Texas Tech President Guy Bailey is “very hopeful” that West Virginia will be in the Big 12 in 2012. Bailey spoke to RedRaiderSports.com in wake of the upcoming 2012 Big 12 football schedules.
“West Virginia has assured us they’d be in there,” Bailey said. “I believe them and I’m very hopeful… I think all of the realignment issues will be resolved in the next two weeks. I won’t guarantee it, but we are making progress.”
The Big 12 Board of Directors are scheduled to meet on Feb. 2, the day after they hope West Virginia’s lawsuit with the Big East is resolved. In any event, the Big 12 hopes to release their 2012 football schedule soon after.
According to Bailey, those schedules will include West Virginia. Bailey said the “…Big 12 has at least three preliminary schedules” and that the “…schedules feature West Virginia on them.”
When West Virginia’s 2012 conference is finally decided, it will leave the other conference scrambling to fill non-conference games. Big 12 schools currently have three non-conference contests scheduled, but will have to add a fourth if the Mountaineers reamain in the Big East.
On the other hand, if WVU heads to the Big 12, the Big East will be left with only seven members for 2012. That means each school will need six non-conference games.