Big 12 talk is back thanks to Texas.

[Lobot]

SB Nation chiming in.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2013/10/28/5038828/oliver-luck-texas-athletic-director-rumors

[Cordon]

Looks like it's done but the annoucement for Luck to Texas:

http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1567518

[mjv780]

Losing Whit could be pretty devastating to the state of athletics at UC. He has been a great AD and ambassador for the school...

[Big B]

You can add Huggins to that short list, Mullins being number 1 on the list. But I seriously doubt if he will walk away from potential BCS championship game on the horizon. Some have Luck being announced sometime next week, and wvu wants to announce shortly afterwards, they won't wait until after championship game unless Whit and Bob turn them down.

[Cordon]

My family is from West Virginia and they are as passionate about WVU as we are UC, they are only hearing 2 candiates, Whit and Rob Mullens who is the AD at Orgeon. Mullens is from Morgantown and went to WVU and we all know Whit got his start at WVU.

[Lobot]

I'm not going to discount anything you said but the WV Twitter hacks have a internal promotion pegged. Cummins??. I believe? What do you know about him?

edit: Mullens is who I was thinking of. Also one of the WVU twitter hacks quit Twitter today at a very odd time. MHVer3.

[Cordon]

One of the reasons the WVU fans want Whit:

A native of Harrisonburg, Va., Babcock came to Mizzou in August of 2007 following a five-year stint as the Assistant Athletics Director and Executive Director of Development for West Virginia University.
During his tenure at WVU, private giving increased by more than 200 percent to a total of $14 million annually. Babcock also led the fundraising efforts associated with a $35 million athletics facility enhancement campaign while serving on the senior staff.

And what the WVU sports world is writing:

https://www.bluegoldsports.com/who-would-it-be

I think it is going to get interesting, and WVU can and will shell out the bucks.

[coach]

Ok to visit morgantown but would not want to live there.

[Lobot]

If Luck takes the Texas job, and by all accounts he is the front runner, does Whit leave for WVU? I know Mountianeer fans love him!

Based on some of his previous comments towards WVU's education system, I would say that the money would have to be really good.

[Cordon]

If Luck takes the Texas job, and by all accounts he is the front runner, does Whit leave for WVU? I know Mountianeer fans love him!

[Bearcat-in-Italy]

I'm always amazed by the conference affiliation bug. True fans support their school and go for the love of both the school and the game. Honestly, the competition we saw in the big east before it imploded was not that strong. Sometimes you have to support things with the hope that you are helping to elevate the program. I got news for you, we haven't been playing in the sec for the past 6 or 7 years, so let's quite over dramatizing the schedule issues. Somehow if they get into the big 12, sec or whatever, and finish middle of the pack, then their will be complaints as well. You cannot win for losing.

I agree in part. Go support your school. It is fun to go down to the game and tailgate, see friends, create memories for your family...it is even more fun when they win! It is even more fun when they win and you play in a good conference! It is even more fun when you win and play in a good conference and get ranked and get on ESPN and are able to recruit really good players over and over again. So...conference affiliation counts. In the meantime, go support your team.

[coach]

I'm always amazed by the conference affiliation bug. True fans support their school and go for the love of both the school and the game. Honestly, the competition we saw in the big east before it imploded was not that strong. Sometimes you have to support things with the hope that you are helping to elevate the program. I got news for you, we haven't been playing in the sec for the past 6 or 7 years, so let's quite over dramatizing the schedule issues. Somehow if they get into the big 12, sec or whatever, and finish middle of the pack, then their will be complaints as well. You cannot win for losing.

[cmm27]

That seems like an extreme reaction. If you are older then at your age you saw UC through decent to mediocre conferences and should have the wisdom and perspective to appreciate this current era. If you are young, then it just comes off as spoiled and gets too close to a UK or Buckeye fan. UC is not in a bad situation this year, and will be in a better situation in the future.

[Rock]

Quandry!

I am at a quandary. I will be criticized after this posts, but cannot wait any longer for UC to get into a major conference, like the Big 12. I know that I will be giving up 25 years of UCAT points and my seats, but I am at an age that prohibits me from just limping along and having UC begging and pleading to be accepted in an established football conference. If the Big 12 becomes a reality, I hope it happens sooner rather than later, at least for my sake! I'm afraid I am going to kiss goodbye to something I have enjoyed.

[TheDog]

I don't know if Big 12 expansion will come true but I believe it is a possibility. The Big 12 will not stay at 10 members. They will expand at some point...next year...ten years? From the rumors circulating about Fox pushing for expansion that will not reduce payouts for the members is very promising. I'm not a media rights expert but this does sound feasible. You want to expand your brand because ultimately the money will follow and a strong brand is protection against being obsolete. The Big 12 was more reactive to grabbing teams and didn't do a much better job than the Big East in expansion. The Big East was doomed because the ACC had them in their sights.

I think new leadership at the school with the most influence is good for expansion and possibly for UC. I think Luck is a proponent of expansion but he has little influence at WVU.