Big 12 Expansion: West Virginia Is a Perfect Fit for Rebuilding Conference

As the Big 12 continues to look for schools to replace teams that left or are expected to leave the conference, West Virginia is the perfect replacement. The Mountaineers not only give you a solid football program but a solid basketball program as well.  The addition also opens the door for other schools that may not be in the region to be interested.

West Virginia accepted the Big 12’s offer to join their conference on Friday.

We can just forget about the Big East Conference because it is virtually in a downward spiral. First they lost Syracuse and Pittsburgh and now they are losing West Virginia—it’s not going to stop there, either. Expect others to follow suit, leaving the Big East with virtually nothing to put their hat on.

The Big 12 is doing whatever they can to stay intact. Whether or not they make it back to how they were remains to be seen, but bringing in West Virginia will help the transition go smoother.

West Virginia is highly respected in the college realm. "We are excited to add West Virginia to our exceptional lineup of Conference members," said Big 12 Interim Commissioner Chuck Neinas. "They bring an excellent overall athletic program to the Big 12 and allow the league to expand into an area that boasts a passionate group of fans and alumni throughout its region."

The Mountaineers are excited about the opportunity. "The Big 12 is a perfect fit for West Virginia University," said WVU President James Clements. "It is a strong conference that, like WVU, values quality academic and athletic programs, and has a great tradition of success. This is a very exciting time for WVU and Mountaineer nation. I am confident that the future of WVU athletics has never been more promising.”

West Virginia bettered themselves by getting out of the hole that was the Big East, but they are bettering the Big 12 because the addition opens to the door for other schools from around the country to be interested.

It was a win-win situation for both parties.