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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.
West Virginia and the Big East Conference are nearing agreement on a settlement worth at least $20 million that would resolve all issues between both parties, college football industry sources told CBSSports.com.
The Mountaineers will join the Big 12 for the 2012-13 school year. However, in a bizarre twist, sources told CBSSports.com that West Virginia officials have contacted future Big East members to see if one could join in 2012 instead of 2013.
The reason is that with West Virginia’s departure to the Big 12, the Big East will be left with only seven football members this fall. Without an immediate replacement for West Virginia, the remaining Big East schools will be scrambling to find a 12th opponent. It’s unknown why West Virginia would assist a league that WVU athletic director Oliver Luck compared to “a ship … seriously going down,” except that it could lower West Virginia’s buyout, sources said.
Luck did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.
Despite lawsuits filed by West Virginia and the Big East, West Virginia still plans to join the Big 12 this year. The Big 12 has already sent its 2012 schedule, with West Virginia on it, to its television partners and is expected to publicly release the schedule this week.
While WVU has always planned to join in 2012, Big East commissioner John Marinatto has stated on multiple occasions, including Wednesday, that the league would require West Virginia to honor the league’s 27-month exit agreement. However, sources said privately the league has conceded they can’t stop West Virginia from leaving.
The Big East, though, likely would receive substantial monetary damages. Even Florida State athletic director Randy Spetman said his school might seek liquidated damages against WVU after WVU canceled a Sept. 8 game at Florida State, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
The $20 million settlement figure is believed to be contingent on the Big East being able to get a replacement for West Virginia in 2012 and certainly could increase if it had to play with only seven members in 2012. It’s unknown if that $20 million figure includes the $5 million West Virginia paid upon notifying the Big East last October it was bolting to the Big 12.
Acting Big 12 commissioner Chuck Neinas recently told the West Virginia media that the Big 12 would consider assisting the Mountaineers financially with their exit fee, if the school asked.
Marinatto, who was on a teleconference Wednesday to announce Memphis joining the league in 2013, would not comment on whether the Big East is trying to bring in a member in 2012 or if they would help a future member financially to leave its current conference home.
“The question is related to the impending litigation we're involved in on two fronts," Marinatto said. "It would be inappropriate for me to get into specifics about all of that at this point. I'm going to not talk about that."
Boise State, San Diego State, UCF, SMU, Houston and Memphis are scheduled to join the Big East in 2013 with Navy coming on board in 2015. Marinatto added the Big East would not stage a conference championship football game until 2015 when Navy would - at least for now - become its 12th football playing member.Update for 8:40 Thursday: Providence County Superior Court Judge Michael Silverstein holds a status conference today with both sides in the ongoing legal fight. The judge should hear that a settlement is very near, sources say.
One of the lingering hang-ups appears to be whether WVU and the Big East can get a team to join the Big East this coming season and take WVU's place on the schedule. The leading school in that discussion appears be Boise State.
Boise State has a $5 million buyout in the Mountain West Conference and would want help paying that amount so it could join the league immediately.
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It appears that a settlement in the legal struggle between WVU and the Big East is near.
A variety of sources are reporting, and Metronews has confirmed, that the two sides are very close to an agreement, but it has not yet been finalized.
It's believed that the settlement will include a large payout to the Big East, perhaps as much as $20 million, but that WVU will not be responsible for the full amount. Several news outlets report that WVU's share will be $11 million, but that number could not be confirmed by Metronews.
"There will be outside help," said one source familiar with the negotiations.
That suggests that the Big 12 will help pay the damages to the Big East, but there is no confirmation of that. However, Big 12 interim Commissioner Chuck Neinas told Metronews during a visit to Morgantown that the league would be open to possibly helping pay the damages.
Brett McMurphy of CBSSports.com reports that "The $20 million settlement figure is believed to be contingent on the Big East being able to get a replacement for West Virginia in 2012 and certainly could increase if it had to play with only seven members in 2012."
McMurphy also reports that "in a bizarre twist, sources told CBSSports.com that West Virginia officials have contacted future Big East members to see if one could join 2012 instead of 2013."
The settlement will clear the way for WVU to become a member of the Big 12 July 1. The University has been adamant about moving quickly to the Big 12, despite the contractual obligation requiring 27 months notice before leaving the Big East.
WVU's planned quick departure, announced late last year, prompted WVU and the Big East to sue each other. WVU has already sent the Big East $2.5 million, half of the normal buyout amount.
The Big 12 has said it fully expects WVU to be a member this coming football season and has already sent the fall's football schedules to league TV partners, but the schedules have not been released to the public.
The judge in Rhode Island hearing the lawsuit filed by the Big East against West Virginia University says he's open to a settlement if that is going to happen.
The following statement was released by a court spokesman Thursday morning following the scheduled status hearing:
"The result of the Big East/WVU conference with Judge (Michael) Silverstein this morning is that the matter is continued to an unspecified date for another status conference."
"The Rhode Island case continues on a path toward trial, though Judge Silverstein is certainly open to news of a settlement if that happens in the interim. The judge did not disclose anything more specific than that regarding his discussions with the attorneys this morning."
Various media reports indicate that WVU and the Big East are near an agreement that would settle the lawsuits each has filed against the other. Any settlement will include a payment of damages to the Big East by WVU.
A variety of sources have indicated that the damages could be as much as $20 million for breaking the contract with the league, but there are also signs that the Big 12 could help with payments.
WVU has said that it plans to join the Big 12 on July 1 and play a Big 12 football schedule this year. Neither the Big East nor the Big 12 has released its football schedule for this coming seasonv
The Big East has approved a proposal by West Virginia that would allow West Virginia to leave the Big East for the Big 12 this year, the Charleston Daily Mail reported Thursday, citing sources.
A Rhode Island judge on Thursday continued proceedings in the Big East's lawsuit against West Virginia to an "unspecified date," presumably to allow parties to finalize a settlement.
West Virginia had nearly completed a resolution in which the university would pay a "cash settlement" of $11 million to leave the Big East for the Big 12, the Daily Mail reported on Wednesday, citing sources.
The newspaper reported Thursday the deal had been finalized, according to sources, although no details were available.
It's possible the Big 12 will provide financial assistance to help West Virginia pay for its departure.
Until both West Virginia and the Big East present a settlement in writing to the judge, the case will proceed through the court.
Meanwhile, the 2012 Big 12 football schedule is expected to be made public on Friday, according to the Lubbock Avalanche Journal. It's unclear whether West Virginia would be included in that schedule.
If ew Mountaineer fans are tired of playing the saiting game, how do you think those Big 12 fans are feeling about this entrie situation? Not good, I can imagine that much.If anything, I would think that they are cheering us on, hoping for resolution soon. I have to think that they see that the WVU admin is working their tails off to complete the deal.
Bring on the Longhorns, Sooners, Cowboys Frogs, and all the rest!!!
