The board voted 7-1 Thursday to give university president Bob Kustra the authority to move Boise State’s football program out of the Mountain West Conference and into the Big East for the 2013 season.
West Virginia is filing suit against the Big East Conference so it can join the Big 12 next season, according to a document obtained by CBSSports.com.
The Big East requires its members to pay $5 million and provide 27 months notice before it may leave the conference. However, on Friday when West Virginia accepted an invitation to join the Big 12, WVU and Big 12 officials both indicated the Mountaineers would begin play in the Big 12 in 2012-13.
In an e-mail to the league’s presidents Monday, Big East commissioner John Marinatto wrote that “we have been advised by West Virginia league council that the University is filing suit against the Big East Conference today (Monday) – presumably to get relief from the withdrawal provision contained in our bylaws.”
This is going to finally get the ball rolling so we can have an answer as to where WVU ends up.
Some are saying the Navy/Air Force stipulation gives WVU time to exit at the $5 million exit fee. Others think the exit fee isn’t the issue but more the 27 months it takes to leave.
In other news, MIZZOU is going to SEC according to sources and they will be the SEC #14. This could open up the invite for WVU and L’Ville to the Big 12.
Stay tuned for more updates.
Here’s what came out of the presidential meeting that ended around 3 o’clock this afternoon. The Presidents voted unanimously to authorize the Commissioner to aggressively pursue discussions with a select number of institutions that have indicated a strong interest in joining the BIG EAST Conference. The Presidents are also actively considering changes to the Conference’s governing bylaws to further solidify the membership of the Conference. The obvious thing, to me, at least, is the use of the word unanimous and then the absence of the word unanimous later.
“President Clements and I represented West Virginia University at last night’s BIG EAST meeting in New York. The group concluded the meeting with a strategy to recruit top level BCS-caliber institutions that match the league’s strong athletic and academic histories and traditions.
“As I stated before, WVU is an excellent flagship, land-grant University, with national-caliber athletic and academic programs. We are, and will remain, a national player in college athletics.
“The conference office will coordinate any further discussion on this issue.”
WVU athletic department officials had no comment on the report, however, and they also point out that WVU never issued any statement about whether the university had even applied for admission to the SEC. Continue to check MetroNews for more information on this story.
The key to this statement is “Multiple BIG EAST sources”. Of course the Big East is going to try to spread these type of rumors. They have an agenda. To keep WVU in the Big East.
Even after losing to Iowa.. hahaha. Well the shit is about to hit the fan at the WVU Athletic Dept. eh?
