of a rough football season that had such a promising start and the inevitable "long" basketball season we're about to endure in our inaugural Big XII campaign.

Let's run through the numbers again: TV contract money= 20M annually

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-07/big-12-conference-signs-tv-contract-with-espn-fox-through-2025.html

3rd tier multimedia rights=5M annually

http://blogs.dailymail.com/wvu/2012/05/09/more-on-the-third-tier/

Playoff revenue=(just announced in last 24 hrs by Brett McMurphy) 9M annually

http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/61349/why-the-big-12-wont-expand

Champions (Sugar) Bowl=4M annually

http://www.mrsec.com/2012/07/report-champions-bowl-to-ink-80m-contract-with-espn/

These numbers should ease the pain from below average on field (on court) performances in the 2012-13 season. Do we realize what these numbers would be if we were to remain in the Big East? The difference between these numbers and the ACC is even HUGE. I was a proponent of conference realignment including Big XII expanding to around 12-14 teams, however, I am no longer a fan of expansion for the Big XII conference. There just isn't an Ohio State, USC or Alabama that could be had in the expansion game that would boost $$ for the Big XII at this time, w/ the possible exception of FSU (who will likely head for the B1G). AS LONG AS THE GoR "sticks"** then my preference is for WVU to build infrastructure, facilites, etc. and grow in these next 13 years in the Big XII.

**The GoR will "stick". #1: B1G and Pac-12 also have this arrangement and it would be foolish for one of them to "test" the rights knowing their institutions could be picked off as well.