The Times West Virginian

WVU Sports

October 15, 2008

LSU added to WVU football schedule

By Jack Bogaczyk

WHEN Mississippi State made a football visit to Morgantown last October, the Bulldogs were the first Southeastern Conference team to play in "new" Mountaineer Field -- which already was 28 years old.

Kentucky had been the last SEC visitor to a Mountaineer Field, a 10-6 homecoming win by WVU in October 1979 -- the old horseshoe's last season -- before 33,792 fans.

Now, it appears there won't be such a long wait again between SEC football trips to West Virginia, as Auburn -- a first-time WVU opponent -- makes it two-in-two years for next Thursday night's ESPN date.

This grizzled press box occupant of four decades has been told by multiple sources with college football and telecast connections that WVU and LSU verbally have agreed to a home-and-home series for 2010 and 2011.

If the deal comes off as expected -- and ESPN has been involved as a go-between and interested telecast partner, as was the case with West Virginia's 2008 and '09 Colorado series -- the Mountaineers would visit imposing Tiger Stadium in 2010 and get a return game at Mountaineer Field the next season.

That would mean six SEC non-conference games in as many years for WVU -- Mississippi State in 2006 and '07, Auburn this year and next (at Auburn), and the LSU dates. West Virginia also upset Georgia in the Sugar Bowl to cap the 2005 season.

The ESPN involvement comes on the heels of the SEC signing a 15-year, $2.25 billion deal with ESPN. It only figures the "Disney family of networks" will be more aggressive in working to get marquee matchups.

Typically, WVU athletic officials don't comment on future schedules until contracts are signed, but it is said the parties are on the same page. There's another piece to this LSU development, too.

The Mountaineers had a 2010 and '11 home-and-home scheduled with Michigan State, but sources said the Spartans asked that the series be moved back to 2014 and '15 to accommodate another home-and-home. MSU officials did not return messages seeking clarification on that.

The order (home, road which years for WVU) of those rescheduled games couldn't be confirmed. Michigan State was to visit WVU first in the original deal, with the return game in East Lansing in 2011.

West Virginia needed a quality foe to fill those Michigan State vacancies -- but still needs a game in 2010 (at home) and two in 2011 (both at home).

Two games with Florida State from the ACC/Big East breakup court settlement remain on the WVU cards in 2012 (Morgantown) and 2013 (Tallahassee). The WVU-Marshall series is set through 2012.

The Maryland series resumes from 2010-13, and West Virginia officials and Terps Coach Ralph Friedgen have gone public in saying they would like an extension. However, UM AD Debbie Yow has said it's too early to discuss that far down the road.

WVU Athletic Director Ed Pastilong said recently that the Mountaineers' discussions on football scheduling with Virginia remain in flux. "We'd like to play Virginia," Pastilong said. "I think it's a good series for the two programs and the fans of both schools."

WVU also is tentatively set for a six-game renewal of an East Carolina series that ends next year, returning from 2013-18 in home-and-home fashion.

West Virginia had been talking with Southern Mississippi, but the Mountaineers wanted a 2-for-1 and the Conference USA program was looking for a home-and-home.

The Golden Eagles landed that last month with another Big East Conference team. Southern Miss will visit Louisville next season and the Cardinals will go to Hattiesburg in 2012.

WVU wants seven home games annually, citing revenue needs with an athletic budget that approaches $50 million. In even-numbered years, WVU has four Big East home games, but only three in odd-numbered years.

The Mountaineers played Villanova this season, have Liberty set next year and Coastal Carolina in 2010, but Coach Bill Stewart said prior to the season that WVU would rather have major college foes visit than Football Championship Subdivision (I-AA) teams.

However, WVU may need more of those sub-major teams to fill holes, because guarantees for no-return games with teams from conferences like the Mid-American and Sun Belt have skyrocketed to the $750,000 range and beyond. With a 60,000-seat stadium, that's a hefty tag for WVU.

So, with Auburn and Colorado in return games in 2009 and Maryland, LSU, Florida State and Michigan State down the road, the schedule is one facet of the Mountaineer program that no one should be stewing over.

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