Listen, Most Of Us Are Proud To Be In The Big 12.....

[LowFatMilk]

....it's obviously better than not being in a Power 5 conference.

Still, do most of us still believe it's really the ideal (Power 5) conference for our school?

-----------------

I certainly expect the typical 'cutting off the nose to spite the face' (a West Virginian trait by the way) comments regarding the ACC... ...but I believe that would have been the best fit for WVU.

 

[wbgvwbgv]

It is better than being in the AAC or the ACC, and the SEC & B10 went with the Universities from States with large populations to help their TV networks make money ( Texas, Missouri, Maryland, and New Jersey ). All things considered, WVU landed in a great conference with great schools.

 

[Buckaineer]

....it's obviously better than not being in a Power 5 conference.

Still, do most of us still believe it's really the ideal (Power 5) conference for our school?

-----------------

I certainly expect the typical 'cutting off the nose to spite the face' (a West Virginian trait by the way) comments regarding the ACC... ...but I believe that would have been the best fit for WVU.

Ok you believe that would have been best. So what? Did the ACC invite WVU? Or did the ACC invite VT, Miami, BC, Pitt, Syracuse and then the final straw Louisville?

The BIG 12 invited WVU. Revenues are better in the BIG 12 than the ACC. The members appreciate WVU and there are many exciting and close battles in the conference. Basketball is as tough as WVU has faced top to bottom. The schools wanted to associate with WVU.

Where is the problem?

 

[LowFatMilk]

Well, I never wrote that it wasn't a great conference with great schools......just that I don't believe it was our ideal landing spot. ....and before someone that didn't read the opening post replies.... ....I know we could have ended up in a worse situation . That's not the topic of discussion though.....

 

[LowFatMilk]

Where is the problem?

So there's absolutely no problems?

 

[BobbyBoucheer]

....it's obviously better than not being in a Power 5 conference.

Still, do most of us still believe it's really the ideal (Power 5) conference for our school?

-----------------

I certainly expect the typical 'cutting off the nose to spite the face' (a West Virginian trait by the way) comments regarding the ACC... ...but I believe that would have been the best fit for WVU.[/QUOTE

The ACC would have been the better fit, but they didn't want us as most of us know.

 

[LowFatMilk]

Well Bobby...I'd argue that most WVU fans wouldn't admit that the ACC would have been a better fit.

....even they know it's true.

 

[BobbyBoucheer]

Well Bobby...I'd argue that most WVU fans wouldn't admit that the ACC would have been a better fit.

....even they know it's true.

Well you'd be mostly correct. However, I was talking to Orlaco a little bit ago and she doesn't agree with you.

 

[LowFatMilk]

Well you'd be mostly correct. However, I was talking to Orlaco a little bit ago and she doesn't agree with you.

i'm not really concerned about who does or doesn't agree with me. I respect Orlaco, the self proclaimed best Internet poster ever, but my opinions are based on sound reasoning.....not emotional rants.

 

[beatlessp]

I say both yes and no about the ACC...Geographically and travel-wise for fans, yes, it would have been a better fit (personally I had my fingers crossed for the SEC), but for money and (to a lesser extent) prestige...I personally prefer the Big 12. If what I've read is true about WVU being stonewalled out of the ACC...let 'em have it. I like where WVU landed.

 

[LowFatMilk]

Beatless....don't you think we'd also be out of our element in the SEC?


......and for a time it was my preferred destination for our school too....


EDIT: 6 posts in three years ?? Glad to have you in my thread....

 

[saltydog8159]

....it's obviously better than not being in a Power 5 conference.

Still, do most of us still believe it's really the ideal (Power 5) conference for our school?

-----------------

I certainly expect the typical 'cutting off the nose to spite the face' (a West Virginian trait by the way) comments regarding the ACC... ...but I believe that would have been the best fit for WVU.

No our ideal landing spot was ruined long ago,,, by JoePa or whatever story you want to believe. Syracuse,Pitt,BC,Penn St,WVU,Rutgers etc,,,,

 

[LowFatMilk]

No our ideal landing spot was ruined long ago,,, by JoePa or whatever story you want to believe. Syracuse,Pitt,BC,Penn St,WVU,Rutgers etc,,,,

I can't argue with that point .

 

[Woody in Helvetia]

Ok you believe that would have been best. So what? Did the ACC invite WVU? Or did the ACC invite VT, Miami, BC, Pitt, Syracuse and then the final straw Louisville?

The BIG 12 invited WVU. Revenues are better in the BIG 12 than the ACC. The members appreciate WVU and there are many exciting and close battles in the conference. Basketball is as tough as WVU has faced top to bottom. The schools wanted to associate with WVU.

Where is the problem?

Geography is the problem. I like the Big 12 but until we have at least one other member in the eastern time zone - we will be the outsider. And Louisville was not the final straw - we were unavailable when the ACC invited UL. That happened after we joined the B12. And some try to deny it - but the ACC did send some feelers out to WVU when Maryland bolted.

 

[GetYaNumbersUp]

I'd prefer the SEC

 

[Clyde0926]

....it's obviously better than not being in a Power 5 conference.

Still, do most of us still believe it's really the ideal (Power 5) conference for our school?

-----------------

I certainly expect the typical 'cutting off the nose to spite the face' (a West Virginian trait by the way) comments regarding the ACC... ...but I believe that would have been the best fit for WVU.

I would like to be in the SEC first, then ACC, Big 10 and then the Big 12. But we are left with little choice at this point. Who knows what the conferences will look like a decade from now.

 

[Buckaineer]

Well, I never wrote that it wasn't a great conference with great schools......just that I don't believe it was our ideal landing spot. ....and before someone that didn't read the opening post replies.... ....I know we could have ended up in a worse situation . That's not the topic of discussion though.....

The topic of discussion is that you don't like it. The response is there was no other choice.

 

[Buckaineer]

So there's absolutely no problems?

There are no problems with conference affiliation, no.

 

[Buckaineer]

Well Bobby...I'd argue that most WVU fans wouldn't admit that the ACC would have been a better fit.

....even they know it's true.

Most fans have no association with the ACC, and neither does WVU. The ACC had multiple chances to invite WVU and never showed the slightest interest.

 

[Buckaineer]

Geography is the problem. I like the Big 12 but until we have at least one other member in the eastern time zone - we will be the outsider. And Louisville was not the final straw - we were unavailable when the ACC invited UL. That happened after we joined the B12. And some try to deny it - but the ACC did send some feelers out to WVU when Maryland bolted.

WVU is not an outsider except in your mind. Every year WVU builds more of a bond with BIG 12 members and is even beginning to develop rivalries.

Yes UL was the final straw. The ACC could have invited WVU many times and never lifted a finger to do so. Their fans railed against WVU and WVUs "academics". Then they invited UL and excused their academics. The ACC didn't send out any feelers, WVU was already under a grant of rights in the BIG 12 when Maryland left the ACC.

 

[Woody in Helvetia]

WVU is not an outsider except in your mind. Every year WVU builds more of a bond with BIG 12 members and is even beginning to develop rivalries.

Yes UL was the final straw. The ACC could have invited WVU many times and never lifted a finger to do so. Their fans railed against WVU and WVUs "academics". Then they invited UL and excused their academics. The ACC didn't send out any feelers, WVU was already under a grant of rights in the BIG 12 when Maryland left the ACC.

I am fine with the Big 12 - my problem is geography - and we will always be the outsider because of that geography. If and when we expand to 12 that problem can be corrected to an extent.

And yes we are already under a grant of rights to the Big 12 when the ACC did indeed inquire if we were interested.

I do not hate the Big 12. I hate the fact that we are again in the odd ball conference of the Power 5. It is like a never ending story. If and when Texas decides they want to move somewhere else - we are toast again.

 

[MntnEERinSC]

....it's obviously better than not being in a Power 5 conference.

Still, do most of us still believe it's really the ideal (Power 5) conference for our school?

-----------------

I certainly expect the typical 'cutting off the nose to spite the face' (a West Virginian trait by the way) comments regarding the ACC... ...but I believe that would have been the best fit for WVU.

I think our best fit would have been the ACC!!

 

[3xWVUenginEER]

Ever notice when you are driving down the road how big the windshield is and how small the rear view mirror is?

Live through the windshield and not the rear view mirror.

WVU is so much better off in the Big XII. 10 schools and EVERYONE (except Kansas) values football above all else. There are no bad games in the conference. You play everyone. You are guaranteed to play at least 2 top 5 teams a season and probably 5 schools at least in the top 25. Even the SEC can't offer that every year, and the ACC can't offer it hardly ever given their 14 school conference.

Also neither the SEC or ACC made any invitations to join to WVU and the AAC has similar travel to the Big XII except all the schools are horrible at Football from a comparison standpoint.

As for travel, these 2 bros named Wright invented something call an airplane and with a little planning you can go to any game. Its not that hard. Enjoy what WVU gets to play and be a part of.

 

[wbgvwbgv]

If WVU was in the ACC and UL was in the Big 12, many WVU fans would be complaining about being stuck in conference where football was 2nd to basketball, lower payout and less prestige, no round robin schedules (Pitt only plays FSU twice in 10 years), empty stadiums, a bad bowl lineup, no conference tie-in with the Sugar Bowl against the SEC, and travel would still be an issue.

Fortunately, WVU landed in a great conference with great schools.

 

[Vernon]

If WVU was in the ACC and UL was in the Big 12, many WVU fans would be complaining about being stuck in conference where football was 2nd to basketball, lower payout and less prestige, no round robin schedules (Pitt only plays FSU twice in 10 years), empty stadiums, a bad bowl lineup, no conference tie-in with the Sugar Bowl against the SEC, and travel would still be an issue.

Fortunately, WVU landed in a great conference with great schools.

I HIGHLY doubt that. WVU fans would be watching their team win more games and they would be watching those games live. Fans can't spend the money schools make but they sure as hell can spend their own trying to get to Ames, Iowa.

 

[HurdyGurdyEer]

Personally I would like to be in the B10 with PSU, MD, Rutgers, OSU, Michigan and all those other schools. Don't waste your time telling me it would have never happened. That's just where I would have liked to have ended up.

But yeah .... I would have been pleased to have been included in the ACC. But we had to grab a partner when there was one to grab and I have no problem with the B12. It's a great conference.

 

[LowFatMilk]

The topic of discussion is that you don't like it. The response is there was no other choice.

More like the topic of discussion is that some WVU fans will convince themselves that having 'no choice' lead WVU into the best conference affiliation ( for WVU).. Matter of fact, not having a choice GREATLY increases the odds that we didn't get the conference of choice.

....and we didn't.

Yes, the ACC shunned us. The situation with the SEC is a little less clear.....but I'm comfortable that we did actively pursue membership. ...so our 'no choice' was actually our 3rd option ( a Hail Mary tossed by Oliver Luck).

----------

I never wrote that I didn't like being in the Big 12.....quite the opposite really. I just think it is not the most ideal Power 5 conference (for WVU).

-----------

Why all the anger in the tone of your relentless replies??? It's a harmless discussion.

 

[Leave No Doubt WVU_rivals]

i'm not really concerned about who does or doesn't agree with me. I respect Orlaco, the self proclaimed best Internet poster ever, but my opinions are based on sound reasoning.....not emotional rants.

If you aren't concerned about who does or doesn't agree with you then why post this at all? We are in the Big 12 which was by far our best option so what do you hope to accomplish by asking "what if?"

 

[LowFatMilk]

If you aren't concerned about who does or doesn't agree with you then why post this at all? We are in the Big 12 which was by far our best option so what do you hope to accomplish by asking "what if?"

It's often referred to as a discussion. Maybe it's an issue for you but I can participate in one without thinking my opinion has more value than anybody else's... ...aka 'caring if others agree with me or not'.

I'd be really interested in your long list of threads where ANYTHING was actually accomplished.

 

[Jimwvu96]

....it's obviously better than not being in a Power 5 conference.

Still, do most of us still believe it's really the ideal (Power 5) conference for our school?

-----------------

I certainly expect the typical 'cutting off the nose to spite the face' (a West Virginian trait by the way) comments regarding the ACC... ...but I believe that would have been the best fit for WVU.

I absolutely agree with you that the ACC would be our best option. Geography is a big part, with more natural rivals and easier travel. On that note, as others have said, I am completely happy in the Big12 though. Lastly, for all those slamming the original poster, its just a discussion..........

 

[pressvirginia]

Ideal football conference to me was the Big East prior to ACC raids No. 1 & 2.

The reason things watered down a bit around 2010-11 had a lot to do with a ton of coaching turnover. Comings & goings in less than a decade included Dantonio, Petrino, Rodriguez, Leavitt, Schiano, Edsall, Kelly.

Is a misnomer in my mind that WV had never played, seldom played or infrequently played high major football competition until entering the Big XII in 2012. None of the above includes non-conference & bowl opponents either.

Ideal basketball hands down was the Big East. 2011 season 11 of 16 Big East teams played in the NCAA tournament, the all-time record. Best annual conference tournament in history. Weekly ranked vs ranked national TV games. ESPN Game Day destinations. NBA talent abounding, Hall of Fame coaches and plenty of great traditional rivalries.

Double round robin & depth of the league makes Big XII basketball tough, but good. Football has blue bloods, along with the more recently emerged. Will take time to build up rivalries. At this point, I'm only concerned with WV & don't really root for the league members.

Since things had to change, the Big XII was the best landing spot for WV. Not a fan of the pass happy styles & would rather play regional schools/rivals, but things could be worse. Not only did UConn not get a P5 invite, it was kicked out of the current Big East because of football. Huskies seem okay with that though - won another hoops national championship in their first AAC year.

Would be no surprise if things changed down the road. Not into the SEC football chest beating/bias. ACC is not for me either. Both would be intriguing for hoops though. So long as it's Huggins-Cal, WVU-Kentucky twice a year could be a lot of fun. Basically already a rivalry.

 

[LowFatMilk]

Good post PressV...

...care to share your previous posting alias ???? ... Or at least the one you use on other forums....

 

[MntnEERinSC]

Ever notice when you are driving down the road how big the windshield is and how small the rear view mirror is?

Live through the windshield and not the rear view mirror.

WVU is so much better off in the Big XII. 10 schools and EVERYONE (except Kansas) values football above all else. There are no bad games in the conference. You play everyone. You are guaranteed to play at least 2 top 5 teams a season and probably 5 schools at least in the top 25. Even the SEC can't offer that every year, and the ACC can't offer it hardly ever given their 14 school conference.

Also neither the SEC or ACC made any invitations to join to WVU and the AAC has similar travel to the Big XII except all the schools are horrible at Football from a comparison standpoint.

As for travel, these 2 bros named Wright invented something call an airplane and with a little planning you can go to any game. Its not that hard. Enjoy what WVU gets to play and be a part of.

I agree with this and I love being in the big XII, I just think the ACC was a better fit! Love where we ended up though!!

 

[79eer]

Not a bad place to land, however when it come to rivalries in the minds of our opponents I believe WVU would probably finish near the bottom of every Big 12 team's list. We may think that there are several teams that we may someday consider a rivalry, but doubtful the other teams would think likewise. Would any other team in our geographical region Pitt, VT, Penn St, Rutgers, and so on ever legitimately consider any Big 12 school a rivalry? So for the time being no big deal, play ball, and move on. Let's just go with a bye on Rivalry Week, win the conference and the heck with rivalries.

 

[GoWVU]

This topic is a bit like being an American citizen who jumped off the Titanic and was searching for the nearest lifeboat. The closest one would've taken us to the US, but it was full and turned us away. Luckily we quickly found another that did have room and was glad to help us aboard, although it took us back to England instead of the US.

I'm not going to complain about the destination of the lifeboat. The only thing that counts is that we found one and remain alive.

 

[SteelHeadEer]

Ever notice when you are driving down the road how big the windshield is and how small the rear view mirror is?

Live through the windshield and not the rear view mirror.

WVU is so much better off in the Big XII. 10 schools and EVERYONE (except Kansas) values football above all else. There are no bad games in the conference. You play everyone. You are guaranteed to play at least 2 top 5 teams a season and probably 5 schools at least in the top 25. Even the SEC can't offer that every year, and the ACC can't offer it hardly ever given their 14 school conference.

Also neither the SEC or ACC made any invitations to join to WVU and the AAC has similar travel to the Big XII except all the schools are horrible at Football from a comparison standpoint.

As for travel, these 2 bros named Wright invented something call an airplane and with a little planning you can go to any game. Its not that hard. Enjoy what WVU gets to play and be a part of.

Is that you Bob?

 

[wbgvwbgv]

I HIGHLY doubt that. WVU fans would be watching their team win more games and they would be watching those games live. Fans can't spend the money schools make but they sure as hell can spend their own trying to get to Ames, Iowa.

With big screen HD TVs in practically every home and with just about every game being broadcast, more and more fans are choosing not to go to away games. Every Big 12 school (except maybe Kansas) does a nice job of filling up their own stadium with their own fans and you have to admire the support in the Big 12 conference. Watching a game in a half empty Carrier Dome or Rutgers Stadium isn't as appealing as it was a few years ago especially with other viewing options.

7 or 8 games played in the Northeast should give fans plenty of oppurtunities to watch WVU live. And the round robin Big 12 schedule IMO is way better than the rotating 8 game ACC schedule. The ACC two best football programs (FSU & Clemson) visit Pittsburgh once over the next decade. I am sure our fan base would complain with that kind of a schedule.

 

[Buckaineer]

More like the topic of discussion is that some WVU fans will convince themselves that having 'no choice' lead WVU into the best conference affiliation ( for WVU).. Matter of fact, not having a choice GREATLY increases the odds that we didn't get the conference of choice.

....and we didn't.

Yes, the ACC shunned us. The situation with the SEC is a little less clear.....but I'm comfortable that we did actively pursue membership. ...so our 'no choice' was actually our 3rd option ( a Hail Mary tossed by Oliver Luck).

----------

I never wrote that I didn't like being in the Big 12.....quite the opposite really. I just think it is not the most ideal Power 5 conference (for WVU).

-----------

Why all the anger in the tone of your relentless replies??? It's a harmless discussion.

More like the topic of discussion is that some WVU fans will convince themselves that having 'no choice' lead WVU into the best conference affiliation ( for WVU).. Matter of fact, not having a choice GREATLY increases the odds that we didn't get the conference of choice.

....and we didn't.

Yes, the ACC shunned us. The situation with the SEC is a little less clear.....but I'm comfortable that we did actively pursue membership. ...so our 'no choice' was actually our 3rd option ( a Hail Mary tossed by Oliver Luck).

----------

I never wrote that I didn't like being in the Big 12.....quite the opposite really. I just think it is not the most ideal Power 5 conference (for WVU).

-----------

Why all the anger in the tone of your relentless replies??? It's a harmless discussion.

When I say WVU had "no choice" I mispoke. WVU could have chosen to remain in a now defunct conference. Instead, the administration was proactive and moved into a great conference that elevated just about everything for WVU athletics. I should have said WVU made the only choice that made sense and secured its future in major college athletics.

The BIG 12 was WVUs first option according to Oliver Luck and since he spearheaded the movement and discussions, pretty confident he knew of what he spoke of. As to the ACC, they didn't "shun" WVU as much as ignore WVU. Why anyone would want to associate with schools that have little to no interaction with WVU and many that moved on and now refuse to play WVU is a mystery. Don't see the attraction at all. Sure, some are closer--some, not all. But WVU had little to no history with many of these schools, at least not for half a century.

I said I know you don't feel like the BIG 12 is best. That however is where WVU is and will be for a long time to come. There's nothing any different about WVU's association with the BIG12 than Penn State in the Big Ten for two plus decades up until last year. WVU is just the easternmost team, that doesn't make it not the most ideal situation.

 

[WiiWii]

So there's absolutely no problems?

Can't think of any. The travel argument is completely stupid (for football and basketball anyway). The competition is better, the money is better and we can still play Tech, Penn State and Maryland. What more could you want?

 

[Cuyahoga Falls Eers_rivals]

....it's obviously better than not being in a Power 5 conference.

Still, do most of us still believe it's really the ideal (Power 5) conference for our school?

-----------------

I certainly expect the typical 'cutting off the nose to spite the face' (a West Virginian trait by the way) comments regarding the ACC... ...but I believe that would have been the best fit for WVU.

I think this is

This topic is a bit like being an American citizen who jumped off the Titanic and was searching for the nearest lifeboat. The closest one would've taken us to the US, but it was full and turned us away. Luckily we quickly found another that did have room and was glad to help us aboard, although it took us back to England instead of the US.

I'm not going to complain about the destination of the lifeboat. The only thing that counts is that we found one and remain alive.

Amen!

It's a moot point, obviously, because the ACC and SEC didn't want WVU and Oliver Luck saved WVU's bacon by using his skills and connections to get the Mountaineers into the Big 12, a pretty darn good football and basketball conference.

I would love to be in a conference with Pitt, Penn State, Syracuse, Rutgers, Boston College, Virginia Tech (close to what JoePa had in mind), but it didn't happen.

The ACC would have been a comfortable fit, geographically and against schools that WVU was members with in the Southern Conference and the Big East. But it didn't happen.

The Big 12 annual payout is THREE TIMES the best payout WVU ever got from the Big East, so that's good, too.

The travel isn't a big deal to the players, who just get on a plane anyway whether it's to Oklahoma or Texas or Rutgers. But the fans can't drive there the way they could to Pittsburgh and Blacksburg.

And we get to see Oklahoma or Texas in Mountaineer Field every year. That never happened before.

I'm happier than a dog rolling in his own poop!