved hotel rooms for the news conference and confirmed to Mountaineers officials "they were in" before alleged 11th-hour political pressure derailed the deal.
An outraged Manchin had a news conference in his Charleston, W.Va., office Wednesday to suggest a Senate investigation might be in order, after a report in the New York Times that political pressure by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., might have stalled the Mountaineers' invitation to the Big 12 and turned things in favor of Louisville.
He spoke on Chuck Todd's "Daily Rundown" on MSNBC via telephone Thursday. Manchin is the first person to outline the events of Tuesday on the record and in such detail.
"I can only tell you that officially West Virginia was invited to be part of the Big 12," he said. "It's a very prestigious conference. We were very pleased. ... And I don't fault any senator or any politician for rooting for their school and making sure that the facts are heard. That was done. That's the process. After they made their selection, they contacted WVU on Monday and again on Tuesday morning to confirm they were in. WVU accepted."
Manchin said Big 12 officials also wrote a news release they shared with West Virginia officials that would be used in the news conference.
"They even spoke specifically about finances. A [news] release was issued from the Big 12 to WVU officials that they would be using on Wednesday," Manchin said. "Rooms were booked. Flights were booked. And then all of a sudden Tuesday afternoon? That's not what we should be doing out of Washington. That's not the type of politics to be played.
"We've got more problems than this. But, on the other hand, I applaud everybody for rooting for their school, fighting. But, after a decision had been made, what type of politics intervened?"
West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck and university president James Clements had no comment Thursday.
In the MSNBC interview, Manchin again stopped short of accusing McConnell of any wrongdoing, but said he is hopeful the Big 12 is simply completing its due diligence and will extend an invitation to West Virginia.
McConnell, the minority leader of the Senate, is an alumnus of the University of Louisville.
"I'm not alleging anything," Manchin told Todd. "But here's the thing. Mitch has every right to lobby up until the decision is made. If a decision is made on the merits and West Virginia was chosen because of the strength of our school and our program and what we've accomplished, then that should have been said. Mitch lost fair and square. If he jumped in and played a different card -- and this happens? I don't assume that happened. I am very hopeful that the Big 12 is still doing their due diligence and they're just doing the final paperwork [and will] finalize the deal that they made. If that doesn't happen, then that's when I said I would ask for a Senate investigation to find out what degree of politics was played."
A CBSSports.com story Thursday cited unnamed sources claiming the portrayal of McConnell's late push is not as it appears, and that three senators -- Manchin, Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and McConnell -- were involved "for weeks." McConnell's office has not made any public statements.
For now, it appears the Big 12 is still researching its options. West Virginia and Louisville remain members of the Big East Conference, which also has been searching for new members after Pitt and Syracuse announced recently that they were leaving for the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Of the problems brought up about West Virginia, the small size of the airport in Morgantown has seemed to draw the most concern.
Pickens told the Oklahoman: "Morgantown ... I remember, you've got to fly into Pittsburgh then drive a couple hours. That's pretty isolated."
When the move to the Big 12 appeared to be a done deal, Texas Tech football coach Tommy Tuberville questioned how difficult it would be to get in and out of Morgantown in an interview on ESPNRadio in Dallas.
"I thought it would be Louisville [added to the Big 12]. I thought they would be a better fit for the situation of the Big 12," Tuberville said.
"West Virginia's going to be great, it's just that the distance to travel is going to be a little different for everybody and for fans getting in and out [of Morgantown]."
While Air Force One has landed in Morgantown, along with charters from multiple basketball teams through the years, the football team flies out of nearby Clarksburg, W.Va. -- about 35 minutes south on I-79.
Morgantown Municipal Airport is in the midst of a master plan that will include expansion of its runway from 5,200 feet to 7,000 feet, which would allow larger and heavier planes.
"If we're going to talk Big 12, then can you put a team, coaches, trainers, cheerleaders on a 757 and launch it out to Des Moines, get that weight of an airplane off the ground in 5,200 feet?" said airport director Mike Clow. "Probably not. At least, not safely."
Clow said the project is several years from breaking ground.
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