Register Hearld ran story about WVU. About how the move to the Big 12 is being question. Was it really worth the cost? Some people seriously wonder. They fear it’s going to get a lot worse.

LINK

I see the Register-Herald is based in Beckley, WVA. Is that a daily newspaper?

Yes, yes it was.

A seat at a very small table (P5) is still a seat at the table. Should they move to another P5 conference that makes more sense for them they would be more palatable than if they were still in the AAC.

Tough to say as a fan of an AAC school but perception is reality in the CFB world of today.

I would love to have the SEC fix this problem for WVU...

The B12 really needs to end the silliness and throw wvu a bone (although wvu knew what they signed up for). Cincy, Ecu, Memphis, Ucf, Usf, Uconn? All have high enough ceilings to be made into B12 caliber progams. Although I really wouldn't want to be one of those two left out. I'd suspect they leave wvu on the island though.

i don't think you can blame them for leaving given the conditions at the time.

wvu sold it soul to get into the b12 because they were in a major jam. their only other option at the time was to stay in the big east.

with that being said: every single rationale says they need to be in the ACC. every alumni, student body, television, & recruiting demographic says so. on top of that the acc is where most of their rivals are.

Honestly I think WV fits. Better SEC for academics, fan base, athletic mentality, etc. I know many ACC fans in nc look down their noses at wv.

(03-20-2014 12:25 PM)ncbeta Wrote:  Honestly I think WV fits. Better SEC for academics, fan base, athletic mentality, etc. I know many ACC fans in nc look down their noses at wv.

wvu fits the acc model better imo because their alumni is based largely in PA, NY, MD & VA

none of which are an SEC state

Without reading the article (can't at the moment), it depends on what the question is. Are they better off in the Big XII than in the Old Big East? That can be a debatable question. Are the worse off in the Big XII then they would be had they stayed, meaning in the AAC? An AAC that might be not only without Syracuse, Pitt, Rutgers, Louisville, Notre Dame, and the C7, but seeing as how someone would have likely taken their place, they would be in the AAC without either UConn or Cincinnati (one of those two or Louisville would have gone to the Big XII, and one of UConn or Cincinnati likely would have gone to the ACC. That is not a debatable question.

The only way it is debatable is if staying meant they would have instead gone to the ACC (as likely Louisville would be in the Big XII). But even then, as there seems to be some serious bitterness toward them for reasons that predate things I know, I am not even sure that would have happened.

(03-20-2014 12:20 PM)ncbeta Wrote:  The B12 really needs to end the silliness and throw wvu a bone (although wvu knew what they signed up for). Cincy, Ecu, Memphis, Ucf, Usf, Uconn? All have high enough ceilings to be made into B12 caliber progams. Although I really wouldn't want to be one of those two left out. I'd suspect they leave wvu on the island though.

A bone isn't going to fix this problem and West Virginia wouldn't make the SEC enough money to be worth the trips. Their natural fit would be in the ACC with Pitt, Louisville, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, etc. That would fix their travel issues, given them back their natural rivals, and hold the interest of their fan base who will grow tired of trying to make rivals out of Texas and Oklahoma.

I agree that they had to have a seat at the P5 table because the downside of staying in the AAC would have been much more costly. But long term the Big 12 is not their solution, and with the exception of Kentucky and Tennessee neither is the SEC. And if they remain in a deficit situation in the Big 12 eventually their athletic department will have to freeze or reduce salaries and expenses and when that happens the resulting decline will take a decade or longer to recover from if they are ever able to operate in the black again.

The worry about expenses appears to be exaggerated. WVU's athletics revenue is very high. They have large expenses owing to busting out of the Big East and having to wait a few years until they're phased in to a full revenue share in the Big 12, but those should be taken care of within a few years.

(03-20-2014 12:27 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  Without reading the article (can't at the moment), it depends on what the question is. Are they better off in the Big XII than in the Old Big East? That can be a debatable question. Are the worse off in the Big XII then they would be had they stayed, meaning in the AAC? An AAC that might be not only without Syracuse, Pitt, Rutgers, Louisville, Notre Dame, and the C7, but seeing as how someone would have likely taken their place, they would be in the AAC without either UConn or Cincinnati (one of those two or Louisville would have gone to the Big XII, and one of UConn or Cincinnati likely would have gone to the ACC. That is not a debatable question.

The only way it is debatable is if staying meant they would have instead gone to the ACC (as likely Louisville would be in the Big XII). But even then, as there seems to be some serious bitterness toward them for reasons that predate things I know, I am not even sure that would have happened.

Agree with this.

The B12 is not the best place for WVU but what were they going to do? The risk of getting left in the AAC n the off chance that all of a sudden the ACC would do a 180 on their attitude toward WVU just isnt smart.

They took the available life preserver to save themselves over waiting to see if a luxury speed boat would show up instead to provide a better escape from the sinking ship.

remember colorado.......COLORADO was too much of an outlier for the b12........

(03-20-2014 12:33 PM)Wedge Wrote:  The worry about expenses appears to be exaggerated. WVU's athletics revenue is very high. They have large expenses owing to busting out of the Big East and having to wait a few years until they're phased in to a full revenue share in the Big 12, but those should be taken care of within a few years.

Wedge I think a lot of what you are saying is true, but it is not the whole picture. Travel will only go up in costs and for non revenue sports that's a killer. Since most games are at great distance that takes your traveling crowd down and the travelling crowd is much more likely to be comprised of donors and significant supporters who will grow weary. And it has gone grossly under evaluated the toll that having no traditional rivals will take upon the WVU fan base a whole. No Pitt, no Maryland, no Virginia Tech, no Louisville, no Syracuse, in other words no neighbors to chide after a victory, no close games to drive to, no passion. I think those factors haven't been weighed seriously enough.

Yes when they get a full share it will help, but it still won't be what most of their fans would like, even though their pride won't let them admit it publicly. The Old Big East was perfect for them. Now that a significant portion of those schools are in the ACC I do believe that is their best fit.

Colorado is an outlier because of Boulder.

(03-20-2014 12:53 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(03-20-2014 12:33 PM)Wedge Wrote:  The worry about expenses appears to be exaggerated. WVU's athletics revenue is very high. They have large expenses owing to busting out of the Big East and having to wait a few years until they're phased in to a full revenue share in the Big 12, but those should be taken care of within a few years.

Wedge I think a lot of what you are saying is true, but it is not the whole picture. Travel will only go up in costs and for non revenue sports that's a killer. Since most games are at great distance that takes your traveling crowd down and the travelling crowd is much more likely to be comprised of donors and significant supporters who will grow weary. And it has gone grossly under evaluated the toll that having no traditional rivals will take upon the WVU fan base a whole. No Pitt, no Maryland, no Virginia Tech, no Louisville, no Syracuse, in other words no neighbors to chide after a victory, no close games to drive to, no passion. I think those factors haven't been weighed seriously enough.

Yes when they get a full share it will help, but it still won't be what most of their fans would like, even though their pride won't let them admit it publicly. The Old Big East was perfect for them. Now that a significant portion of those schools are in the ACC I do believe that is their best fit.

i remember during the b12/fsu debate i researched this

FSU would of seen AT LEAST a $3 million travel increase per year <== and that was a low balled and very conservative estimate.

remember that these programs spend millions each year on travel cost alone and we are talking about realignment moves that double sometimes even triple the travel distance. you have to factor in non revenue sports, band members, etc.

Colorado had to pay the full travel costs for students going to LA for the pac12 tourny because they knew that they wouldn't have a strong showing unless they did.

(03-20-2014 12:53 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  Colorado is an outlier because of Boulder.

or the fact that their recruiting, alumni, & student demographics were all aligned with the pac12 more than the b12.

Of course it was worth it. Would they rather be where UConn is?

All the old Big East schools were better off in the Big East, of course, if the Big East is still a Cartel league. But no honor among thieves, etc. (Self-serving exception: Rutgers, which really does fit the B1G.)

(03-20-2014 01:22 PM)justinslot Wrote:  Of course it was worth it. Would they rather be where UConn is?

All the old Big East schools were better off in the Big East, of course, if the Big East is still a Cartel league. But no honor among thieves, etc. (Self-serving exception: Rutgers, which really does fit the B1G.)

difference between wvu & uconn is that wvu had a chance for an acc invite had they not locked themselves into the b12.

(03-20-2014 12:59 PM)john01992 Wrote:  

(03-20-2014 12:53 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  Colorado is an outlier because of Boulder.

or the fact that their recruiting, alumni, & student demographics were all aligned with the pac12 more than the b12.

Which goes back to being in Boulder. If CU was in other parts of Colorado it would have been more Big 12 aligned.