College Football: Will West Virginia and the Big East Reconcile?

West Virginia openly wants out of the Big East Conference.  They've accepted an offer to join the Big 12. 

They've claimed the Big East has caused them fiduciary damage by not maintaining a balance between the football and basketball members.

They've claimed the Big East has already agreed to their withdrawal by accepting a partial payment for the $5 million exit fee the Big East requires.

Big East Commissioner John Marinatto says these claims are false.

On Monday West Virginia sued the Big East.  On Friday the  Big East sued West Virginia.

Can these two parties reconcile their relationship?

The Big East Football Conference, without West Virginia, will be down to five teams (Rutgers, Louisville, Cincinnati, South Florida, and Connecticut) and their plan is to add six teams (Boise State, Air Force, SMU, Houston, Navy, and Central Florida) as soon as they can.

They are going to need a 12th team so they can stage a conference championship game..  Will it be their old buddy West Virginia?

The Big 12 has told the Mountaineers that they want them but they don't want to wait.  They want them now! 

West Virginia isn't going to be able to join in time for the 2012 season unless they win their suit against the Big East or make a settlement.

Maybe it's best for West Virginia do a 180.  Maybe it's best for both parties to reconcile their problems and sign a new long agreement that will keep West Virginia in the Big East for the long term.

Why Would WVU Want to Reconcile with the Big East?

There are many reasons that West Virginia would want to reconcile with the Big East:

One reason is that when the Big East puts together 12 teams their are reports that they are going to get the big television contract for which they've been seeking.

Ralph Russo in Bloomberg Buisnessweek writes "If the Big East can stay together, riches await".  He likes the big markets (Houston, Dallas, and Orlando) they are going after and believes that being the last major conference  looking for a television contract will attract more buyers.

A second reason is West Virginia, which has dominated the Big East football conference, will have a much easier time getting to a BCS game, or the BCS National Championship Game as a member of the Big East than as a member of the Big 12.

In the Big 12 they would have to bump heads with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and four or five other tough outs each season.

A third reason is the stability of the Big 12, or lack of.  They call themselves the Big 12 but they don't know if they have nine or 10 teams. 

They don't know if Missouri is staying or going and they don't know if the Pac 12 is still courting Texas and Oklahoma.

Another reason is WVU will always be the new kid on the block:

The great Joe Paterno has never gotten the respect he deserves by the other athletic directors in the Big Ten.  They still consider Penn State as a newcomer.  That finally might change a little with the entrance of Nebraska.

These are four good reasons but what about just plain familiarity?  They do have some long-standing rivalries with the five teams mentioned earlier.

Is a Reconciliation Realistic at this Time?

Is a reconciliation realistic after all the turmoil and bad feelings over the last couple of weeks?

It's probably not going to happen but when finances and deadlines come into play the parties involved can sometimes find some convenient reasons to shake hands, make up, and explain to the press how much they admire each other.

It's not that difficult to imagine WVU's President James Clements, their AD Oliver Luck, and the Big East's Marinatto on a podium explaining how "it was all a misunderstanding".