West Virginia AD Oliver Luck Equates Big 12 Transition to Divorce: It’s Expensive Because It’s Worth It
February 17, 2012 – 7:45 am by Eric Schmoldt

While some teams have been unable to orchestrate switching conferences due to buyouts and such, West Virginia announced this week that it settled a lawsuit with the Big East in order to make the move to the Big 12 this fall. Mountaineers athletic director Oliver Luck wouldn’t release the settlement numbers, but outlets have reported that it totaled $20 million.

See link for complete transcript of his interview:

http://sportsradiointerviews.com/2012/02...in-big-12/

I stopped reading here:

Quote:Talk about the long road trips for your team:

“They will be, but considering the alternative, quite honestly, if we remained where we were, we would’ve been more than likely in a western division. As you guys know, what the Big East has done, adding San Diego State and Boise and Houston and SMU, Memphis. We would be travelling even further. So I think you almost have to almost not compare to what was the case, but what the case was going to be.”

How incredibly weak is that? As it is, you have the five he mentioned, but UL and even UC would be picked for the west well before WVU.

(02-18-2012 11:10 AM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  I stopped reading here:

Quote:Talk about the long road trips for your team:

“They will be, but considering the alternative, quite honestly, if we remained where we were, we would’ve been more than likely in a western division. As you guys know, what the Big East has done, adding San Diego State and Boise and Houston and SMU, Memphis. We would be travelling even further. So I think you almost have to almost not compare to what was the case, but what the case was going to be.”

How incredibly weak is that? As it is, you have the five he mentioned, but UL and even UC would be picked for the west well before WVU.

You have to consider the source, BJunk.

Of course Gemini

(02-18-2012 11:10 AM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  I stopped reading here:

Quote:Talk about the long road trips for your team:

“They will be, but considering the alternative, quite honestly, if we remained where we were, we would’ve been more than likely in a western division. As you guys know, what the Big East has done, adding San Diego State and Boise and Houston and SMU, Memphis. We would be travelling even further. So I think you almost have to almost not compare to what was the case, but what the case was going to be.”

How incredibly weak is that? As it is, you have the five he mentioned, but UL and even UC would be picked for the west well before WVU.

Yeah...he focused solely on the FOOTBALL members that will be located in the West...and yes, most know that WVU would not be put in a WEST Football Division.

But gone will be the short road trips for most of their Olympic Sports road trips (mens and womens basketball, volleyball, etc...) as the nearest Big 12 school to Morgantown, WV will be Iowa State in Ames, Iowa.

(02-18-2012 11:29 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  Yeah...he focused solely on the FOOTBALL members that will be located in the West...and yes, most know that WVU would not be put in a WEST Football Division.

But gone will be the short road trips for most of their Olympic Sports road trips (mens and womens basketball, volleyball, etc...) as the nearest Big 12 school to Morgantown, WV will be Iowa State in Ames, Iowa.

This is kind of why I'd be a bit lukewarm on a B-12 invite, if it happened to come UC's way. If Missouri was still in, it would still be somewhat contiguous, and therefore more attractive.

All the recent moves are football driven. Anyways it's done so let's move on. I couldn't care less about Luck and WV once they move on.

It's not a matter of how far you travel. It's a matter of who your rivalries are with. Notre Dame & USC have a huge rivalry, but they have to travel to keep it up. Navy & SDSU have great potential for a rivalry in the NBE, yet no 2 schools could be farther apart.

I simply don't see a single Big 12 school with which WVU is likely to develop any sort of a meaningful rivalry with. There may be some good games. In fact, I'm sure there will be. But distance and cultural differences will always make WVU very different from the others.

Even this would be fine if the other 8 schools were in the same boat, but Kansas has KSU, OU has OSU & Texas, and all the Texas schools will be fighting it out due to close proximity. Even Iowa State & TCU have extensive histories with the rest of the conference. Unfortunately, even when WVU is really good, they're still going to elicit little more than a roll of the eyes from the schools they're so anxious to be in a conference with. OU & UT may worry about losing to WVU, but they're never going to get worked up about the actual rivalry.

Maybe WVU would've been as big a misfit in the NBE anyway, who's to say? With Pitt gone, they lost their last big rivalry, and the only remaining state flagships - UConn & Rutgers - couldn't be any different culturally from WVU. The other NBE schools, though far-flung in many cases, still have a natural affinity for one another. It's really a shame that WVU couldn't go to the ACC where they would have natural rivals, or an even bigger shame that their natural rivals wouldn't stay in the BE.

I suppose I don't blame them for wanting out. But I just don't see their Big 12 relationship becoming very meaningful. But time will tell. I no longer have a dog in this fight, so whether I'm right or wrong is immaterial.

I considered moving the thread to the B-XII area, but I couldn't help myself I can't stand His Awesomeness Ollie, but it's like a train wreck... what's he going to say next?

(02-18-2012 11:39 AM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  I considered moving the thread to the B-XII area, but I couldn't help myself I can't stand His Awesomeness Ollie, but it's like a train wreck... what's he going to say next?

Frankly, I don't remember him being this bad as the Houston Dynamo's President and CEO. He was actually decent during his tenure. Don't remember him running his mouth at all. Anyway, I think he's been trying to do his best Jim Irsay impression for months now.

that move to the Big 12 might look real bad in 5 years.

(02-18-2012 12:34 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  that move to the Big 12 might look real bad in 5 years.

Two words: The Orangebloods.

Ollie Schmuck at it again. What a d-bag.

What happens when you mix narcissism and a microphone.

(02-18-2012 12:52 PM)GeminiShamrock Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 12:34 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  that move to the Big 12 might look real bad in 5 years.

Two words: The Orangebloods.

bad things happen when Catholics and Texans get together.

ollie schmuck is about as low class a dirt bag there is in college sports. He would sell his own mother out if he thought he could benefit from it(then he would blame his mom for making him do it)

Agreed. I have nothing at all against WV or it's teams and fans. But this guy, and guys like him, are a big part of the problem. A lawyer, with a Veruca Salt attitude. Got turned down by the SEC and ACC, so almost destroyed the BE just to get to the B12 fast enough to save their TV contract... A contract or a signed agreement means nothing to a guy like OL. This is the kind of lawyer who represents the criminal who got injured breaking into your house... when the criminal sues the homeowner. Just a huge part of the problem... Que sera sera, glad we ended up better for it.

(02-18-2012 12:34 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  that move to the Big 12 might look real bad in 5 years.

No doubt. Road trips to Waco, Lubbock, Ok, Iowa, Kansas... will lose their magic very fast. Ugh. On the other hand, I can't wait to start hitting Memphis, Dallas, Houston, Orlando and even San Diego or Annapolis. What a difference. And say what you will about the BE being unstable, the B12 has been much closer to death TWICE in the last two years.

WV was making the occasional BCS bowl in the BE (usually via a BE 'tie'), but if they start to not make BCS bowls over the next 5-10 years... there may miss their 'glory' days. lol

Maybe a good move for WV in the short term, but easily could backfire. A big part will hinge on how stable and successful the NBE can become. The BE has been burned twice, will they learn enough to prevent a third time?

(02-18-2012 03:19 PM)Bull Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 12:34 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  that move to the Big 12 might look real bad in 5 years.

No doubt. Road trips to Waco, Lubbock, Ok, Iowa, Kansas... will lose their magic very fast. Ugh. On the other hand, I can't wait to start hitting Memphis, Dallas, Houston, Orlando and even San Diego or Annapolis. What a difference. And say what you will about the BE being unstable, the B12 has been much closer to death TWICE in the last two years.

WV was making the occasional BCS bowl in the BE (usually via a BE 'tie'), but if they start to not make BCS bowls over the next 5-10 years... there may miss their 'glory' days. lol

Maybe a good move for WV in the short term, but easily could backfire. A big part will hinge on how stable and successful the NBE can become. The BE has been burned twice, will they learn enough to prevent a third time?

Sounds like wv will be texas' bitc# when it comes to anything involving decisions about the big12. Plus look for texas and three other teams to bolt for the pac 16 in a couple years.

(02-18-2012 03:19 PM)Bull Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 12:34 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  that move to the Big 12 might look real bad in 5 years.

No doubt. Road trips to Waco, Lubbock, Ok, Iowa, Kansas... will lose their magic very fast. Ugh. On the other hand, I can't wait to start hitting Memphis, Dallas, Houston, Orlando and even San Diego or Annapolis. What a difference. And say what you will about the BE being unstable, the B12 has been much closer to death TWICE in the last two years.

WV was making the occasional BCS bowl in the BE (usually via a BE 'tie'), but if they start to not make BCS bowls over the next 5-10 years... there may miss their 'glory' days. lol

Maybe a good move for WV in the short term, but easily could backfire. A big part will hinge on how stable and successful the NBE can become. The BE has been burned twice, will they learn enough to prevent a third time?

i wasnt talking about the road trips. I was talking about the Big 12 going bye-bye as we currently know it.

(02-18-2012 03:39 PM)shocknawe Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 03:19 PM)Bull Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 12:34 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  that move to the Big 12 might look real bad in 5 years.

No doubt. Road trips to Waco, Lubbock, Ok, Iowa, Kansas... will lose their magic very fast. Ugh. On the other hand, I can't wait to start hitting Memphis, Dallas, Houston, Orlando and even San Diego or Annapolis. What a difference. And say what you will about the BE being unstable, the B12 has been much closer to death TWICE in the last two years.

WV was making the occasional BCS bowl in the BE (usually via a BE 'tie'), but if they start to not make BCS bowls over the next 5-10 years... there may miss their 'glory' days. lol

Maybe a good move for WV in the short term, but easily could backfire. A big part will hinge on how stable and successful the NBE can become. The BE has been burned twice, will they learn enough to prevent a third time?

Sounds like wv will be texas' bitc# when it comes to anything involving decisions about the big12. Plus look for texas and three other teams to bolt for the pac 16 in a couple years.

The UT/Pac12 stuff isnt ever gonna happen. DeLoss Dodds said as much last week.