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One of the most impossible things to do is win the Big East Tournament. Especially if you find yourself playing the first night. Not that it hasn't been done before. But the likelihood is almost zero. In some ways, winning this tournament is more challenging than winning the NCAA tournament. The only saving grace is that these teams know each other and already have a plan in place on how to attack and defend each other. But no matter what path you take to the championship round, you've gone through a murder's row to get there.

Although there are some faces in the first round we're not used to seeing, it's not a mistake that they find themselves playing in the first round. These are the sacrificial lambs of the Big East. The little people, if you will. Given his past success, Jim Calhoun would have you believe he's right where he wants to be. But you know, whatever gets you through the day, Jimbo. I don't think it's happening this year. Jamie Dixon seems more than a little out of place and Jay Wright has had that "WTF" look on his face all year. The perception is that the Big East is down this year with these three perennial heavyweights in the bottom half of the final standings. The truth is, outside of Syracuse's regular season dominance, this might be the most competitive the conference has been top to bottom.

I fully expect at least two of these teams will still be playing Thursday. There's just too many good teams in this conference to not expect a few upsets. It's the beauty of this tournament. If you're a basketball fan at all, this is the start of the most wonderful time of the year. I have no regrets about leaving the Big East for the Big 12. But I'm going to miss being part of this tournament and all the great memories it has provided. Hopefully West Virginia has a couple more great moments up their sleeve before we say our last goodbye.

My own issues with the man and the conference he has presided over start with all the teams I love to hate that have left the conference in the past decade. Miami, BC, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Syracuse. The absence of the last two on the schedule, if that's how it plays out, will be felt immediately. I'd be lying if I said I won't miss playing them.

It hasn't always been front and center, mainly because of the success West Virginia has had in football and basketball. I suppose the success of the programs on a national level made the loss of Virginia Tech, Miami, and Boston College less painful. But now that we're the ones leaving, I find myself looking back in anger at what could have been. What should have been.

Personal relationships with fans of the teams I mentioned above made and make those games special. But we find ourselves at a crossroads. Much like they did when they made the decision to leave the Big East. The landscape of college football is changing at an historically rapid pace. As I've stated before, the Big East only seems interested in maintaining the status quo or doing just enough to keep its BCS status.

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A collective weight has been lifted from West Virginia University’s and Mountaineer fan’s shoulders.

Mike Casazza of the Charleston Daily Mail reported on Thursday evening that West Virginia University and the Big East have reached a conditional settlement to let the Mountaineers join the Big 12 on June 1, 2012. The move will allow the 27-month waiting period set forth by the Big East.

Casazza reports that his source tells him WVU will be on the hook for $11 of the $20 million that the Big East requested the University pay. The settlement puts the pending cases between the two entities to rest. The source said that the Big 12 will pick up the rest of the tab.

Previous reports said that a move would be conditional upon the Mountaineers somehow getting one of the teams that will move to the Big East in 2013 to join a year early. Today’s report says WVU no longer needs to make that happen.

The Big 12 is expected to announce their conference schedule tomorrow. The conference released a schedule to the networks last week that reportedly already had the Mountaineers on it.

This post originally appeared on WVUPros.com

The slow process of the mediation and the litigation between the Big East and West Virginia University leads me to day dream about a prop bet for our early release. One involving golf clubs and horses.

Sadly, no on ever listens to me. Things do seem to be coming to a head. Mediation is scheduled to conclude on February 9th and the Big 12 2012 football schedule was due February 1st.

Today was the deadline for the Big 12 to release its schedule for 2012 per its contract with its television partners. The conference has reportedly submitted a schedule, but it likely won’t be made public until some time next week as the Feb. 9 status conference draws close.

There's no guarantee that a final settlement will be announced on the ninth. But it does seem to at least be a possibility. Perhaps the Big 12 sent two possible schedules, one with and one without WVU, and it won't be announced until the litigation is complete. If this was a relationship, we could file for irreconcilable differences.

We're both at fault here. The way West Virginia is going about this isn't with a lot of class. But conference realignment didn't just magically appear when Syracuse and Pittsburgh announced they were leaving. We justify our actions by the results we expect. And out of frustration for the lack of action, not reaction, the conference has displayed. It's why Oliver Luck was brought in as athletic director. John Marinatto, that was your first clue. Actually, your first clue was Rutgers building up their stadium to woo the Big 10. Rumors should have been flying around somewhere about the Big East looking into expansion.

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With West Virginia and the Big East ordered into non-binding mediation, hopes are certainly high that an end to our long national nightmare might be close at hand. I'm not breaking anything here, because I don't know anything about it. Mitch Vingle seems to, though. I'm thinking about what the mediation process might look like.

In reality, it's doubtful that both Luck and Marinatto would be present. More likely it's a table full of attorneys going through the motions. And that just doesn't sound fun to me. It should have the gravity and excitement that baseball wished the all-star game had.

If I'm making my own mediation process, it starts with Madison Square Garden. No time limit. Winner take all. You were born for this, Mr. Luck. Sure you have the mental advantage as well. But nothing short of a three count is going to ease the blood lust built up over this decision. Okay I'm kidding about the blood lust thing. But there are quite a few schedule makers impatiently waiting on this outcome.

It's not as if we shouldn't expect some torpedoes from Chuck Landon. It is the first of the year, and there hasn't been anything worth reporting in Huntington since training camp. It's kind of like his state of the union. His crystal ball gives him all the reasons for the Mountaineers demise each year. He plays Hunter Thompson for a couple days, and voila.

As much as WVU officials, athletes and fans want to believe the Big East is in their rear view mirrors and the future is now for Big 12 membership. ...

There's a good chance it won't happen. Not in 2012 and, perhaps, not ever.

There is a good chance we could still be in the Big East next year. The Big 12 knew it and even publicly stated that the move was not contingent on West Virginia getting out of the Big East for 2012. Which Landon notes. But he goes on to say that a contingency may still exist. Sure. I mean, a conference that just lost two teams is going to publicly say one thing and then do the other. Credibility would have to be an issue at that point. Wouldn't it? After that, convincing any school to join would have to include at least a few hookers just to get in the door.

What's more likely to happen is that some politicians from Big 12 states and maybe Florida are going to start leaning on the right people and a deal will get done. It may not be one we were hoping for. But it'll get done and we'll all move along. I mean, if we're just going to throw stuff up against the wall to see what sticks...I'll take that bet.

A gathering of Big East celebrities have joined for a special Christmas Roast of the commissioner, John Marinatto. This once proud union comes together for their last Christmas as a conference to stab back at the one they call Brutus.

I remember when John came to me as a young intern and asked me how to get to where I was at. I pointed under my desk. And just look at you now, John! Unfortunately he never asked how to stay where I'm at. Which is why we've all joined tonight.

...

The real key to running any organization...

Run? Have you seen this guy?

...Like I was saying, the key is to play to your strengths. Or in your case you might want to ask, what would Mike do?

I remember before you took over, John. Too bad that changed!

Yes, thanks Jim. You'll get your turn here in a minute.

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