West Virginia AD Shane Lyons Addresses Big 12 Realignment Talk
West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons address the Big 12’s membership issues on Monday with a rather benign comment about potential realignment.
Lyons was making a previously scheduled appearance on The Brandon Lowe Show, which is a morning sports talk show based in Charleston, West Virginia. HeartlandCollegeSports.com listened to the appearance, and Lowe directly asked Lyons about the situation in the Big 12.
“We all know what’s been in the news the past week, and rest assured that we’re constantly monitoring and looking at various options for WVU regarding this situation with realignment,” said Lyons. “We’re going to do what’s best for West Virginia University and West Virginia athletics.”
READ MORE: If the Big 12 Fails, Does West Virginia Fit in the ACC or Big Ten?
READ MORE: West Virginia Wants the ACC, But Does the ACC Want West Virginia?
To be fair, Lyons probably wasn’t going to say much more than that at this time. The veteran administrator knows that many pieces are still moving on the board. In fact, while Lyons was talking with Lowe, Texas and Oklahoma reportedly sent their letters to the Big 12 Conference indicating their intention to leave the league after the grant of media rights expires in 2025.
But, the Big 12, Texas and Oklahoma are still talking at this time. The two school presidents, along with the Big 12’s executive committee talked on Sunday. The league also reportedly is prepared to offer both Texas and Oklahoma a larger piece of the league’s revenue share to stay in the Big 12.
As for the Mountaineers, there is rampant speculation that they have interest in the ACC, a conference where Lyons served as an administrator for a decade. Lyons didn’t address that in the appearance. The Big Ten, geographically, could also be an option. But the Big Ten, reportedly, is only interested in schools that are members of the American Association of Universities, and WVU does not have that membership.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
**Want to win a $20 gift card? Go sign up here and join our conversation! The best poster each week wins a gift card to your favorite establishment!**
