Wow - apparently all this is for 2012 (both Mizzou's exit and WVU's addition). Official statement from Big 12: http://www.big12sports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10410&ATCLID=205323383
http://blog.syracuse.com/orangefootball/2011/10/west_virginia_big_east_big_12.html 21 million per school to leave the Big East early, according to more unnamed sources.
ChuckCarltonDMN Chuck Carlton Big 12 scenario: Ten teams now, hoping Notre Dame moves non-football sports from Big East. If Irish come, Louisville could be back in mix.
Having talked to some Big East people, they seem to think Notre Dame's non-football affiliation is more of a curse than a blessing. Granted, ND is obligated to play some of their teams each year... but on the whole, they hate the fact that Notre Dame basically gets to steal some of their bowl games and not put anything back in. etc. Notre Dame would end up getting the better end of that deal in the Big 12. I'm not sure if it's worth it, really. Also, not sure what their non-football sports has to do with Louisville...
ChuckCarltonDMN Chuck Carlton RT @jaredwv: #WVU to send initial $2.5M exit fee payment to Big East by end of business today; remainder should follow by June 30 departure.
Anybody know when Mizzou's jump to the SEC will become official? How long does it take to haggle over exit fees?
If it's like A&M's process(which it shouldn't), this could be awhile. I think within the next month, likely way sooner, Mizzou-to-the-SEC happens. If that accidental article on the SEC website is any indication, perhaps very soon. Talking exit fees, it's been speculated but I dont even think A&M has agreed to that yet or I may have missed it.
Do they work in the BE office? How does that commissioner still have a job, while Beebe got seemingly tossed out overnight? Beebe got the B12 a huge tv contract, while the BE turned down their contract which seemed like it contributed to the current state. Yet the guy with the much weaker conference is still employed.
If Boise State doesn't move to the Big East, and it doesn't look like they are in a hurry to make a decision, then I think SMU and UH should just stay in C-USA and be a part of the new mega-conference when C-USA and the Mountain West join forces. I think the new mega-conference may be better than what will be left of the Big East, at least in football. I hate all these crazy conferences. The NCAA and all the schools need to start from scratch and put everything back together again where it makes some sense. All Conferences need to be balanced in a way that has schools grouped by region. All Conferences should be balanced with a mixture of large state schools and smaller state and private schools. A playoff system that gives all schools a chance at a championship would be immensely popular and would produce TV ratings like college football has never seen. The Bowls could probably be part of the playoff system. Is that so hard? I guess the only thing holding all this up is how to divide up the money. Doesn't anyone care about the fans?
I'm not sure LSU vs. McNees st is going to to generate better rattings than LSU vs. Florida. Almost every conference gets way less interesting. Ohio St vs. Toledo. Could go on forever.
I just don't get the Big 9101112. Adding WVU along with Louisville and Houston would make so much sense. You'd be back to 12 teams and you'd get your conference title game. You'd have a deep conference with good basketball and football.
As this realignment has demonstrated, college football is incredibly entangled in politics (i.e. the WVa and Louisville senators). I imagine the only way a massive restructuring would occur is if revenues decrease dramatically. In its current state, college football is ridiculously profitable and will continue to be so.
But you see, LSU wouldn't play a McNees St. type team every week. LSU plays Northwestern State and Western Kentucky this year, and almost all the big schools play the small schools as part of their non-conference schedule already. Ohio State plays both Akron and Toledo this year.
The natural problem is who is the odd man out between the 5 Texas schools and 2 Oklahoma schools? You'd need one to play in the "north" division.
