You can decide if it’s a busted myth or not. Whatever the case, the trigger was last week’s piece that WVU has a negative impact on attendance at road games.

This led to a logical conclusion: Realignment will do that to a team like WVU. A new conference will lead to fewer travel parties and shrinking masses of supporters in the fans, but it will also put a team like WVU in the company of schools that are closely bunched and can thus expect to see their fans make manageable trips to road games.

There’s nothing wrong with that, even if it doesn’t make any sense of Iowa State being 3.9 percent better than the Mountaineers. Anyhow, I said it was the total opposite of what was bragged about, advertised and expected upon the move to the Big 12, which is true, though perhaps a touch unfair without context and comparison.

I give you context and comparison. Thanks to VividSeats.com, here are the 2014 numbers for teams that have recently moved to a major conference.

ACC
Louisville (formerly The American) – plus 18.8 percent, seventh-best figure in the league
Syracuse (formerly Big East) – plus 17.7 percent, eighth-best figure in the league
Pitt 15.2 (formerly Big East) – plus 15.2 percent, ninth-best figure in the league

Big 12
TCU (formerly Mountain West) – plus 9.8 percent, fourth-best figure in the league

Big Ten
Nebraska (formerly Big 12 ) – plus 58.8 percent, fourth-best figure in the league
Maryland (formerly ACC ) – minus 6.6 percent, fourth-worst figure in the league
Rutgers (formerly The American) – minus 24.5 percent, worst figure in the league

Pac-12
Utah (formerly Mountain West) – minus 22.8 percent, second-worst figure in the league
Colorado (formerly Big 12) – minus 27.9 percent, worst figure in the league

SEC
Texas A&M (formerly Big 12) – plus 77. 1 percent, sixth-best figure in the league
Missouri (formerly Big 12)  – plus 21.5 percent, fifth-worst figure in the league

I don’t think that ends any discussion on the topic. It probably begins new ones.

That said, you can agree the Big 12 lost a lot to expansion and that WVU and TCU haven’t satisfied the appetite lost. TCU’s figure is the fourth best inthe Big 12. the average figure for the fourth-best in the other four leagues is plus 57.8 percent.

Then again, let’s defend the Horned Frogs. They have a small fan and alumni base because enrollment is so small and because their success is, relatively speaking, within a brief period of time. It’s a small number, especially given TCU’s proximity, but it’s actually pretty healthy.

As for WVU, no one has to go farther for road games, so take the figure for what it’s worth.

The SEC is the outlier here. It’s football mad, but it also has a scheduling benefit with 14 teams and eight games. There are one or two “Oh!” road games ever year that don’t come around every other season. those are both factors there and, oh yeah, the teams are very good and mostly very conducive to road trips.

Texas A&M has been great for the SEC, but Missouri looks to have made the most of an excellent 2013 season.

The Big Ten and Pac-12 have odd schedules, too, but they don’t have the fervent fan bases or the roster of storied and historic programs. Nebraska fans are legendary travelers, and people are going to need time to wrap their arms around Maryland and Rutgers. I’m also surprised Utah’s number is so low, though the team’s struggles have dampened the excitement.

And finally, I simply can’t explain the ACC figures. Louisville? OK. First season in the ACC. Very nice program coming of two great seasons. But Syracuse and Pitt? Your guess is better than mine.