Big 12 football: Why West Virginia? Here’s why
Funny world. One month, you think OU and OSU will be in a league with Oregon State. The next month, it looks like OU and OSU will be in a league with West Virginia. The Mountaineers’ entrance into the Big 12 appears certain; they certainly believe that in West Virginia, though the Big 12 is playing it cautious.
One West Virginia fan who has been corresponding with me for a few weeks sent a dispatch yesterday. The subject line was “joy, joy, joy.” So how should the Big 12 feel about the addition of West Virginia? Here are the factors:
FOOTBALL: Fantastic. It’s a great addition. More than makes up for Missouri. The cold, hard truth. WVU has more football tradition than does Mizzou. The Mountaineers have been in five major bowls. One came in the 1953 season (Sugar). The others in modern times: 48-28 win over OU in the Fiesta Bowl (2007 season), a 38-35 win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl (2005 season), a 41-7 loss to Florida in the Sugar Bowl (1993 season) and a 34-21 loss to Notre Dame in the 1988 national championship Fiesta Bowl. Missouri has been to seven major bowls. The most recent was on the first day of 1970. The Tigers’ last Big Eight/Big 12 title came in 1969.
GEOGRAPHY: A total stretch. Morgantown, W.Va., is 75 miles south of Pittsburgh; 211 miles west of Baltimore; and 283 miles from Buffalo. Meanwhile, it’s 1,466 miles from Morgantown to Lubbock, Texas. But maybe the worst thing about Morgantown is that it’s not easy to get into Morgantown. It’s another one of those Big 12 towns where you fly somewhere else, then drive, like Stillwater, Manhattan and, yes, Columbia.
BASKETBALL: Excellent. West Virginia ranks ahead of Missouri in all the primary markers of historic hoops success. West Virginia has been to two Final Fours; Missouri none. West Virginia’s all-time NCAA Tournament record is 25-24. Missouri’s is 22-24.
ACADEMICS: A weakness. Missouri is a member of the Association of American Universities. West Virginia is not. I don’t know what that’s worth, but everyone in academia makes a big deal of it. Some say West Virginia was never considered for ACC expansion because of the school’s poor academic reputation. But the Big 12 is long past worry about academic reputations.
MONEY: Bottom line, West Virginia is a name brand. The Mountaineers will bring football pedigree to the league. There aren’t a lot of eyeballs in the state of West Virginia, but that doesn’t matter as much as getting eyeballs everywhere to watch. Everyone watches Oklahoma and Texas. But a A West Virginia-Oklahoma State, or a West Virginia-Texas Tech will draw interest. That’s quality content. Sure, it would be nice if West Virginia had six million residents like Missouri. But West Virginia’s 1.8 million are dedicated to the Mountaineers. Work with what you’ve got.
CULTURAL: Different. This will be a difficult transition for West Virginia. The Mountaineers have been playing Rutgers and Syracuse. Now they’ll be playing games in Lubbock and Stillwater. Of course, visitors to Morgantown won’t have it easy, either. West Virginia is a different place, too. I try not to delve into stereotypes; they’re generally not reliable. But WVU is noted as a wild place to play. So when Iowa State goes to West Virginia, it won’t be the same as Iowa State going to Missouri.
MINOR SPORTS: West Virginia competes in wrestling. As far as the Bedlam rivals go, there’s something to be said for that. And WVU competes in rowing. Hey, fresh meat for the Oklahoma River. The Mountaineers also compete in baseball, women’s basketball, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s soccer, rifle, women’s gymnastics, women’s tennis, women’s track, women’s volleyball, women’s cross country. Yep, West Virginia has all the signs of a program struggling to meet Title IX demands. Lots of women’s sports. But good news for Patty Gasso and Rich Wieligman; WVU doesn’t play softball. You don’t have to make the trip to Morgantown. So when you’re talking road trips, baseball, women’s soccer and women’s volleyball will be making the trek.
MONEY: Bottom line, West Virginia is a name brand. The Mountaineers will bring football pedigree to the league. There aren’t a lot of eyeballs in the state of West Virginia, but that doesn’t matter as much as getting eyeballs everywhere to watch. Everyone watches Oklahoma and Texas. But a A West Virginia-Oklahoma State, or a West Virginia-Texas Tech will draw interest. That’s quality content. Sure, it would be nice if West Virginia had six million residents like Missouri. But West Virginia’s 1.8 million are dedicated to the Mountaineers. Work with what you’ve got.
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