Big 12 Expansion: West Virginia Eyeing the Big 12?

Unless you have been living under a rock the past few weeks, you probably have heard a few things about Conference Realignment.

Last night the Big East took a huge hit when in a nationally televised game, the dying league’s “best” team was destroyed on ESPN. With the 44-17 rout of South Florida, ACC-bound Pittsburgh displayed to the nation that this conference simply can not last. 

What does this mean for West Virginia?

With news breaking that the Big East’s remaining members will be holding a meeting on Sunday to  discuss the future, football analysts have wondered if the Mountaineers will be leaving the conference.

Many have speculated that the move would be to the SEC, which can’t be ruled out, yet for basketball reasons the Big 12 is hands down the best move.Texas, Kansas, Kansas State, WVU, Louisville, Cincinnati, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Baylor would give the league several teams that would make it to the Big Dance each year. That is nine teams, that have very solid basketball traditions, which rivals the output the Big East has sent to the tournament in recent years.

The SEC is still a very viable option. The reported exit cost for Missouri to enter the SEC is in the range of 40 million dollars. That is a devastating blow to a program that would likely be a below average team in the SEC, particularly in football.

With the disbandment of the Big East, teams such as West Virginia and Louisville would not have to pay such fees because the conference would no longer exist. It's my personal opinion that the Big 12 has more to offer for several reasons.

Dana Holgorsen will recruit Texas even more. Expect to see more prospects such as future freshman QB Ford Childress, out of Houston to commit to the Mountaineers. Playing Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor and TCU would give WVU at the very least, two games in the state  each year. This would help the former offensive coordinator of both Houston and Texas Tech re-kindle his connections in the state.

Secondly, there is speculation that the Big 12 would move the championship game to the top of the line Dallas Stadium that is affectionately called "Jerry's World". This stadium is arguably the best football stadium in the country, which will definitely help in recruiting.

What would the Big 12 look like?

South Division: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU

North Division: WVU, Cincinnati, Louisville, Iowa State, Kansas, and Kansas State.

This will undoubtedly re-start the conference realignment wave that has shaken college football in the past few weeks.

WVU is the clear cut winner if these rumors are true, and the fans have to congratulate AD Oliver Luck for finally getting the job done. Don’t get me wrong he has done a lot of good for the program( hiring Holgorsen), but he hit the ball out of the park with this one. Not only will the Mountaineers be in one of the elite conferences,  the university will be able to excel in other sports besides football, notably basketball.

With West Virginia, Louisville, Texas, Baylor and Kansas having legit basketball programs, WVU will maintain supremacy in the two money making sports. The administration stressed to the students the importance of the LSU game last weekend, and the exposure appears to have risen West Virginia’s stock. In the coming weeks, college football could change forever. Stay tuned…