West Virginia sues Big East

Integrity seems to be a word missing from the vocabulary of many of our most well-known colleges and universities. Far be it from Hoops Scoops to act as judge in this situation, but West Virginia’s lawsuit against the Big East seems like a scare tactic.

Every team in the Big East knows there is a 27-month waiting period and $5 million fee to leave the conference. The Mountaineers apparently don’t want to live up to that end of the deal.

In its lawsuit the school claims the Big East and Commissioner John Marinatto “breached their contract to WVU and nullified and voided the bylaws.” Huh?

The Mountaineers are claiming the Big East, which recently lost Pittsburgh, Syracuse and TCU and could soon lose Rutgers and Connecticut, didn’t do enough to protect the football league and that the commissioner "did nothing to protect the and in fact took measures to further protect and advance the the interests of non-football playing schools." 

While an argument can be made that the Big East was caught flat footed by the defection of the aforementioned schools, a deal is still a deal, right? What kind of message is this sending to the students of West Virginia? If you don’t like a deal you signed, file a lawsuit alleging incompetence to get out of it?

Again, Hoops Scoops isn’t judging West Virginia, but the lawsuit is bogus on its face. The Mountaineers don’t want to wait around for 27 months. West Virginia cited TCU not having to wait 27 months to leave, but Big East officials countered by saying the Horned Frogs, who were set to join in July, 2012, weren’t official members.

West Virginia also claims the defections of Syracuse, Pittsburgh and TCU were a result of the lack of stability in Big East football. There is some merit to that as far as Syracuse and Pittsburgh are concerned, especially with the current BCS  deal set to expire in 2013. But many observers believe TCU would’ve left for the Big 12 regardless of the Big East's circumstances.

West Virginia’s claims notwithstanding, the Big East doesn’t sound like its flinching. “Certainly there is nothing in [the lawsuit] that would justify WVU's not fulfilling its obligations,” Marinatto said in a statement. “To put it simply, a contract is a contract."

The Big East is also intent on making Syracuse and Pittsburgh wait the full 27 months before they can bolt to the ACC. No conference wants a lame duck hanging around, let alone three. But the Big East needs to send a strong message.

The $5 million exit fee sounds woefully low in retrospect, but that 27-month waiting period is the killer. It’s such an incredible buzz kill to announce your allegiance to another conference, but have to wait over two years to actually make the move.
Pittsburgh, Syracuse and now West Virginia are experiencing that now.

Who will blink first?