In a cozy existence in a nine-team Big East, WVU would play eight league games every year and four each on the road and at home. That leaves four spots to fill every year and two would be BCS opponents, one home and one away. 

Do the math and that’s five home games. WVU wants seven home games, meaning the two remaining vacancies have to be at Mountaineer Field. One would be a Football Championship Subdivision team for a season-opener. One would be a second one-time “guarantee” game, though from the Football Bowl Subdivision — think UNLV or Bowling Green.

That, of course, will make it very difficult to schedule Marshall. And remember, too, WVU has a six-game, home-and-home series with East Carlolina from 2013-18 … and the Thundering Herd and Pirates play in the same league.

There are ways to massage that situation, like playing one BCS league team, but that takes away from the stated goal of crafting a national championship-level schedule.

And as much as all of that might make Mike Parsons and Oliver Luck’s heads hurt, it doesn’t even account for the still-real possibility the Big East adds a 10th team and introduces a nine-game Big East schedule. That would have WVU playing five games at home one year and five on the road the next, all while still trying to get seven of those $2 million-a-date home games.

Any way you look at it, there are some hurdles WVU will have to clear. And don’t worry: WVU is already looking at it.