Post by elp525 on May 9, 2010 2:09:26 GMT -5
May 8, 2010
By Dave Hickman
Staff writer
MORGANTOWN - The chances are good that by the time the Big Ten drops whatever hammer it elects to wield in the way of expansion and the repercussions hit West Virginia, Ed Pastilong will be on a golf course or a beach or just kicking back at home with Mona and the grandkids.
He would like to be able to help, and perhaps he'll be able to. But when push comes to shove, it will be on someone else's plate.
"I'll understand what he's going through and if I can help I'm more than willing to do anything I can,'' Pastilong said last week. "Remember, we've been through this twice already.''
Indeed, in the two decades plus that Pastilong has served as West Virginia's athletic director, this is not the first time the school has appeared on the verge of some unknown calamity where football affiliations are concerned.
Everyone remembers the most recent, the 2003 ACC raid of the Big East that claimed Miami and Virginia Tech, then a year later Boston College. That was the one that left the Big East - and, by association, WVU - scrambling to rebuild itself.
But that wasn't the first seismic shift in regard to Eastern football and West Virginia's brotherhood of allies. That came in late 1989 when Penn State elected to throw geography and long-time affiliations aside and join the Big Ten.
Pastilong had succeeded Fred Schaus as West Virginia's athletic director five months earlier.
"A lot of people don't remember that now because of what happened with the ACC,'' Pastilong said. "But that was back when Eastern football was made up of all of these major independents and Penn State joining the Big Ten was very unsettling for all of us. We didn't know how that was going to turn out, either.''
In both instances - 1989 and 2003 - doom and gloom were the prevailing moods. Funny thing is, both times West Virginia came out arguably better off in the long run.
Penn State's exodus prior to the 1990 school year led to the formation of the Big East football conference, which in five years became full membership for the Mountaineers in the Big East.
And while it certainly can be argued that the defection of Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College from the Big East in 2003 harmed the league, it survived with the addition of three new football schools and ushered in a period when WVU football, basketball and many of its non-revenue sports combined for one of the most successful eras in the school's history.
And now something is brewing again, although no one can be certain what it is. The Big Ten will announce expansion plans, probably by the end of the year. Depending upon the direction that league takes, the Big East could take another hit. It could be a small hit (just Rutgers) or a big one (Rutgers, Pitt and Syracuse) or something in between.
The dominoes that fall could then affect the Big 12, the Pac 10, the SEC and the ACC. No one knows.
But whatever happens, Pastilong is not likely to be as involved as he was the first two times. He is set to retire on June 30, although if WVU president James Clements hasn't named a successor by then Pastilong may stay in his chair. It seems quite likely, though, that Clements will want to settle that issue as long before conference shifting comes as possible.
nn
In both 1990 and 2003, Pastilong was at the forefront of the changes. Both times, he was dealing with essentially the same people, the core of former Eastern football independents who made up the Big East.
This time it's a little different because Rutgers, Pitt and Syracuse are essential to that core. In a way, it might seem time for West Virginia to start looking out for No. 1.
That's not the way Pastilong or the university will operate, though. At least not at this early and completely unknown stage.
"That would be very difficult to do,'' Pastilong said of the idea of actively pursuing other conference options. "When one is a member of a conference, loyalty is required.''
In fact, loyalty is not only required, it is contractually obligated. After the ACC raid in 2003, the Big East rewrote its buyout clauses for schools wishing to leave. Now the buyout is $5 million and a 27-month notification period is required.
And besides, where is West Virginia going? The Big Ten has no interest and unless the dominoes fall the right way neither does the ACC. The SEC might well expand if the Big Ten does - just to keep pace - but that league would set its sights much bigger, like to Texas and Texas A&M to the West (if the Big 12 takes a hit) or to perhaps Florida State, Miami or Georgia Tech to the East.
Any or all of those moves might well create openings for West Virginia or for multiple Big East schools. They might even create possibilities for Big East expansion. No one knows.
But for WVU to forge out on its own at this stage would be a grave mistake, Pastilong believes.
"This is not only important to us and to our conference, but to a lot of other schools and a lot of other conferences,'' he said. "You don't want to say hurry up and wait, but in some ways that's all we can do.''
The annual Big East meetings are in two weeks in Ponte Vedra, Fla., and just as was the case in May of 2003, all of this will be a hot topic. Unlike in 2003, however, the principles won't be at the table. The Big East ADs and coaches will certainly discuss options and scenarios, but in 2004 Miami was at the table. So was Syracuse, which at the time was an ACC target. Ditto Boston College and Virginia Tech. By the end of those meetings it had become apparent that at least Miami was gone. They would announce it officially the next month.
Expect no conclusions to be drawn at these Florida meetings.
nn
In truth, though, one of the principles will be at those Big East meetings. Notre Dame is a Big East member in all sports but football.
The Big Ten would love to have Notre Dame. The Irish don't want to surrender their football independence. Maybe if the Big Ten could get Notre Dame it wouldn't touch anyone else. And maybe if the Big East would simply toss Notre Dame to the curb, the Irish would have to join the Big Ten to find a home for its basketball and other sports.
That's a tough gamble to take, though, because Notre Dame does add a lot to the Big East in basketball and those other sports, not just competitively, but in terms of attention.
No, more than likely, the Big East will work with Notre Dame and not against the Irish. Again, the future is so uncertain that from both the standpoint of the Big East and West Virginia, the only smart play seems to be one of working together.
"Am I concerned? Sure,'' Pastilong said. "My hope is that the Big Ten elects not to expand, although that doesn't seem likely. My second druther would be that they expand by one. Beyond that, yes, I'm concerned.
"Again, we've been through this before. It's very trying. It requires 24-hour-a-day attention and requires a lot of schools joining together with the same mindset and goals. The last two times a lot of people rolled up their sleeves and got things done. And I'm sure we can do it again.''
By Dave Hickman
Staff writer
MORGANTOWN - The chances are good that by the time the Big Ten drops whatever hammer it elects to wield in the way of expansion and the repercussions hit West Virginia, Ed Pastilong will be on a golf course or a beach or just kicking back at home with Mona and the grandkids.
He would like to be able to help, and perhaps he'll be able to. But when push comes to shove, it will be on someone else's plate.
"I'll understand what he's going through and if I can help I'm more than willing to do anything I can,'' Pastilong said last week. "Remember, we've been through this twice already.''
Indeed, in the two decades plus that Pastilong has served as West Virginia's athletic director, this is not the first time the school has appeared on the verge of some unknown calamity where football affiliations are concerned.
Everyone remembers the most recent, the 2003 ACC raid of the Big East that claimed Miami and Virginia Tech, then a year later Boston College. That was the one that left the Big East - and, by association, WVU - scrambling to rebuild itself.
But that wasn't the first seismic shift in regard to Eastern football and West Virginia's brotherhood of allies. That came in late 1989 when Penn State elected to throw geography and long-time affiliations aside and join the Big Ten.
Pastilong had succeeded Fred Schaus as West Virginia's athletic director five months earlier.
"A lot of people don't remember that now because of what happened with the ACC,'' Pastilong said. "But that was back when Eastern football was made up of all of these major independents and Penn State joining the Big Ten was very unsettling for all of us. We didn't know how that was going to turn out, either.''
In both instances - 1989 and 2003 - doom and gloom were the prevailing moods. Funny thing is, both times West Virginia came out arguably better off in the long run.
Penn State's exodus prior to the 1990 school year led to the formation of the Big East football conference, which in five years became full membership for the Mountaineers in the Big East.
And while it certainly can be argued that the defection of Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College from the Big East in 2003 harmed the league, it survived with the addition of three new football schools and ushered in a period when WVU football, basketball and many of its non-revenue sports combined for one of the most successful eras in the school's history.
And now something is brewing again, although no one can be certain what it is. The Big Ten will announce expansion plans, probably by the end of the year. Depending upon the direction that league takes, the Big East could take another hit. It could be a small hit (just Rutgers) or a big one (Rutgers, Pitt and Syracuse) or something in between.
The dominoes that fall could then affect the Big 12, the Pac 10, the SEC and the ACC. No one knows.
But whatever happens, Pastilong is not likely to be as involved as he was the first two times. He is set to retire on June 30, although if WVU president James Clements hasn't named a successor by then Pastilong may stay in his chair. It seems quite likely, though, that Clements will want to settle that issue as long before conference shifting comes as possible.
nn
In both 1990 and 2003, Pastilong was at the forefront of the changes. Both times, he was dealing with essentially the same people, the core of former Eastern football independents who made up the Big East.
This time it's a little different because Rutgers, Pitt and Syracuse are essential to that core. In a way, it might seem time for West Virginia to start looking out for No. 1.
That's not the way Pastilong or the university will operate, though. At least not at this early and completely unknown stage.
"That would be very difficult to do,'' Pastilong said of the idea of actively pursuing other conference options. "When one is a member of a conference, loyalty is required.''
In fact, loyalty is not only required, it is contractually obligated. After the ACC raid in 2003, the Big East rewrote its buyout clauses for schools wishing to leave. Now the buyout is $5 million and a 27-month notification period is required.
And besides, where is West Virginia going? The Big Ten has no interest and unless the dominoes fall the right way neither does the ACC. The SEC might well expand if the Big Ten does - just to keep pace - but that league would set its sights much bigger, like to Texas and Texas A&M to the West (if the Big 12 takes a hit) or to perhaps Florida State, Miami or Georgia Tech to the East.
Any or all of those moves might well create openings for West Virginia or for multiple Big East schools. They might even create possibilities for Big East expansion. No one knows.
But for WVU to forge out on its own at this stage would be a grave mistake, Pastilong believes.
"This is not only important to us and to our conference, but to a lot of other schools and a lot of other conferences,'' he said. "You don't want to say hurry up and wait, but in some ways that's all we can do.''
The annual Big East meetings are in two weeks in Ponte Vedra, Fla., and just as was the case in May of 2003, all of this will be a hot topic. Unlike in 2003, however, the principles won't be at the table. The Big East ADs and coaches will certainly discuss options and scenarios, but in 2004 Miami was at the table. So was Syracuse, which at the time was an ACC target. Ditto Boston College and Virginia Tech. By the end of those meetings it had become apparent that at least Miami was gone. They would announce it officially the next month.
Expect no conclusions to be drawn at these Florida meetings.
nn
In truth, though, one of the principles will be at those Big East meetings. Notre Dame is a Big East member in all sports but football.
The Big Ten would love to have Notre Dame. The Irish don't want to surrender their football independence. Maybe if the Big Ten could get Notre Dame it wouldn't touch anyone else. And maybe if the Big East would simply toss Notre Dame to the curb, the Irish would have to join the Big Ten to find a home for its basketball and other sports.
That's a tough gamble to take, though, because Notre Dame does add a lot to the Big East in basketball and those other sports, not just competitively, but in terms of attention.
No, more than likely, the Big East will work with Notre Dame and not against the Irish. Again, the future is so uncertain that from both the standpoint of the Big East and West Virginia, the only smart play seems to be one of working together.
"Am I concerned? Sure,'' Pastilong said. "My hope is that the Big Ten elects not to expand, although that doesn't seem likely. My second druther would be that they expand by one. Beyond that, yes, I'm concerned.
"Again, we've been through this before. It's very trying. It requires 24-hour-a-day attention and requires a lot of schools joining together with the same mindset and goals. The last two times a lot of people rolled up their sleeves and got things done. And I'm sure we can do it again.''
