Here’s today’s story on yesterday’s news and, in truth, it doesn’t really tell much more than what we already knew or have since learned here. Basically, WVU is going to send out a specific, and yet undetermined, RFP for its multimedia rights that don’t belong to the Big 12 come July 1.

What’s noteworthy, perhaps, is that WVU, Michigan State and Illinois are the only BCS conference schools that handle its multimedia business in house. Illinois is on the way out, either to IMG College or Learfield, and the industry buzz is Michigan State, which already received a little outside help, may soon follow.

So the question then becomes one in which you ask if that very small group is doing it wrong or are all the others doing it wrong?

Add to that this: The other nine Big 12 schools are Learfield or IMG College clients. I have to think WVU wants to enter the new league and be seen both inside and outside the conference as up to speed and on par with everyone else.

Along that line of thinking, understand that in September WVU secured consulting services of Rockbridge Sports Group. The plan then was to evaluate what WVU “had” and then whether it was a good idea to welcome in an outside firm. And here we are. And where we are is somewhere the Mike Garrison administration wanted to be at years ago. The Mountaineers will be shopped.

WVU has a lot to offer out of the third-tier package: television rights to football and basketball games that don’t go to ESPN/ABC or Fox, plus television rights to all the other WVU sports. There is also full radio rights, coaches’ shows, online broadcasts and whatever might go on a specific website. On top of that, a firm would also buy the rights so it could sell advertising and sponsorships wherever else it has its fingerprints.

Given all of that in conjunction with WVU’s move to the Big 12 and its identity as the easternmost school in the league, to say nothing of being one of the last of its kind, there might be a nice price tag attached.

North Carolina State recently signed a 10-year, $49 million deal with Learfield. I’ve been told WVU can expect at least that, if it writes an RFP for a similar deal.

We really don’t know where this is going until we see the RFP. WVU can pick and choose what it wants to outsource and that means all is not lost for the Mountaineer Sports Network or West Virginia Radio Corp. If WVU wants to unload its marketing and/or licensing rights, the multimedia wouldn’t be touched.

The RFP could be written in a way to continue to involve MSN, though that would seem unlikely because one reason a firm is brought in is to do production work. WVU could also seek to involve WVRC, though that could also be unlikely and for the same reasons. Basically, to come from the outside in means to bring the outside inside. Firms are going to have and probably be granted their preferences.