Report: WVU lining up move to Big 12

Published Oct. 25, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

The Big East Football Conference's survival as a league with BCS automatic-qualifier status is about to take a serious hit because the Big 12 has lined up West Virginia to replace Missouri, the New York Post reported Tuesday.

The Big 12 held a board of directors meeting Monday, and a source said the league's plan is to hold on to Missouri, which wants to leave for the SEC, for one more year then replace it with West Virginia.

That would mean the Big East is set to lose a fourth FBS-playing member, leaving the league with five schools that play FBS football: Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Rutgers and South Florida.

The Big 12's thinking, which could become more aggressive, forces the Big East to look at "Plan C" as it heads into its annual meeting of presidents and board of directors next Tuesday in Philadelphia.

Initially the league was hoping it could survive by inviting Air Force, Boise State, Central Florida, Houston, Navy and SMU. But if the league must also replace West Virginia along with Pittsburgh, Syracuse and TCU, the Big East must look at Temple and perhaps Army.

"Of all the schools the league has lost, from a football standpoint losing West Virginia would be the most damaging," a source told the Post. "Despite what anyone says, that's the program the league has hung its hat on."

A source said the Big 12, by holding Missouri, might hold at 10 teams for next season and then consider a jump to 16 teams. Louisville and Cincinnati are under consideration as well as Boise State and BYU.

The Big 12 said Monday night, "a strong desire for the University of Missouri to maintain its Big 12 affiliation was expressed" at the meeting.

Big East commissioner John Marinatto has said he will stand firm on the rule that requires 27 months notice before a school can leave for another conference.

The Big East is one of six that has AQ status, meaning the league champion gets an automatic berth in a lucrative BCS game.