Nothing has been officially resolved between the Big East and the West Virginia Mountaineers, but that hasn't stopped WVU from moving forward with its intent to join the Big 12 soon as soon as this fall for its football program. The latest middle finger displayed to the Big East is the cancellation of the Mountaineers' game on September 8 with the Florida State Seminoles, who signed on to play a home and home series against WVU starting this season. West Virginia had to stomach a $350K penalty to do so.
However, the move sets up the Mountaineers to enter this fall into the Big 12. The Big 12 has nine conference games, and West Virginia had four non-conference match-ups. One simply had to go. Florida State became the early game on the chopping block and now the school and its new conference home have a schedule that can match up. It does, however, leave Florida State scrambling to find a new partner.
The Big East and West Virginia have outstanding lawsuits against the other, so the legal drama and posturing will likely last until the final seconds. In the end, however, the school has set its course, official or not, on the Big 12 in the fall of 2012. With so many others involved and several factors, some cash will undoubtedly exchange hands in time to get the deal finished one way or another.