Boston Globe: Blaudschun: WVU to Big 12, Big 12 pauses, for now

[Rumrunner]

http://mobile.boston.com/art/77/sports/colleges/extras/colleges_blog/2011/10/west_virginia_l

The Big 12 as expected will lose Missouri to the Southeastern Conference within the next few days, but according to sources in the Big 12, the target team to replace the Tigers is West Virginia.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Says they're a "target team", which the Big 12 has had a lot of recently. Certainly a good chance of it happening, but I wouldn't sleep on them going another direction with UL, Boise, BYU, or three of all of those.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

http://mobile.boston.com/art/77/sports/colleges/extras/colleges_blog/2011/10/west_virginia_l

The Big 12 as expected will lose Missouri to the Southeastern Conference within the next few days, but according to sources in the Big 12, the target team to replace the Tigers is West Virginia.

Rumors over the past few weeks were that Louisville was higher on the Big 12 list than WVU. I wonder how much of an impact the story that Blaudschun leaked for the Big East a few days ago had?

In the story, it said that the Big East basketball schools would dissolve the football conference if either UConn or Louisville left the league. It insinuated, that if WVU left alone, then they would still go forward with the football league and the invites. I am sure that the Big 12 does not want to be the one left with the Big East's blood on their hands and be the scapegoat for the BE collapse. So by taking WVU instead of Louisville, they get their 10th team and do not 'kill' the Big East.

So basically, the BE basketball schools forced the Big 12's hands in taking WVU instead of Louisville by 'releasing' that story and information. Very interesting!!!

 

[Rumrunner]

Blaudschun parrots the Big East's thinking.

What's pretty amazing is that the BE is oblivious to what's going on.

Losing WVU not that big of a deal. They were the dominant team in the BE in football and top 25 in basketball, sold out their on-campus stadium year after year, and have the most rabid fan base in the BE, but other than that, they bring nothing to the table.

AndSo losing Pitt, Syracuse, WVU, and TCU is just a glancing blow.

Marinatto in reaching out to the ACC and Big 12 earlier in the summer has the Big East poised to be the strongest its ever been.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

If the BE only loses 1 team between now and next year there is still a chance it survives so I wouldn't be surprised if the ACC is forced to try to kill it by taking UConn and Rutgers in order to try to get the basketball schools to walk away. The 27 months is still a huge complicating factor for the ACC and Big 12 though.

 

[sportsart]

If Boise says no and WVU goes goodbye AQ. In essence the BE becomes C-USA Sr.

Might as well consider the BE dead. If WVU goes I can't see Boise coming.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

If the ACC wants the kill, they take us and ND. As long as ND is aligned somehow, there'll be reason for the basketball schools and everyone else to stick around and see what happens. If ND is 100% off the table in everything, and the BE loses its other powerhouse basketball program, it's done.

 

[BlueMAB]

If WVU leaves, nobody is coming because the BCS bid is gone. There is no way we retain a BCS bid without their results in our favor.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

If the BE only loses 1 team between now and next year there is still a chance it survives so I wouldn't be surprised if the ACC is forced to try to kill it by taking UConn and Rutgers in order to try to get the basketball schools to walk away. The 27 months is still a huge complicating factor for the ACC and Big 12 though.

I really think that no one wants to be the one to actually kill the Big East. The ACC took their swing and wounded us (taking Syrapitt). Then the Big 12 will take their hit (taking WVU). But no one wants to be the one to deliver the death blow.

Part of it is because of the PR that would follow and the media attack on them. But part of me thinks the other part is that these conferences all think they have a chance at Notre Dame, and don't want to be seen as 'destroying' Notre Dame's Big East...as then Notre Dame would not want to join their conference because of their actions.

Eventually, someone is going to have to kill the Big East once and for all (either B12 or ACC taking more BE teams that include at least one of UConn/Louisville).

I wonder if they might coordinate the death blow (B12 takes Cincy and UL, ACC takes UConn/Rutgers) so as not to be the ONE that killed the conference and would minimize the teams left out of the shuffle at the end of the day.

 

[Hoophound]

If Boise says no and WVU goes goodbye AQ. In essence the BE becomes C-USA Sr.

Might as well consider the BE dead. If WVU goes I can't see Boise coming.

Wouldn't Boise come for the BCS bid? Again, the BCS bid isn't in danger based on the numbers if Boise replaces WVU. You add Houston, SMU etc., etc. and the conference still survives. I still think people are underestimating the ability of the new programs to flourish in the Big East. If the ACC and B12 let the Big East live, they will live to regret it.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

If WVU leaves, nobody is coming because the BCS bid is gone. There is no way we retain a BCS bid without their results in our favor.

I don't think that is true. If you replace the WVU resume with the Boise St resume for BCS status...I think we are still OK. In fact, I think we would still be above the ACC in any BCS requirements.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Yeah, but if you're Boise, do you even bother coming if the BCS bid is in serious doubt? If WVU is there, you say OK, if we join, with both of us there, the BCS bid should be very safe. If it's just Boise, why not just hold out for another invite elsewhere or stick with the merged MWCUSA and see if that gets a BCS bid, it'd probably have just as good of a shot.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

Yeah, but if you're Boise, do you even bother coming if the BCS bid is in serious doubt? If WVU is there, you say OK, if we join, with both of us there, the BCS bid should be very safe. If it's just Boise, why not just hold out for another invite elsewhere or stick with the merged MWCUSA and see if that gets a BCS bid, it'd probably have just as good of a shot.

I think you do if you know that your numbers are strong enough to preserve the bid. Who really wants to be in a 22 team football conference. Even if we have to offer Boise State an all sports invite, at this point I say make it happen.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

If it's just Boise, why not just hold out for another invite elsewhere or stick with the merged MWCUSA and see if that gets a BCS bid, it'd probably have just as good of a shot.

One, because it is much harder to get a BCS AQ bid that you don't already have(MWCUSA) than it is to mantain a BCS AQ bid that you already have (Big East).

Also, and the most imporant reason, is revenue. It isn't just about BCS AQ, but also conference TV contracts and money. The New Big East's TV contract would be much more favorable than the MWCUSA.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

Even if we have to offer Boise State an all sports invite, at this point I say make it happen.

There is exactly a 0% chance that will happen. The basketball onlies will not allow an invite for Boise St for anything other than football only. The BE football conference will collapse before the basketball schools allow BSU to join for all sports.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

There is exactly a 0% chance that will happen. The basketball onlies will not allow an invite for Boise St for anything other than football only. The BE football conference will collapse before the basketball schools allow BSU to join for all sports.

I don't disagree with that. I just wish we could offer them that if that's what it would take.

 

[RS9999X]

As far as the BCS goes the 27-month tie up gets UConn through the next and Boise will play at least one year with Pitt, SU and WVU on board.

If WVU goes and Boise stays in the MWC it gets dicey after 2013 but maybe not. Someone has to be 1 and 2 in the New BE and will be rated top 25.

 

[NutmegState]

IF the B12 takes WVU, you acquiesce to whatever BYU wants, and you get them. I don't care what they want, they can have it.

 

[BlueMAB]

I don't think that is true. If you replace the WVU resume with the Boise St resume for BCS status...I think we are still OK. In fact, I think we would still be above the ACC in any BCS requirements.

Boise isn't joining without WVU. They might not join with WVU.

 

[RS9999X]

I agree with the Tweet, It's what I would do.

Take WVU and pause while working BYU and FSU

 

[BlueMAB]

Wouldn't Boise come for the BCS bid? Again, the BCS bid isn't in danger based on the numbers if Boise replaces WVU. You add Houston, SMU etc., etc. and the conference still survives. I still think people are underestimating the ability of the new programs to flourish in the Big East. If the ACC and B12 let the Big East live, they will live to regret it.

If Boise to the Big East was a slam dunk for Boise, the announcement already would have been made.

The BCS bid is already in danger with WVU, therefore, without WVU and with BSU it's still in danger. It's not an upgrade it's an even swap. So the bid isn't secure, it's very much in danger. Also, there's nothing stopping the rules committee from changing the rules to a formula that excludes the Big East based on numbers. There may be repercussions from that, but nothing is stopping it from happening.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

If I understand correctly the Big 12's TV contract becomes void if they fall below 10 members though, so don't they need someone ready to go next season?

 

[jpm25]

Rumors over the past few weeks were that Louisville was higher on the Big 12 list than WVU. I wonder how much of an impact the story that Blaudschun leaked for the Big East a few days ago had?

In the story, it said that the Big East basketball schools would dissolve the football conference if either UConn or Louisville left the league. It insinuated, that if WVU left alone, then they would still go forward with the football league and the invites. I am sure that the Big 12 does not want to be the one left with the Big East's blood on their hands and be the scapegoat for the BE collapse. So by taking WVU instead of Louisville, they get their 10th team and do not 'kill' the Big East.

So basically, the BE basketball schools forced the Big 12's hands in taking WVU instead of Louisville by 'releasing' that story and information. Very interesting!!!

If that's how the Big 12 makes decisions, they are screwed.

 

[husky10]

"

The champions of the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and Southeastern Conferences will have annual automatic qualification for a BCS game through the 2013 regular season, based on mathematical standards of performance during the 2004-2007 regular seasons.
The 2008-2011 regular seasons will be evaluated under the same standards to determine if other conferences will have annual automatic qualification for the games after the 2012 and 2013 regular seasons. The champions of no more than seven conferences will have annual automatic berths.
If the BCS continues under the same or similar format, conferences will be evaluated on their performances during the 2010-2013 regular seasons to determine which conferences will have automatic qualification for the bowls that will conclude the 2014-2017 regular seasons."

http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/bcs_selection_procedures.html

Basically we have WVU Pitt and Syracuse through 2013 so therefore we should hold our AQ status through 2017 at this point there isn't any certainty that the system will be in place that long or the BE will be around till then. I think we are ok for now and having a BCS bid until 2017 might be enough of a reason tfor boise to jump on board.
​

 

[uconnric]

Blaudschun parrots the Big East's thinking.

Losing WVU not that big of a deal. They were the dominant team in the BE in football and top 25 in basketball, sold out their on-campus stadium year after year, and have the most rabid fan base in the BE, but other than that, they bring nothing to the table.

AndSo losing Pitt, Syracuse, WVU, and TCU is just a glancing blow.

No, losing WVU is a big deal. They almost single handedly kept this conference relevant for BCS purposes and brought big time talent to the Rent. The league is not as attractive to join without them. If we lose WVU and can't add Boise State, this league is finished.