Charleston, W. Va. ? The Big 12 did the proper thing by setting aside political overtones and looking at the merits of what West Virginia would bring to the conference, the state’s two U.S. senators said Friday.
The Big 12 said Friday that WVU will become a full member on July 1, 2012, leaving behind the Big East.
“It’s truly a wonderful day for the state of West Virginia and a great, great day for WVU,” Manchin told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “It’s a great day to be a Mountaineer.”
That day was supposed to be Tuesday, when West Virginia officials were preparing a press release and planning a news conference to announce the conference switch. But they were told later that day to put those plans on hold.
The about-face came because Louisville made a late push for inclusion that reportedly involved a phone call from Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Louisville alum, to Big 12 officials.
Manchin then threatened a Senate investigation if it were found that another lawmaker had stood in the way of the Mountaineers move.
Also getting involved was West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which has oversight of sports.
In the end, politics lost out. .
“The intervening days have been troubling, most especially the reports of an eleventh-hour political intervention to undermine the first, merits-based decision,” Rockefeller said in a statement. “It is encouraging that the Big 12 stuck to its guns and is following through on its commitment to add WVU to the conference.”
A statement from the Big 12 said the conference is expected to be comprised of 10 universities in 2012-13. Louisville wasn’t on the list.
McConnell spokesman Robert Steurer said the senator isn’t commenting on the Big 12’s decision.
Manchin said he faulted no one, McConnell included, for “rooting for their team,” but the Big 12’s decision was one that had to be based on the facts.
“I’m just very pleased and very appreciative that the Big 12 … took the extra time to go back and revisit to make sure they hadn’t missed anything when they did their evaluation, and it still came up with WVU was the pick, and that’s what happened today.”
Other reports this week cited travel concerns involving Big 12 schools to West Virginia, with Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville saying Morgantown is 70 miles from the Pittsburgh airport.
“They just didn’t know us,” Manchin said. “I find that so typical. They just don’t know our little state. The more we can show our state off, this gives us a whole ‘nother venue, and I’m just tickled to death.”
