West Virginia Univ. Friday “sealed its deal to leave the Big East Conference and become a member of the Big 12” beginning next July, according to Hickman & Vingle of the CHARLESTON GAZETTE. The Big 12 BOD held a conference call Friday morning and "officially voted to invite the Mountaineers, and the school accepted.” WVU officials “informed the Big East of its intentions Friday morning” which “was critical, in that the school will owe only a $5 million exit fee and not $10 million.” The amount will double if and when the Big East “begins adding new members, which could happen any day now.” WVU President Jim Clements said that $2.5M “was wired to the Big East on Friday and the remaining $2.5 million would be paid next year, as per conference bylaws.” Pittsburgh 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.” Hickman & Vingle noted the Big 12 television contract “stipulates the league have 10 members.” WVU is expected to “replace Missouri in the Big 12.” MU “has not officially left the conference, but is widely expected to do so soon” to join the SEC. It was "not among the 10 schools listed Friday by the Big 12 as participating in the league for 2012-13” (CHARLESTON GAZETTE, 10/29). In St. Louis, Vahe Gregorian noted Missouri was “omitted Friday from a public Big 12 projection of its membership next year” and the school’s departure for the SEC “evidently is down to nothing but the lawyering of exit timing and fees and otherwise dotting I’s and crossing T’s” (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 10/30).
GETTING A COMMITMENT: In Ft. Worth, Jimmy Burch cited sources that told WVU-based website BlueGoldNews.com that the school “will receive an equal share of the Big 12’s ABC/ESPN and Fox Sports revenues immediately upon joining the league.” Sources also said that TCU’s cut of TV revenues “will be phased in over time and the school will not receive an equal share” until ’15. But Big 12 Interim Commissioner Chuck Neinas “shot down that report” during Friday’s teleconference announcement of WVU’s acceptance. Neinas was asked how WVU’s TV distribution "would be implemented in comparison to TCU." He answered, "It’s similar. The same” (STAR-TELEGRAM.com, 10/28). Neinas said additional expansion is “not on the horizon at this point.” Oklahoma State Univ. President and Big 12 BOD Chair Burns Hargis said that he “expects to collect binding legal documents by Tuesday that commit each of the 10 schools to the league for a six-year period.” With that move, Neinas said, “The conference is solidified” (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 10/29). However, in Oklahoma City, Berry Tramel cited a source as saying that despite Neinas' proclamation Friday, the conference "has not settled on 10 as an ideal number.” There could be a push “to also invite Louisville soon and bring the membership to 11” (THE OKLAHOMAN, 10/30).
NEXT STEP FOR BIG EAST: In N.Y., Pete Thamel reports the issue remains regarding when WVU will "leave the Big East.” The school “is resolute that it will enter the Big 12 on July 1, 2012, despite the Big East’s 27-month exit period” that has been imposed upon Pitt and Syracuse. Clements has indicated that negotiations “were underway with the Big East on how the university could leave after this year.” The Big East “denied that discussions were taking place and said it had not heard from anyone on West Virginia’s team as of late Friday.” The conference “has no plans to give West Virginia any leniency,” and Big East Commissioner John Marinatto said, “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.” Thamel notes with Neinas saying further expansion is not currently being looked at, the realignment "baton appears to be passed to the Big East for its overhaul” (N.Y. TIMES, 10/31). In Orlando, Iliana Limon reported the Univ. of Central Florida Board of Trustees "voted unanimously via teleconference Friday morning to give UCF President John Hitt authority to make decisions about conference affiliation, which could lead to membership in the Big East.” The university “is one of six schools being targeted by the Big East, which hopes to expand to 12-football playing members.” UCF leaders “have met twice during the past month with Big East officials.” Hitt said that he would “keep trustees informed as the potential move from Conference USA to a new conference progressed” (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 10/29).
