WVU Reportedly Nearing Settlement With Big East For Departure In Time For '12-13 Season

West Virginia and the Big East Conference are "nearing agreement on a settlement worth at least $20 million that would resolve all issues between both parties," according to sources cited by Brett McMurphy of CBSSPORTS.com. WVU "will join the Big 12 for the 2012-13 school year," but sources said that school officials "have contacted future Big East members to see if one could join in 2012 instead of 2013." The reason is that with WVU’s "departure to the Big 12, the Big East will be left with only seven football members this fall." The Big 12 has "already sent its 2012 schedule, with West Virginia on it, to its television partners and is expected to publicly release the schedule this week." While WVU has "always planned to join" the Big 12 for '12-13, Big East Commissioner John Marinatto "has stated on multiple occasions, including Wednesday, that the league would require West Virginia to honor the league’s 27-month exit agreement." However, sources said that the league has "conceded they can’t stop West Virginia from leaving." The Big East "likely would receive substantial monetary damages." The $20M settlement figure is "believed to be contingent on the Big East being able to get a replacement for West Virginia in 2012 and certainly could increase if it had to play with only seven members in 2012" (CBSSPORTS.com, 2/8). In West Virginia, Mitch Vingle cites a source as saying that WVU officials are "willing to pay the Big East $11 million and are expected to receive money from the Big 12 Conference to help resolve all legal issues." The $20M could be reached "if each Big 12 school pitches in $1 million in order to get the Mountaineers in the conference next season and satisfy television contracts calling for 10 members" (CHARLESTON GAZETTE, 2/9). Interim Big 12 Commissioner Chuck Neinas said last week that the conference "would ask its board of directors to help WVU if the Mountaineers were to ask for assistance." A WVU source previously said that the Big 12 "was expected to help with any financial settlement." In West Virginia, Mike Casazza notes a lawsuit resolution "will be announced soon, perhaps as early as today, when the two sides are scheduled to have a status conference" with Rhode Island Superior Court Judge Michael Silverstein (CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL, 2/9). 

SETTING A PRECEDENT? In Pittsburgh, Paul Zeise notes word of a WVU-Big East settlement is "welcome news to the University of Pittsburgh administration, as the school is hoping that West Virginia's early exit will pave the way for Pitt, which has joined the Atlantic Coast Conference, to get the 27-month waiting period waived as well." However, Pitt AD Steve Pederson "made it clear that while the school is pushing to leave the Big East as soon as possible, it is not going to pay any more than the $5 million exit fee to make it happen." When asked yesterday if Pitt would be "willing to increase the amount of money to be able to leave the conference in time" for the '12 season, Pederson said, "No." He added that he "would hope the school and the conference could work something out, especially now that the Big East has rebuilt itself and is ready to move forward" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 2/9).

REWORKING THE SCHEDULE: In Newark, Tom Luicci cites sources as saying that if WVU and the Big East work out a settlement, Rutgers "could compensate for the lost conference football game by playing Syracuse twice next season -- once at home, the other away." Rutgers could "face the Orange at home and then -- as one plan proposes -- at Yankee Stadium a second time (the other option for the second meeting is the Carrier Dome)." For now, the plan "calls for only the game at Rutgers counting in the Big East standings" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 2/9).

THIS DAY IN HISTORY: In Memphis, Phil Stukenborg writes yesterday was "arguably the most important day" in the Univ. of Memphis' athletic department's history, as it was officially announced that the school "will become a Big East member July 1, 2013." Marinatto said, "There were a number of contributing factors for our membership in making the decision to invite Memphis. Among other reasons (was) its geography in the heart of our future membership makeup, its Central time zone presence, its top-50 media market as well as its outstanding corporate and community support." From a financial standpoint, Memphis "should benefit greatly." The school received a league payout of $3.3M from Conference USA in '09-10, the "last year for which data is available." Memphis AD R.C. Johnson said that Big East programs "competing in all sports pocketed $8.6 million last year." He added that the "projected payout is expected to increase to more than $10 million annually, per each all-sports member, when a new television contract is negotiated after the 2013 deal with ESPN, ABC and CBS expires." Johnson also said that Memphis will have to "pay an entry fee to the Big East of $2.5 million, but it will be paid over a five-year period with future Big East television revenue." C-USA said that the exit fee from the league "is $6.6 million -- a $500,000 flat fee and $6.1 million in TV rights revenue." However, Memphis indicated that the fee "could be negotiated" (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 2/9). CBS' Tim Brando said, “This is a big get for the Big East from a basketball perspective. The football aspect of it is questionable because Memphis has a long way to go.” CBSSports.com's McMurphy said, “Ever since all of this conference realignment has started in the last couple of years it has all been based on football, and I think this is the first time that a team has been added more for what it brings basketball-wise than football-wise” ("The Tim Brando Show, 2/7).