Big 12 has WVU regret?

[GGGG]

Oklahoma AD sounds like he would rather have had Louisville.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130703/SPORTS02/307030097/Some-Big-12-administrators-fans-express-regret-letting-Louisville-go

[bradley center bat]

It's easy to say that now as UL won the title in men's hoops. Women's hoops went to the Final Four. Football team put a beatdown on an SEC team in the Sugar Bowl. Baseball team went to the World Series. Softball, soccer & volleyball are strong.

[TJ]

It should have been easy to say that two years ago too.  Who in their right minds would ever choose WVU over Louisville?

[Norm]

Football wise, WVU has been more consistent and has had better teams than Louisville, so, with a football focus, picking WVU does make some sense.

[bradley center bat]

The door at the time was open to take L'ville as the 11th school in the Big 12.

[ChicosBailBonds]

It should have been easy to say that two years ago too.  Who in their right minds would ever choose WVU over Louisville?

Not so sure.  WVU football has been better than UL the last decade and football runs the show. Three top ten finishes, Sugar Bowl win, Fiesta Bowl win over #3 Oklahoma, Orange Bowl win.  WVU slightly better attendance.  Louisville had issues with Pitino still fresh going on.  Don't get me wrong, Louisville has a pretty solid athletic department (very good this year), very nice facilities and LOTS of money, but WVU was doing pretty well in football and hoops under John Beilein and Huggins (Sweet 16 two times last ten years, one Elite 8 and one Final Four, one Big East Tournament title.)

[Tums Festival]

If Petrino had stayed at Louisville, and stayed out of trouble, they might have been at least as strong in football as WVU during that time.

[TJ]

Not so sure.  WVU football has been better than UL the last decade and football runs the show. Three top ten finishes, Sugar Bowl win, Fiesta Bowl win over #3 Oklahoma, Orange Bowl win.  WVU slightly better attendance.  Louisville had issues with Pitino still fresh going on.  Don't get me wrong, Louisville has a pretty solid athletic department (very good this year), very nice facilities and LOTS of money, but WVU was doing pretty well in football and hoops under John Beilein and Huggins (Sweet 16 two times last ten years, one Elite 8 and one Final Four, one Big East Tournament title.)

But at the end of the day it's still WVU, complete with couch-burning and all the other benefits and privileges therein.

[ChicosBailBonds]

But at the end of the day it's still WVU, complete with couch-burning and all the other benefits and privileges therein.

Oh yeah, trust me....my pops was a professor there for a bit for Geophysics and Geology before he went into the private world.  Lots of fun WVU stories out there.

[KenoshaWarrior]

Not so sure.  WVU football has been better than UL the last decade and football runs the show. Three top ten finishes, Sugar Bowl win, Fiesta Bowl win over #3 Oklahoma, Orange Bowl win.  WVU slightly better attendance.  Louisville had issues with Pitino still fresh going on.  Don't get me wrong, Louisville has a pretty solid athletic department (very good this year), very nice facilities and LOTS of money, but WVU was doing pretty well in football and hoops under John Beilein and Huggins (Sweet 16 two times last ten years, one Elite 8 and one Final Four, one Big East Tournament title.)

I agree 100 percent chicos.

The only thing they might be having regrets about would be the travel to Morgantown.  Only 1 flight from DC a day for fans and it is on a turbo prop.

7 years ago I took a turbo prop from Pittsburgh to Morgantown and it was a tin can.  Guy who brought us to the gate, also checked bags, and called us a cab

[keefe]

7 years ago I took a turbo prop from Pittsburgh to Morgantown and it was a tin can.  Guy who brought us to the gate, also checked bags, and called us a cab

The airlines are asking pilots to a lot more these days...

[ChicosBailBonds]

I agree 100 percent chicos.

The only thing they might be having regrets about would be the travel to Morgantown.  Only 1 flight from DC a day for fans and it is on a turbo prop.

7 years ago I took a turbo prop from Pittsburgh to Morgantown and it was a tin can.  Guy who brought us to the gate, also checked bags, and called us a cab

Are you old enough to remember Allegheny Airlines.....grab  your arse and pray.  They would fly into Morgantown.

Considering what happened today in the skies, I don't say that lightly.  San Fran crash and we had one here locally...my son and I were training for his high school soccer stint and we saw a small plane pulling a banner for the beach, a fairly normal site.  About 20 minutes later, plane crashed on the 405 freeway.  Crazy.

[DFW HOYA]

Short term gain for WVU, but already long term pain.

The Big 12 was a slippery slope in 2010, having lost Colorado and Nebraska, with Texas A&M and Missouri around the corner. Persistent rumors had the Pac-12 swooping up Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State, and there were initial discussions with the Big East about possibly picking up the remaining teams (Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State) for an 18 team circuit that could accomodate football.

West Virginia had been informally turned down by the ACC and publicly dismissed by the SEC, and saw the Big 12 as a quick jump that would provide them financial stability amidst the continuing Big East saga. They may have also assumed the Big 12 would further expand and bring Pitt or Louisville along with them, which didn't happen because Texas is not interested in expansion, and what Texas wants in the B12, Texas gets, marooning a WVU fan base that is small by major college standards and not well positioned in the national spotlight.

By contrast, Louisville is a cash cow, making tons of money in basketball and more in football than people realize. Other than ND and Texas, there aren't five other schools in the nation with the sheer revenue potential across multiple sports that Louisville brings, all with generous corporate support in the city and brand new facilities that frankly shamed their Big East brethren. Louisville is the program to watch in the new ACC--they could become the new North Carolina before we know it.

[GGGG]

Short term gain for WVU, but already long term pain.

If they don't take the B12 invite, they are likely in the AAC making substantially less than they are now.  Not sure where the "long term pain" is.

[Galway Eagle]

If they don't take the B12 invite, they are likely in the AAC making substantially less than they are now.  Not sure where the "long term pain" is.

If they don't take the invite the old Big East is probably still together

[keefe]

If they don't take the invite the old Big East is probably still together

Not sure about that, Piper. The dominos were going to fall. It was only a question of when and in what order.

[The Equalizer]

Short term gain for WVU, but already long term pain.

The Big 12 was a slippery slope in 2010, having lost Colorado and Nebraska, with Texas A&M and Missouri around the corner. Persistent rumors had the Pac-12 swooping up Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State, and there were initial discussions with the Big East about possibly picking up the remaining teams (Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State) for an 18 team circuit that could accomodate football.

West Virginia had been informally turned down by the ACC and publicly dismissed by the SEC, and saw the Big 12 as a quick jump that would provide them financial stability amidst the continuing Big East saga. They may have also assumed the Big 12 would further expand and bring Pitt or Louisville along with them, which didn't happen because Texas is not interested in expansion, and what Texas wants in the B12, Texas gets, marooning a WVU fan base that is small by major college standards and not well positioned in the national spotlight.

By contrast, Louisville is a cash cow, making tons of money in basketball and more in football than people realize. Other than ND and Texas, there aren't five other schools in the nation with the sheer revenue potential across multiple sports that Louisville brings, all with generous corporate support in the city and brand new facilities that frankly shamed their Big East brethren. Louisville is the program to watch in the new ACC--they could become the new North Carolina before we know it.

If they hadn't jumped, they'd be stuck with UConn, USF and Cincy in the AAC.

Long term, I have to think they took the best of their available options. 

[GGGG]

If they don't take the invite the old Big East is probably still together

Yeah, I don't think so.  They don't take it, then Louisville does.

[Pakuni]

Yeah, I don't think so.  They don't take it, then Louisville does.

Agree. The Old Big East died the day Pitt and Syracuse agreed to move to the ACC.

FWIW, Big 12 made the wrong call in taking WVU over Louisville.

[Lennys Tap]

FWIW, Big 12 made the wrong call in taking WVU over Louisville.

Totally.

[Abode4life]

By contrast, Louisville is a cash cow, making tons of money in basketball and more in football than people realize. Other than ND and Texas, there aren't five other schools in the nation with the sheer revenue potential across multiple sports that Louisville brings, all with generous corporate support in the city and brand new facilities that frankly shamed their Big East brethren. Louisville is the program to watch in the new ACC--they could become the new North Carolina before we know it.

The new North Carolina?  North Carolina has never been good in football and always been a basketball school.  (At least in terms of large revenue generating sports)

[Dawson Rental]

The new North Carolina?  North Carolina has never been good in football and always been a basketball school.  (At least in terms of large revenue generating sports)

I assume that North Carolina must have had some good years in football in order to have their head coach hired away by Texas.

[PJDunn]

North Carolina also has a little something called academics.  Louisville is a glorified junior college (at best).

[GGGG]

North Carolina also has a little something called academics.  Louisville is a glorified junior college (at best).

But ranked higher than West Virginia by USN&WR

[PJDunn]

No surprise there.  West Virginia's only claim to fame besides coal is genetic abnormalities.