West Virginia AD statement on uncertain future of Big 12, conference realignment

West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons addressed the uncertain future of the Big 12 and his school’s reaction to conference realignment.

Texas and Oklahoma moving forward with their plan to join the SEC have the Big 12 in a state of emergency.

Every other Big 12 program is scrambling to make sense of the conference’s future while also setting itself up to land in the best spot.

For West Virginia, reports have already indicated a move to the ACC would be desirable.

Athletic director Shane Lyons didn’t address that specific possibility in his statement on the imminent departure of the Longhorns and Sooners. Still, he did touch on the Mountaineers position going forward in a statement released to the school’s website.

AD Shane Lyons’ statement on West Virginia and the future of the Big 12

"“For the past nine years, West Virginia University has been a loyal member of the Big 12 Conference. We have valued the partnership with the other nine members and have served the league as a prestigious academic institution and a nationally recognized athletics program,” Lyons said in a statement. “We are disappointed that two of our Big 12 institutions have indicated their intent not to extend their media rights beyond 2025.“West Virginia University’s top priority continues to be our student-athletes. We are focused on ensuring that we provide opportunities to elevate their academic and athletic experiences at WVU. However, in addition to our student-athletes, we also understand the impact this announcement has on our University, our state, and our Mountaineer fans around the world. We will continue to be highly engaged and extremely diligent in finding connections that strengthen our academic mission and allow our student-athletes to thrive in one of the most successful athletics programs in the country.”"

The statement also touted the university’s academic rankings, championships won, excellence in the classroom and atmosphere of sportsmanship. It read a bit like a recruiting pitch.

"“As was stated earlier by the Big 12 Conference, athletics is an ever-changing landscape. We look forward to working with our colleagues in the Big 12 and across the country to navigate this new terrain. Together, we will continue to Climb Higher!”"

Geographically, West Virginia has always been removed from their Big 12 partners in the southwest. If conference realignment is happening, it would make a lot of sense for them to try to throw their lot in with the ACC.

The question remains as to how hard the Big 12 will try to hang on.

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