This could very well change the way many people think about WVU’s quest to collect the entire buyout it believes Product Rodriguez owes. Even if WVU wins and collects the $4 million, it’s going to take a significant hit in legal fees.

Macia said the rate West Virginia is being charged are from $175 to $245 per hour, depending on “the experience level of the attorney.”

Robon said between four and six lawyers for the university were present at each deposition.

I’ve already done the math for you … it’s a lot of money. Consider that President Mike Garrison’s deposition was 10 hours long with four lawyers on hand. Let’s go with the middle and say it’s a $210 rate. That’s $8,400 – for one day of a legal drama in its 189th day now.

Granted, the attorneys aren’t spending 10 hours every day on the case and there remains a chance Rodriguez will owe interest on the $4 million which today stands at either $50,400 or $151,200 — depending on if the judge says Rodriguez owes interest on the $1.3 million he did not pay when due Jan. 17 or the full sum WVU says Rodriguez never intended to pay. That could help offset legal fees.

Trouble is, the legal bill continues to grow with no end in sight. Rodriguez doesn’t want to settle and WVU doesn’t want anything less than $4 million. The sides are set to meet for court-ordered mediation Aug. 1, but with WVU more resolute now than ever and convinced it can disarm Rodriguez’s arguments, that seems like a formality and, in essence, a waste of money.

“The mediator has no power to make anyone do anything if they don’t want to,” Flaherty said. “Mediation has become an effective way to facilitate an agreement in disputes, but it is not binding at all.”