I'm not quite sure what's going to come of West Virginia's lawsuit against the Big East but I'm willing to bet its outcome will have a lot to say about the near-future of the Syracuse Orange.
If West Virginia is able to legally-maneuver their way out of the conference, you can bet Syracuse and Pitt will follow suit (figuratively and literally). If the Big East is able to fend off these overtures, then we all better get real cozy for the next 26-or-so months.
Bill Connelly over at SBNation.com has a great breakdown of the lawsuit itself (which you can read here). Go read Bill's breakdown but here's some nuggets that I think are worth noting:
Despite the fact that half of the member institutions are non-football schools, the Bylaws allow those non-football schools to vote on football matters, stating: "Notwithstanding any provision in these Bylaws to the contrary, any vote on a matter constituting a Football Action shall be passed by a majority vote of all Division I-A School Directors only, or where applicable, by majority vote of all Division I-A School Athlete Directors only, and no amendment to this definition of 'Football Action' shall be passed without the vote of a majority of all the Division I-A School Directors...."
And you wonder why all the football schools are jumping ship. Plus, as WVU points out later in the lawsuit, that also means that schools like West Virginia have much less power now that there are less football schools in the conference. Basically, they were at the mercy of Seton Hall and Providence to decide their football future.
Commissioner's Breach of Fiduciary Duties to Football Schools
29. The denigration of the Big East football conference is a direct and proximate result of ineffective leadership and breach of fiduciary duties to the football schools by the Big East Conference and its Commissioner.
30. The Big East and its Commissioner failed to take proactive measures to maintain, let alone enhance, the level of competition for the Big East football schools.
KABOOM!
WVU hereby demands a trial by jury.
I'm giddy.