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.
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.
