Report: WVU To Replace Missouri In Big 12… After One More Season

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According to The New York Post, West Virginia will replace Missouri in the Big 12… after one more season with the Tigers in 2012-13:


“A source said the Big 12, by holding Missouri, might hold at 10 teams for next season and then consider a jump to 16 teams.  Louisville and Cincinnati are under consideration as well as Boise State and BYU.”


Earlier this month, Big 12 interim commissioner Chuck Neinas said that his league was set for next year and that Missouri wouldn’t leave for at least another year… if it left at all.

Last Friday, Missouri officials stated that any moves made in the coming days would be made with next season in mind. 

Yesterday, MU chancellor Brady Deaton did not withdraw his school from the Big 12 during a board of directors meeting (as some sources in Missouri had suggested). 

The Columbia Tribune reported last night that one school source indicated Monday was too soon “to work out several details with both the Big 12 and Southeastern Conference before formally completing the withdrawal process.”

Also, being tossed around the web is the fact that Georgia AD Greg McGarity said yesterday that the league almost has its 13-team schedule set and that it isn’t working on a 14-game plan.  Of course, for legal/stealth reasons, it’s unlikely anyone in the SEC would admit to considering 14 schools before a 14th school is actually announced.

So is it possible the SEC will play with 13 teams next year and that Missouri will be forced to go through one last Big 12 season?  Anything’s possible.

But the bottom line is money.  If MU has the cash to pay a big buyout fee, it would probably be pretty tough to keep them in the Big 12 against their will.  (It will be interesting to see if the Big East can really hold onto Pittsburgh and Syracuse until 2014, as it says it will.)

It could be that Deaton and SEC commissioner Mike Slive are figuring out just how much money Mizzou can expect to make over the next couple of years before the school decides to jump now or suffer through a farewell tour.

More than likely, Neinas’ comments were a negotiating ploy only.  We have been told by several people across the SEC that Missouri is expected to be in the league by next summer… right alongside Texas A&M.

Also, we’re not buying The New York Post story.  At all. 

Here’s why — some in the Big 12 would like to stay as small as a nine-team conference.  Others would like to stay at 10 or 12.  No one has said a word about 16 teams.

And if Texas is worried about losing influence — and it reportedly is — bringing in seven new voting members to the league wouldn’t be the school’s top priority.  Which matters because Texas still rules the Big 12 roost (along with Oklahoma).

In addition, one big reason to stay at nine or 10 schools is money.  It’s possible the Big 12 schools will make more money with a smaller league.  Would the addition of seven schools like BYU and Cincinnati and West Virginia really bring in enough money to keep everyone’s current payout the same?  Very doubtful.

Again, anything is possible when politics and money are involved, but we still believe Missouri will be playing in the SEC East next fall.  Any other development would be very, very surprising.

After all, Deaton said that he did not vote on any league matters at the Big 12 meeting yesterday and he left the room for “the last several hours” of the get-together. 

“We feel a great urgency to clarify (things) as quickly as possible,” Deaton said last night.  “It’s hard to put a timeframe on it.  Our hopes were days, possibly a week or two.  The sooner, the better.”

“Over the last two or three weeks, we’ve reached a firmness of where we’re headed, where we want to focus our attention.  Our head has to outweigh our heart in achieving some of our objectives because our heart might not lead us in the right direction for the University of Missouri.”

Still sounds like Missouri’s head is leading it to the SEC.