The Sock 'Em, Bust 'Em Board Because that's our custom

Consensus? Not much consensus

October 28, 2011 by Mike Casazza
A lot of unknowns and don’t-know-yet responses to questions on tonight’s conference call.

Pinch hit home run by Jared Hunt

by Mike Casazza

My colleague at the Daily Mail held the rope in a way that would make The Product smile and nailed the ins and outs of WVU’s move out of the Big East and into the Big 12 today.

If WVU has its way, and it’s going to try its damndest to have its way, the athletic teams will play in the Big 12 beginning next season.

WVU Board of Governors chairman Drew Payne confirmed Friday the university will be out of the conference by next July.

“We’ve resigned as of June, 30, 2012, and we’re accepted (in the Big 12) as of July 1, 2012,” Payne said Friday afternoon.

Payne said the departures of Pittsburgh and Syracuse changed the dynamic of the conference, undermining its viability.

He said that caused Texas Christian University, which was set to join the Big East next year, to withdraw its decision to join the Big East and head instead to the Big 12.

And that led to WVU, Louisville and the University of Connecticut to react and begin publicly displaying desire to head somewhere else as well.

“With everyone who’s left and who wants to leave, it’s not a viable football conference anymore,” Payne said. “It’s not what we were a part of as early as this year.”

A few other notes, including one we’re going to have to keep an eye on, after the jump.

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Insert four-letter word here

by Mike Casazza

WVU was accepted again into the Big 12 this morning. Expect something formal soon … the press release was in Stewart Hall Tuesday.

True story that won’t surprise you. TSA people made me turn off my phone in the security line at the airport. Never been asked that before.

Took 30 minutes. I turned my phone on when I got through — we were warned last night to be ready today — and I had multiple messages from my sources trying to tell me the news before my flight. All between 9:29 and 9:33.

On a scale of 1 to 10, my anger is a big 12.

The Friday Feedback …

by Mike Casazza

… will not be seen at this time. Internet issues at the house last night. Might have had something to do with throwing the router across the room. Not sure. I’ve got an early flight to Newark today, so there’s no time in the morning.

Then again, I don’t feel too bad. It occurred to me as I sat there stewing that about 80 percent of the week is moot. The second half of this week was devoted to the  Big 12 story and just about all of that was dedicated to the joining and then the wait-this-might-not-happen wrinkle. And I’m writing this this morning a little unnerved by some stuff (more detailed than anything) I heard last night.

Proof once again that everything happens at night, late Thursday the SEC “accidentally” announced Missouri’s membership — creative viral marketing, I wonder — about an hour after I was told WVU “should” know its fate today. Only educated guesses from me, but I just can’t see this falling completely apart for Luck and Clements. Not with the political rhetoric ramped up as it was yesterday.

Still I wonder, what if, for example, I did the F Double and by the time I landed in Newark this afternoon WVU is in the Big 12. Again. I really think this ends soon, but if it ends Tuesday, and the nightmare ends on Halloween, I’ll accept that symmetry. In any event, this is chaotic and it gets more bizarre the longer it goes on for everyone involved.

As a consolation, I offer you two things. First, a picture of the new baskets at the Coliseum. They made an order for the practice facility and said, “What the hey, it’s a good deal. Let’s get two for the games, too.” These, I’m told, are NBA style.

Lastly, how about Sen. Rockefeller exposing some true and heretofore thinly confirmed details?

“Frankly, made-up worries from the Big 12 about our airports are ridiculous,” Rockefeller said in the statement. “The Big 12 already made a decision in WVU’s favor with a full grasp of the details, including about our runways.

“Suddenly, Morgantown’s airport is a problem? I don’t buy it.”

Morgantown’s airport situation is similar to that of Lawrence, Kan., and Ames, Iowa, but this airport stuff does seem like complete nonsense. There’s no way everyone who needed to know about it beforehand wasn’t aware of it Tuesday night. And if that’s the case …

About Bob Huggins…

October 27, 2011 by Mike Casazza

Perhaps you’ve read today about Michael Beasley’s lawsuit against his former agent and an oh-by-the-way reference to, and perceived implication of, Bob Huggins. Specifically, a suggestion has been made Huggins took the Kansas State job and hired Dalonte Hill because Hill could bring Beasley to Manhattan, Kan.

This puts a black hat on Bob Huggins, but I don’t believe it fits.

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BREAKING: Chat scheduled for 11 a.m.

by Mike Casazza

It’s going gown at 11 a.m. No truth to the rumor C.L. Brown wanted the time slot. This is a done deal, damn the janitor. See you there.

The janitor is having a hearty laugh right now

October 26, 2011 by Mike Casazza

The train to the Midwest came off the tracks last night and there’s no other way to put this than to say it was unexpected and is unnerving inside of WVU. It’s not over and this might just be a strategic pause, especially if key members of the government have become involved, but it might also be the totally unforeseen end.

I’m at a loss to explain how what everyone told everyone was so imminent was so easily disrupted, but it is what it is right now. WVU was in, and I’m now told for certain regardless of Missouri’s decision, which means the obstacle is Louisville.

That Nov. 5 game ought to be quite festive.

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Now hear this

October 25, 2011 by Mike Casazza

At 9:37 Tuesday night, WVU released this statement:

“Contrary to media reports, there is no press conference scheduled for Wednesday concerning WVU’s athletic conference affiliation. There are no further comments at this time.”

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The Big 12 will be on campus tomorrow

by Mike Casazza

Break out your spurs and cowboy hats, everybody. Looks like this will be official very, very soon.

The Big 12’s Board of Directors had meeting Tuesday to detail the transition from Missouri to WVU, according to a Big 12 source. Officials from that conference will be on WVU’s campus Wednesday for a press conference to make an official announcement.

WVU could be subjected to the Big East’s exit fee and waiting 27 months before it can leave, but separate sources said the Big 12 and WVU both hope to have the Mountaineers in the conference for the 2012-13 athletic year.

WVU was part of the unanimous vote last week to increase the exit fee from $5 million to $10 million once the Big East added a school. However, WVU will only have to pay the original $5 million because no team has joined the Big East.

If the Big East announces an addition before WVU announces it will join the Big 12, WVU would have to pay $10 million, but a person close to the process said the university is confident that will not happen.

Let’s step lightly here

by Mike Casazza

(I think you can exhale. Much more detail and definitive confirmations coming on the website soon).

Though it appears extraordinarily likely WVU is headed to the Big 12, let’s allow ourselves an honest moment: Nothing is definitive until the press conference is over — and even then, I’d be inclined to exhale when the janitor puts the away the broom and turns out the lights. And pulls his key from the door and puts it in his pocket.

Nevertheless …

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