Oh $hit, here we go...http://content.usatoday.com/communi...y-rockefeller-joe-manchin-big-12-louisville/1 [h=2]West Virginia senators unhappy after Big 12 delays invitation[/h] Comments 24 By Erick Smith, USA TODAY Updated 2m ago West Virginia's U.S. senators are reacting to reports the Big 12 is considering Louisville as a replacement for Missouri after it appeared West Virginia was already accepted by the conference. Senator Joe Manchin is upset at the possibility that a colleague was invovled in the Big 12's decision to wait on inviting West Virginia to the conference. CAPTION By Alex Wong, Getty Images A story by The New York Times said Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky had intervened on Louisville's behalf with Oklahoma President David Boren, who was a U.S. senator from 1979 to 1994. The Times also said that Texas Tech chancellor, Kent Hance, a former congressman, confirmed McConnell called him to push Louisville.An expected news conference with West Virginia and Big 12 officials was delayed as the conference decides its next step. "The Big 12 picked WVU on the strength of its program -- period," Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia said in a statement. "Now the media reports that political games may upend that. That's just flat wrong. I am doing and will do whatever it takes to get us back to the merits." Joe Manchin, the other senator from West Virginia, said at a press conference Wednesday he was not accusing a senator from being involved, but that he would ask for an investigation if it was true. "If the story that we have been told has any merit to it, I've been very clear," Manchin said. "If somebody, a U.S. Senator would intervene after the process took place, that's wrong and it's unacceptable. And at that point in time if that happened, I will ask for a Senate investigation. I don't believe that that is the way that this game should be played." Manchin said he has not spoken to McConnell's office but understood his colleague being involved before the decision was made. "I would have expected Senator Mitch McConnell, on behalf of Louisville or any other school in Kentucky, to do everything he could to make sure that that school was looked at with the highest favor going through the process of evaluation," Manchin said. McConnell's spokesman, Robert Steurer, declined to comment and said the senator would have no comment. As governor of West Virginia, Manchin helped arrange for Marshall and West Virginia to play a seven-game footbal series that started in 2006. The schools had played
I say do what's best for the conferance drop Baylor or Iowa state and bring them both in. You could drop baylor for threatning to sue other big 12 schools.
Long term stability is 16 teams, not 12. With the Big 12's recent instability why should they wait for the SEC or Pac12 be the first conference to go to 16, heck they might get raided for the teams if one of the conferences do make the move. I say grab up the BYU's, Boise's, L'ville'ss, WV's, USF's and then see what the other conferences do. If they do draw a team or two, you then have 14 and in a better position to get back to 16. If they knock you down to ten from 12 or 8 from 10, the conference is in big trouble.
Go after some middle teams in established conferences to join. Invite Kentucky, GA Tech, Auburn, etc. It gives them a chance to win a division occassionaly and picks up some TV sets for the B12.
Yeah, Kentucky isn't trading being a doormat in the SEC for being a doormat in the Big 12 and less money. Auburn isn't leaving the SEC for a chance to win the division occasionally: they've gone undefeated twice in the last ten years. I think they're happy where they are.
16 teams has never worked for a conference. The Big East busted with their 8-and-8 model and the WAC, the first superconference with 16 teams, split with some forming the MWC because there were just too many d@mn teams.
Hmm... We have 9 right now, 8 with Mizzou gone... What about this? Screw conference realignment. Think conference alliance. Big 12 and Big east stay the same. Right now the Big East has 8 teams as well. Big 12 champion vs Big East Champion, with a guarantee that each team will play at least one from the other conference each year. Pseudo-16 team conference right there. Just a thought.
I say invite both Louisville and West Virginia, if Mizzou leaves then find a team to replace them. The conference needs to get back to 12 as a minimum.
Based on cheerleaders I'd go with Louisville. I just don't see what all the problem is. Invite both, it's not like we couldn't use them. With the name Big 12 do we really intend to stay at 10 forever?
OK, you boys stare at the female cheerleaders, for the fellow ladies here, I present: The mascots: I like him already: I suppose just holding up one finger with your thumb would be Tech/OSU hand sign infringement... and make you a big L-oser: I bet that costume gets to be 150 degrees... and it's a very buff bird: Those feet... look dirty. Eww. I hear that the student usually grows a beard just for this role: There have been two exceptions and a few years ago was one of them: Still, this is just kind of a weird getup unless its Halloween... which admittedly, it almost is: On the other hand, we're replacing an ugly cat: And the hospital orderlies: Awww, who are we kidding... we have no room to judge: Oh WAIT.. those two don't count. THIS does: ^^^undoubtedly the most kick arse mascot in all of college football