West Virginia to the Big 12: 5 Reasons It Would Be Great for the Mountaineers

From all the rumors that have been floating around the Internet the past few days, it sounds as if Missouri is ready to bolt from the Big 12 to the SEC, which means the Big 12 could suffer yet another defection and be down to just nine member schools after the addition of TCU before the start of next season.

That means Big 12 officials are sure to be on the prowl to find schools to add to the conference, and according to a recent New York Post report, the conference could be targeting West Virginia out of the Big East.

From a geographic standpoint, it doesn’t seem to make much sense, but joining the Big 12 could actually be just the right move at just the right time for the Mountaineers.

While it’s all just rumors and hearsay at this point, here’s a look at five reasons joining the Big 12 would be a great move for West Virginia.

Escape the Big East

After losing Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the ACC last month, the Big East is now down to just six football schools and the conference is seemingly on life support right now.

According to multiple reports, the Big East is now in desperation mode and the conference has come up with a plan to send invitations to notable non-AQ teams all across the country such as Boise State, Houston, SMU and others in order to try to save the league and ultimately salvage an automatic BCS bowl bid.

You really have to wonder, though, if that type of last-second scheme is going to be enough to save a conference that has taken some major hits recently.

If West Virginia has the opportunity to flee the Big East and head for higher ground, it would be in the school’s best interests to find a better home like the Big 12.

Better Competition

The Big East has been the laughing stock of the BCS for the past few years, and the conference’s reputation hit an all-time low last season when an 8-4 Connecticut team represented the Big East in the Fiesta Bowl ("represented" is used loosely, considering the Huskies got embarrassed by Oklahoma).

The Big 12 may have lost a few prominent programs like Nebraska, Texas A&M and possibly now Missouri, but the conference still has its two big boys, Oklahoma and Texas, and a few other emerging programs like Oklahoma State, TCU, Kansas State and Baylor.

West Virginia has always sought to prove that it could compete with the top teams in college football, and the Mountaineers proved that by beating Oklahoma and Georgia in big-time BCS bowl games, but recently, the team’s credibility has taken a bit of a hit, and it didn’t help that they just got embarrassed by LSU in front of a national prime-time audience.

Proving yourself against Syracuse, Cincinnati and South Florida is one thing, but if West Virginia really wants to earn some national respect, it’d be best served going up against some of the elite teams in the country.

It would certainly take some time to adjust to a higher level of competition, but I honestly believe West Virginia would be able to compete for a Big 12 conference championship within a few years.

Money, Money, Money, Money

Let’s not kid ourselves, every move in today’s world of big-time college athletics is based off of one thing.

Revenue.

If West Virginia makes a move to the Big 12, it would be a great boost to the school’s pocket book, since the Big 12’s new huge television deal with Fox is set to kick in next season.

The simple truth is, if you want to be able to compete with the power programs in college sports, you need the finances to back it up.

With the revenue increase, Oliver Luck would be able to stock up on all of the West Luckin Virginia t-shirts his heart desires.

Recruiting

Texas is annually the country’s top producer of upper-tier football recruits, and it’s an area that West Virginia would love to make inroads in.

West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen is very familiar with the Texas high school football scene from his time at Texas Tech and Houston and he’s already started to target a few recruits from down there.

The Mountaineers do well recruiting in the Mid-Atlantic region and snagging the occasional few recruits from Florida, but getting a foot in Big 12 country would be a big boost for the program.

Dana Holgorsen’s Offense

Dana Holgorsen’s Air Raid-style attack is starting to take shape at West Virginia and when it finally truly clicks, it’s going to be one of the most dangerous offenses in the country.

We saw Holgorsen have wild success with the offense at Oklahoma State last season, as the Cowboys finished second in the country in scoring offense and third in total offense.

It would be fun to see what Holgorsen’s offense could do going up against Big 12 competition again.