As expected, officials at West Virginia and the Big East Conference have reached an agreement that allows the Mountaineers to head for the Big 12 this fall while the Big East receives some $20 million for letting WVU out of its contract early.

West Virginia had sued the Big East in its home state to get out of the league without waiting 27 months, as required by league bylaws. The Big East filed its own suit in Rhode Island, seeking to hold West Virginia to the waiting period.

The Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail has reported that the Big East will receive $20 million in the settlement, with WVU contributing $11 million, and the Big 12 covering the remaining amount. WVU already has paid half of the normally required $5 million exit fee to the Big East.

Pittsburgh and Syracuse, who also are bolting the Big East, but for the ACC, will stay at least through next football and basketball seasons. The Big 12 needed WVU to complete its schedule this season after losing both Texas A&M and Missouri. With WVU and TCU coming, the Big 12 will have 10 teams again. The ACC already is set with 12 teams so there was no rush to get the Orange and Panthers by this fall.

With West Virginia gone, the Big East currently has seven football members for the 2012 season. However, the league is trying to get Boise State to join a year early. If the Big East is not able to find a replacement for West Virginia this fall, the remaining seven league members would have to scramble to find a 12th game. The Mountaineers were one of the Big East charter members in 1991 when the league formed its football conference.

The Big 12 has released its 2012 football schedule. TCU will play its first Big 12 conference game in Lawrence against Kansas on September 15th. Baylor will be the first Big 12 team to play a conference game in Morgantown, facing West Virginia on September 29th. West Virginia’s first road test comes a week later, and will not be easy, as the Mountaineers head to Austin to face Texas on October 6th. Texas won’t be playing anybody on Thanksgiving night, as the Horns had vs. A&M, but will play TCU in Austin the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

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