Conference Realignment News and Notes

So, in what has been a slow week for WVU athletics (other than Geno picking up the 2nd WVU “Capital One Cup” award of the week after Dustin Garrison did it last week), some Conference News has taken place, with one piece of information indirectly effecting WVU. (I hope I got the right “effect” in there. If not, let me know.)

Tidbit 1: Big East agrees to raise exit fees to $10 million, plans to invite Central Florida (full membership), Boise State, Air Force and Navy (football only.)

Tidbit 2: The Mountain West Conference & Conference USA have agreed to merge their football conferences into one, big-ass, 22 team super conference.

The Big East Conference has agreed to send out invitations to Central Florida, Navy, Air Force and Boise State in a straw-grasping method to survive.

The Big East plans to invite Boise State, Air Force and Navy as football-only members, and Central Florida to compete in all sports, after it doubles the exit fee for current members to $10 million, a conference official told The Associated Press. Big East officials were meeting with UCF representatives Friday, as the conference closed in on extending formal invitations for expansion, a source told ESPN’s Joe Schad. A conference call of Big East presidents and chancellors was scheduled for later Friday, the source said.

Would WVU and Louisville even be on the call? If so, would they abstain from voting (as Louisville is reported to do) or would they vote “no” on doubling the exit fee, furthering the inevitable demise of Big East football?

Tidbit number 2 could be the death knell to the Big East as we know it…

The Mountain West Conference and Conference USA have unanimously come to an agreement in principle to consolidate their member football programs into one large association.

Commissioners of the two leagues formulated this creative and innovative plan with the support of the presidents, chancellors and athletics directors. The 12 members of Conference USA and 10 football-playing members of the Mountain West will join forces for this strategic landmark in college football.

So, with this merger, will Air Force, Boise State and Central Florida stay put, or will they roll the dice on a very unstable Big East?

MWC: Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, University of New Mexico, San Diego State University, University of Nevada Las Vegas, University of Wyoming, Cal State-Fresno, University of Nevada Reno, University of Hawaii.

CUSA: University of Alabama-Birmingham, Central Florida, East Carolina,

Marshall University

, University of Memphis, University of Southern Mississippi, University of Houston, Rice University, Southern Methodist University (#firecraigjames), University of Texas at El Paso, Tulane University, University of Tulsa.

A 22-team super conference that is hoping for a potential BCS bid when the bids are up for renewal in 2014. The only teams that bring something to the table in this conference are Air Force, Boise State, and East Carolina. The rest are just a bunch of mid-majors that would have never sniffed a BCS bid in the current system, and probably won’t in this new superconference as their odds of winning a bid have pretty much doubled.

Stay tuned, folks, this is going to get even crazier.