ESPN is reporting that a source with knowledge of the Big XII's expansion plans has stated that West Virginia is at the top of the conference's list of candidates to replace Mizzou should they leave for the SEC. In addition, the source said that BYU is a close second, followed by Louisville and Cincinnati.
Let's hope the Big XII committee doesn't have a bad taste in their mouths after watching WVU's implosion against Syracuse on Friday night. But realistically, one bad game shouldn't make a difference in conference expansion decisions. (Update: And, it would be a tad bit hypocritical to chastise WVU for their loss to Syracuse after the conference's highest ranked team, then #3 Oklahoma, lost to unranked Texas Tech.)
There have been rumblings of the Mountaineers jumping to every conference imaginable outside of the PAC 12, and all of those rumors were found to be heavy on wishful thinking and light on factual evidence. However, this is the first time a source with inside knowledge of the conference in question has spoken out. There is a very good possibility that WVU could get an invite within the next two or three weeks depending on Missouri's decision. As it stands now, Missouri has granted rights to their chancellor to make a move, and signs indicate that will happen soon.
A move by WVU to the Big XII could sound the death knell for the Big East as a football conference, as the league needs West Virginia's record of success to help retain its BCS AQ status. Additionally, if West Virginia makes a move before a team joins the Big East, they will only be responsible for a $5 million exit fee instead of $10 million.
Add to this news the fact that AD Oliver Luck nor President James Clements were present at the Syracuse game, and things get interesting. Who knows, maybe they were meeting to discuss the possibility should Missouri jump soon. One thing is for sure--if West Virginia gets an invite from the Big XII, Mountaineer fans will quickly forget that atrocious loss to the Orange.
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