Big East Expansion: Why Blocking West Virginia Is the Big East's Only Play

Just when you thought you figured everything out, it all changes. This team is supposed to leave for this conference, but instead another team does. That conference is supposed to do this, but they do the complete opposite. 

Welcome to the college football conference realignment.

The Big East is a mess as we all know and it appears that it's going to get a lot messier as time goes by. West Virginia was looking to leave the conference as Pittsburgh and Syracuse did a couple months ago, but the Mountaineers won't be let off the hook that easy.

West Virginia is looking to leave for the Big 12, but the Big East is fighting back as they know this is really their only option.

After the Mountaineers tried to sue the Big East claiming breach of contract should nullify the 27-month waiting period every team must obey in order to leave the conference. West Virginia is doing this to try and become members of the Big 12 by the time football season comes around again in 2012.

The Big East is filing their own lawsuit against West Virginia asking that the University obey the conference's bylaws and remain a member until June 2014.

"Today's legal action underscores the Big East Conference's stated position that it will vigorously pursue the enforcement of its rights and West Virginia University's obligations under the conference's Bylaws which West Virginia formally agreed to and helped construct," commissioner John Marinatto said in a statement.

This is really all the Big East can do.

It's bad enough Syracuse and Pittsburgh left for the ACC, you can't possibly let the top remaining team in your conference leave as well. At least not that easy.

Once the Mountaineers leave the conference, the Big East will only have five remaining football teams in their conference. The Big East has extended invitations to other schools including Boise State, but we have yet to hear anything from anybody.

Maybe the Big East gets back on their feet and gets enough quality teams to become respectable again or maybe they don't.

This conference is as desperate as they come right now and the only thing they can do is try and keep West Virginia around just a little longer.

Will it work, who knows?

But the Big East doesn't have many other options at this point.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]

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