Sports

West Virginia lined up to leave Big East for Big 12

The Big East Football Conference’s survival as a league with BCS automatic-qualifier status is about to take a serious hit because the Big 12 has lined up West Virginia to replace Missouri, The Post has learned.

The Big 12 held a board of directors meeting yesterday, and a source said the league’s plan is to hold on to Missouri, which wants to leave for the SEC, for one more year then replace it with West Virginia.

That would mean the Big East is losing a fourth FBS-playing member, leaving the league with five schools that play FBS football: Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Rutgers and South Florida.

The Big 12’s thinking, which could become more aggressive, forces the Big East to look at “Plan C” as it heads into its annual meeting of presidents and board of directors next Tuesday in Philadelphia.

Initially the league was hoping it could survive by inviting Air Force, Boise State, Central Florida, Houston, Navy and SMU. But if the league also must replace West Virginia along with Pittsburgh, Syracuse and TCU, the Big East must look at Temple and perhaps Army.

“Of all the schools the league has lost, from a football standpoint losing West Virginia would be the most damaging,” a source told The Post. “Despite what anyone says, that’s the program the league has hung its hat on.”

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.

The Big 12 released a statement last night which said, “a strong desire for the University of Missouri to maintain its Big 12 affiliation was expressed.” You can bet a lot of lawyers representing conferences, schools and TV networks are billing by the hour.

Mark Nordenberg, the president of Pitt who stabbed Big East commissioner John Marinatto in the back by taking his school to the ACC, may have served one useful purpose: He helped craft the legislation that requires a 27-month stay for teams leaving the Big East for another conference.

It is that legislation, and the firm stance Marinatto has taken since Pitt and Syracuse announced their move to the ACC, which could prevent West Virginia from leaving next season. Marinatto has been adamant about not allowing any outgoing member to negotiate that exit window.

Of course, the Big East faces a bigger problem. If Louisville, Pitt, Syracuse and West Virginia are all headed elsewhere, whether it be in one or two years, Big East Football Conference would probably collapse, leaving the exit penalties moot.

The league is one of six that has AQ status, meaning the league champ gets an automatic berth in the lucrative BCS pool. Without AQ status, the Big East loses all leverage.