Big East Expansion: Loss of West Virginia Will Keep Big East from Expansion

The ongoing saga about whether or not West Virginia will leave the Big East for the Big 12 is officially over. On Friday, the Hartford Courant reported that the Mountaineers will leave the conference and join the Big 12.

The departure of the Mountaineers really spells doom for a conference that's just now grasping at straws. They are still a viable basketball conference, but their days as a BCS football conference are numbered.

As was reported by ESPN's Andrea Adelson, the big name that they are looking to draw in is Boise State. Let's start right there.

Aside from the obvious geographical problem with it, what sense would this make for Boise State?

The Big East can't hold anyone. Its best football team is leaving, as are Syracuse and Pittsburgh. Is it really a fair to assume that other teams are going to be sticking around? No.

Now, I can't prove that any other school is looking to leave, but I certainly wouldn't be looking to stay if I had anything to say on the matter. Who would?

I understand conference loyalty as a factor, I really do. But once other schools break that loyalty, what is there to keep you around?

Adelson's piece did shed a little bit of light on what the Big East is looking to do:

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The Big East is considering adding Houston, along with SMU and Central Florida for all sports, and Boise State, Navy and Air Force for football only. The league offers an automatic bid to the Bowl Championship Series, something that Conference USA does not.

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That sounds nice, but there isn't much appeal there. Joining the Big East would only be a temporary band-aid for these schools. I can't see this conference's automatic bid surviving, even with those additions.

Besides, even if they join, can they have any confidence that the schools currently in are going to stay?

No, the loss of West Virginia is just the latest move to signify that the teams in the Big East want nothing more than to get out. So, why would anyone else want to get in?