Quelle surprise.: Big East schools not named WVU are soliciting the Big 12 for an invite

[Rumrunner]

"The Big East gets on planes and flies all over the country inviting other schools," Neinas said. "But they raise hell when West Virginia wants to come to the Big 12?"

"We didn't solicit West Virginia; West Virginia solicited us -- as did other Big East schools. It seems to me the Big East has a double standard. And the Big East was talking about [automatic qualifying status to the BCS]. There's not going to be AQs in the near future. "

______


Neinas said he's concerned the Big 12 could get dragged into WVU's legal battle with the Big East via an amended lawsuit.

"Sure," he said. "That's always a possibility."

The commissioner, however, pointed back to his
claim WVU approached the Big 12 and not vice versa.

"And they were not the only Big East member to approach us," Neinas said. "Believe me."



http://wvgazette.com/Sports/201201250268?page=2&build=cache

I wonder who the other BE teams are? Louisville, yes. That's been disclosed.

One good thing about the Big East being poached is that the list of suspects is nice and short.

Cinct, definitely. Same for Rutgers, And USF. As for UConn, up in the air. Hopefully the WVU-BE lawsuit gets thru the discovery phase so we get a glimpse behind the curtain.

 

[SAMCRO]

Wow, I guess the B12 plans to have WVU join for 2012 season are not going as well as they had hoped/believed. No chance in hell does Neinas make public statrements like this if all is good in the transition.

Hey Mr. Commish, most the BE FB schools are actually okay with WVU leaving for the B12, AFTER they've lived up to their contractual obligation. I guess he forgets that Baylor and the rest of the B12 was ready to sue Texas A&M, Mizzou, and anyone else that was ready to leave that conference.

This is going to get uglier.

 

[Drumguy]

If you don't have a good defense, attack seems to be his thought process here. The BE hasn't said no, just fulfill the contract WVU actually just approved. WHy not let WVU twist in the wind, no favor was done to the BE.

 

[Waquoit]

What is UConn doing now?

 

[Drumguy]

What is UConn doing now?

Not sure we have any choice but to go along with the NBE. ACC rejected our pleas and We're not B12 or BiG material.

 

[2Infinity]

"The Big East gets on planes and flies all over the country inviting other schools," Neinas said. "But they raise hell when West Virginia wants to come to the Big 12?"

"We didn't solicit West Virginia; West Virginia solicited us -- as did other Big East schools. It seems to me the Big East has a double standard. And the Big East was talking about [automatic qualifying status to the BCS]. There's not going to be AQs in the near future. "
______

Neinas said he's concerned the Big 12 could get dragged into WVU's legal battle with the Big East via an amended lawsuit.

"Sure," he said. "That's always a possibility."

The commissioner, however, pointed back to his
claim WVU approached the Big 12 and not vice versa.

So it sounds as if Neinas and the B12 had NO choice but to accept WVU! And since it was WVU who approached them...I'd say the B12 is on solid legal ground here! Yeah right!

And by the way Neinas, the BE is disappointed in WVU leaving, naturally. However, the BE didn't try to stop them from leaving. Instead, they just said ok, as long as you honor your word AND the contract....we're good. But because they don't want to and YOU don't want them to Mr. Neinas, THAT is the reason we're in court. I guess he forgot to look into the BE contract before they did WVU a "favor" and accepted them as a member!

 

[Revrat]

Big East schools are not the same as the Big East. The Big East didn't solicit the Big 12 individual schools did. thats not the same thing and there is no double standard

 

[Santini35]

"We have a schedule with West Virginia. We have a contractual commitment with our television partners that we must release a schedule by Feb. 1 and we will do that," Neinas told the paper. "Aside from our television partners, our schools are anxious to release their schedules and we'll meet the required deadline."

So apparently, contractual commitments are well and good if they are to TV partners, but should not matter at all when they are between conference partners...

 

[Carl Spackler]

Swinging in the wind, that's what Neinas is doing right now and screaming about it. Should have maybe been a bit smarter about handling his busniess, dontcha think?

I have no idea of whether or not UConn approached the Big 12. Maybe we did, maybe we didn't. I do know that both our university president and state governor made it crystal clear that state flagship university was going to actively pursue whatever the best interests for the university athletic programs were going to be, and it doesn't seem unrealistic that approaching the big 12, acc, big 10, and even Pac 10 about membership would have been part of pursuing what the best interests of our university would be.

It's tangled web you weave, when at first you begin to deceive.

UConn hasn't gotten into the web, although many aroudn ehre were b*tching like hell about our leadership making our intentions of looking elsewhere for our interests at the time public.

 

[Carl Spackler]

What is UConn doing now?

I'm pretty sure that over the past several months, we've acknowledged our beliefs that the athletic conference we're part of was in need of major overhaul if we were going to remain part of it, and that we were looking elsewhere in the meantime, while they got their sorted out, we would continue to honor our obligations and be part of making whatever course of action the conference takes work, and now in early 2012, we're looking damn good position to be continuing on with the Big East, in continuing to be a national basketball power, and returning itself to a national football power that it was a decade ago.

 

[willie99]

didn't they once report it had to happen for 2012? followed by a quick retraction?

cheap posturing, easy to see through

he's in deep with respect to 2012, and he knows it

 

[SubbaBub]

Love how the B12 is whining about contracts. Everytime I hear Neinas speak the word douchenozzle comes immediately to mind.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

 

[SAMCRO]

douchenozzle

great word.

 

[Danzz]

If you don't have a good defense, attack seems to be his thought process here. The BE hasn't said no, just fulfill the contract WVU actually just approved. WHy not let WVU twist in the wind, no favor was done to the BE.

Be careful what you wish for. We would be gone in a second if the ACC would take us.We are no better than Cuse, Pitt, or WVA we just didn't get the opportunity to leave yet. I don't even blame BC or Miami any longer. The BE screwed up when they didn't address the football issue years ago and now it is too late.
The other conferences didn't have to do any poaching because the BE members are begging to leave no matter what they say publicly. My feeling: stop playing games and let WVA and Cuse go after this season.

 

[Drumguy]

Be careful what you wish for. We would be gone in a second if the ACC would take us.We are no better than Cuse, Pitt, or WVA we just didn't get the opportunity to leave yet. I don't even blame BC or Miami any longer. The BE screwed up when they didn't address the football issue years ago and now it is too late.
The other conferences didn't have to do any poaching because the BE members are begging to leave no matter what they say publicly. My feeling: stop playing games and let WVA and Cuse go after this season.

I'm not saying we wouldn't, just that we'd have no leg to stand on to leave early is all. One of the downsides of the long term divorce is putting up with each other for that 27 months and it'll happen to us should we ever leave.

 

[Danzz]

I'm not saying we wouldn't, just that we'd have no leg to stand on to leave early is all. One of the downsides of the long term divorce is putting up with each other for that 27 months and it'll happen to us should we ever leave.

The worst months of a divorce is the time between when the decision is made and the hammer finally comes down. I just don't see the need for all the extra trama, drama and legal expense to delay the inevitable. There is no benefit that I can see for the BE to require WVA and Cuse stay for 3 seasons. Now I wouldn't blame the BE for trying to shake them down for as much cash as possible because after all college basketball is a business.
The decision has been made and it is best for all parties to go their seperate ways with as little mud slinging as possible.

 

[gars44]

Dan, people don't give you "much cash" when you announce that you are about to roll over. Bad negotiating strategy.

 

[Hoophound]

The BE cant let them go, it sets too dangerous a precedent. They need to hold all departing schools to the contract. If we get an invite somewhere, we need to honor our deal too.

 

[businesslawyer]

The worst months of a divorce is the time between when the decision is made and the hammer finally comes down. I just don't see the need for all the extra trama, drama and legal expense to delay the inevitable. There is no benefit that I can see for the BE to require WVA and Cuse stay for 3 seasons. Now I wouldn't blame the BE for trying to shake them down for as much cash as possible because after all college basketball is a business.
The decision has been made and it is best for all parties to go their seperate ways with as little mud slinging as possible.

The Big East needs 8 football teams in 2012 to fulfill its TV contracts, fill out a schedule and retain BCS eligibility for at least one more year. How is that difficult for anyone with a triple digit IQ to understand?

 

[HartbeatHusky]

The Big East needs 8 football teams in 2012 to fulfill its TV contracts, fill out a schedule and retain BCS eligibility for at least one more year. How is that difficult for anyone with a triple digit IQ to understand?

You may be right about the TV contract part but I'm pretty sure there is a 1 or 2 year grace period for the BCS AQ status. We'll have new teams in 2013 and in 2014 AQ may not even exist. So the only harm is in scheduling and the TV contract, which is already peanuts compared to the other conferences.

 

[gars44]

I can't wait for this crap to shake out. I'm kind of thinking that the power brokers that certainly could expel the BE from the big boy table won't do it out of a combination of (1) pity; (2) guilt; (3) fear of lawsuits/congressional action; (4) public relations; in that order. This will give the BE another 5 year life line to re-establish itself as a legitimate member of the Big 6, albeit a junior member, but a member as it has always been. Poor relations that you still have to invite to weddings. Seat them in the back, exchange pleasantries. Do the right thing. And guess what. In five years we will be fine. Now, without the AQ, we may not be a regular choice in the major bowls, at first. But geez, guys, we can go undefeated in this conference. So can Boise State. So can Houston. This is gonna be a blast!!!!!!

 

[huskyjawz]

You may be right about the TV contract part but I'm pretty sure there is a 1 or 2 year grace period for the BCS AQ status. We'll have new teams in 2013 and in 2014 AQ may not even exist. So the only harm is in scheduling and the TV contract, which is already peanuts compared to the other conferences.

ok, the tv contract is peanuts as you say, so that makes it a good idea to renege on the contract and make even less money then the peanuts that we are supposed to get.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

ok, the tv contract is peanuts as you say, so that makes it a good idea to renege on the contract and make even less money then the peanuts that we are supposed to get.

Of course not. I'm in favor of holding WVU for as long as we can legally and enforcing the bylaws that they agreed to. I'm just saying that the BCS AQ isn't really an issue with them leaving. The only problem is the TV contract, and out contract is already low so I'm not sure how much money we actually stand to lose.

 

[businesslawyer]

You may be right about the TV contract part but I'm pretty sure there is a 1 or 2 year grace period for the BCS AQ status. We'll have new teams in 2013 and in 2014 AQ may not even exist. So the only harm is in scheduling and the TV contract, which is already peanuts compared to the other conferences.

I believe we need an eight team conference. We don't have one in '12 if anyone leaves.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

I believe we need an eight team conference. We don't have one in '12 if anyone leaves.

I thought maybe you were correct about this but then did some searching and I think the grace period applies to any FBS conference that falls to less than 8 teams as required has 2 years to get back up to 8 teams.