Expansion, BCS Signs of Major Flaw

When Syracuse and Pittsburgh jumped ship to the ACC last month, the popular opinion was that West Virginia would follow suit.  Maybe they wouldn't join the ACC, but WVU certainly wouldn't remain in the wounded Big East.  After all they were the "Beast of the East," and the only school in the conference with significant BCS victories. On a list of Big East teams with the best fan base, on-the-field success, game-day atmosphere, and Big East championships, West Virginia is at the top. Simply put, if any sort of conference realignment trouble were to surface, West Virginia, king and almighty ruler of the Big East, could have it's picking. There was no room for concern, just overconfidence.

And like clockwork that line of logic was validated. Twitter, Facebook, and blogs everywhere exploded with the news: WVU to the SEC. Even D'Sean Butler jumped in with the #WVUtoSEC hash tag. Mountaineer nation rejoiced. All was right in Morgantown.

But the jubilation died quickly when respectable media outlets failed to deliver the story. Days passed without further news and soon the word "rumor" crept into the picture. Fans grew impatient. Sources that once claimed the move was a "done deal" were now backpedaling and stalling. The announcement would happen "by the end of the week" or "by next weekend at the latest."  There was a collective sigh from Mountaineer fans. Would somebody go ahead and break the story already? It was obvious that WVU was headed south to greener pastures--what was the hold up?

Then the storm clouds rolled in.

Reports surfaced that WVU had been rejected by both the ACC and SEC conferences.  Speculation arose that it was academics or TV markets. Those reports were later denied by WVU officials, but the damage was done. The silence that followed was deafening. Mountaineer fans scratched their collective heads. Was it really possible that teams like PITT and Syracuse were getting invites and WVU couldn't buy one? Was there really more to this expansion business that athletic success and fan support? After all, when was the last time Pittsburgh or Syracuse filled their stadiums or took a trip to a BCS bowl?

Source: Orlando Post

West Virginians, used to being counted out and overlooked, didn't give up. They have continued to express support for their University, and reiterate why it would be a good fit in the Big 12 or SEC. But some fans have questioned WVU's leadership, specifically that of athletic director Oliver Luck. Always the business man, fans believed Luck would have WVU on the quickest train out of the Big East at first sign of trouble. And believe us when we say he would have, if he could have. And he's still trying, but the ballgame is really out of his hands.

Don't blame the administration, blame the system--one that favors numbers and markets and money over passion, support, and success. If the ACC or SEC had been looking for the best program available, West Virginia would have been the first to go. But it's not about that. It's about money. This blunder is not the fault of West Virginia University's administration. It's not even the fault of the SEC or the ACC. It's the fault of a college football system that lacks regulation.

There is no leadership, and there is no control. There are only conferences and money-hungry executives. They don't care about football teams or scores. They care about bank accounts and TV deals. But this conference realignment mess, with its disregard for regional rivalries, history, and on-the-field success, isn't the only product of a flawed system. And it isn't the worst either.

The same problems we're seeing with realignment exist in the BCS system. The BCS wasn't created with the game of football in mind, it was created with money in mind. Period. You can make whatever argument you want for the BCS, like that it preserves traditional bowl games or that it's easier on the student athlete. But after seeing this conference expansion madness, it's perfectly clear that the dollar is driving these decisions. Tradition be damned.

What we're witnessing with the BCS and conference expansion are the symptoms of a sickness in college football caused by a lack of regulatory control. No one, not even the NCAA, can regulate the post season or conference realignment. This isn't the NFL.

This is the Wild West of sports. It's the United States with no federal government. Every man for himself. And there's no one to stand up for the good of the whole.

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Reports: TCU to Big 12, Air Force thinking Big East

TCU officials are scheduled to meet later today and make an announcement this evening on whether or not to accept an invitation to become a member of the Big 12 conference. TCU was scheduled to join the Big East in 2012, but with recent defections to the ACC by members Syracuse and Pittsburgh, the conference is quickly losing stability as a football conference. Many believe that the TCU meeting is no more than a formality, and that the move to the Big 12 is a foregone conclusion.

If the TCU move becomes official later today, it could set off another round of expansion chaos as the Big East struggles to survive. Although the Big East commissioner has been granted permission to "aggressively pursue discussions" with other schools, no invitations have been extended. East Carolina publicly submitted an application to join the Big East, but the school is not believed to be high on the conference's list of choices. Several schools including Navy, Air Force, Central Florida, Temple, Houston, and Southern Methodist have been listed as possible targets by the Big East. It's likely that the TCU departure would force the Big East to push the panic button and start handing out invitations.

Hans Mueh, the athletic director at Air Force, recently told the Denver Post that his school is very interested in the Big East with hopes that the other service academies, Army and Navy, will also join. Several sources including NBC Sports and Boston Globe reported that the Big East is also considering the addition of Boise State for football only. Both schools are an odd fit geographically, with Air Force located in Colorado Springs and Boise State in Idaho. More than 2,000 miles separate Boise State from Big East schools Rutgers, Connecticut, and South Florida.

Regardless of the TCU decision, the Big 12 conference may be looking to add even more members. No one is certain if the Big 12, currently at nine members, is aiming for ten or twelve schools. Add in the fact that Big 12 member Missouri is currently discussing their conference alignment options, and heads begin to swirl at the interconnected nature of this realignment business. Missouri has publicly stated in the past that they prefer the Big Ten conference, but the school was spurned last year when the Big Ten added Nebraska and Colorado. If they wish to leave the Big 12, it appears Mizzou will need to pursue the 14th spot in the SEC that opened up when the conference added Texas A&M in late September. Big East schools Louisville and West Virginia were also reportedly hoping for that opening, but many speculate that Missouri is higher on the list. Regardless, SEC commissioner Mike Slive has stated that he sees no problem remaining at thirteen members for the 2012 season.

What does all of this mean for West Virginia? It means that WVU could end up in any number of conferences by the time the dust settles, and guessing where they land is like playing roulette. The most likely destinations appear to be the Big 12 or a reconfigured Big East, with glimmers of hope for a spot in the SEC. It all depends on timing and how many teams the power conferences decide to add. It's a waiting game of sorts, and right now all eyes are on TCU and Missouri.