MORGANTOWN —
Indications were growing that West Virginia University’s battle to leave the Big East and join the Big 12 in time for the 2012 season was about to be won, possibly as early as today.
A source within the Mountaineer athletic department said on Tuesday that the matter was nearing a conclusion and also told the Times West Virginian that West Virginia would be reinstating a golf team to compete in the Big 12.
At the same time two publications, one within the state and another outside, also made reports that a settlement was near.
The Big East has called a press conference for noon today “to address conference membership,” and it will announce that Memphis is leaving Conference-USA and joining the Big East in 2013. Whether the West Virginia situation will be addressed is not known.
The two sides are supposed to sit down Thursday to begin a court-ordered mediation that is aimed at avoiding a June 26 trial in West Virginia. There has been speculation that the settlement could be concluded during that meeting.
Certainly, West Virginia’s action in cancelling its 2012 game at Florida State at a cost of $500,000 — a $350,000 buyout and a $150,000 penalty for it coming after a specified buyout date — would indicate that the Mountaineers feel they will be in the Big 12.
WVU needed an opening on its schedule to play football in the Big 12, as that league requires nine league games as opposed to eight in the Big East.
The Memphis announcement puts the league in position — with Boise State and San Diego State coming in for 2013 and Navy coming in for 2015, all for football only, while Houston, Central Florida and SMU join in 2013 as all-sports members — to allow WVU to leave as long as there are sizeable reparations.
There have been reports that it might cost WVU — and the Big 12, in some way — up to $20 million to exit for the 2012 season.
Since WVU announced it was leaving for the Big 12 it has confidently held firm to playing in the new conference next season, never so much wavering in its stance.
Golf has been gone from West Virginia for many years. There was a time when it had its own golf course, but that land was used to build the law school and the stadium.
The Big 12 offers golf as a sport. It does not have men’s soccer, WVU planning to keep its men’s soccer team, probably in Conference-USA, while the women’s soccer team plays in a highly competitive Big 12.
Email Bob Hertzel at bhertzel@hotmail.com. Follow on Twitter @bhertzel.
WVU Sports
WVU source: Battle to join Big 12 nearing conclusion
- WVU Sports
-
-
HERTZEL COLUMN- Bailey, Austin turning heads in St. Louis
This will not surprise you if you’ve been in this neck of the woods the past three years, but it sure got those good folks in St. Louis fired up.
-
FURFARI COLUMN- Are Clements and Luck fair to media and jobs?
This column is going to be strictly a “think piece” — mine! I feel it’s one none of the younger columnists could or would undertake.
-
Local lineman commits to WVU
Morgantown High offensive lineman Amanii Brown has committed to West Virginia’s 2014 recruiting class.
Brown grew up in Clarksburg before moving to Morgantown during his sophomore year of high school. -
HERTZEL COLUMN- Nehlen talks evolution of football
In many ways, Don Nehlen spent the last football season feeling like a child from the ’50s who had been dropped into our modern society.
-
FURFARI COLUMN- Huggins says transfers not isolated case
Coach Bob Huggins will tell you that losing four players to transfer mode from his West Virginia University men’s basketball squad was not an unusual or isolated case.
-
HERTZEL COLUMN: Independent study of WVU finances needed
It is time someone gets to the bottom of what is going on financially within West Virginia University and its athletic department.
-
HERTZEL COLUMN: The gamble of leaving college early
One of the first lessons they try to get across to a student-athlete when he comes to school is the evils of gambling.
In truth, college sports still echo with the basketball point-fixing scandal from 60 years ago and a few others that have surfaced over the years, both on a professional and collegiate level. -
FURFARI COLUMN: Compton fifth of WVU’s 11 consensus All-Americans
Mike Compton, who was the fifth in West Virginia University’s line of 11 consensus All-America football players, starred on the teams of 1989-90-91-92.
A 6-foot-7, 280-to-295-pound center, he not only excelled on the offensive line, but he was a team captain as a senior. -
HERTZEL COLUMN: WVU has its academic ship on course
In the real world the initials APR stand for annual percentage rate, a term with which everyone who has a car loan or home mortgage is quite familiar, but in the world of college athletics it is a term that has a somewhat a different meaning.
-
Kendrick donates to tornado relief in name of WVU baseball
Arizona Diamondbacks Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick has made a donation of $200,000 to the Mountaineer Athletic Club in the name of the West Virginia University baseball program to the Oklahoma City tornado relief effort.
- More WVU Sports Headlines
-
HERTZEL COLUMN- Bailey, Austin turning heads in St. Louis
