The Big East has filed a request for an injunction to force West Virginia to remain in the Big East for the full 27-month exit period spelled out in the conference's bylaws. Currently, West Virginia and the Big East have lawsuits filed against one another in Rhode Island and West Virginia courts. The request for an injunction specifically argues that the Big East would be irreparably harmed if West Virginia is allowed to leave for the 2012 season because of the difficulty of scheduling new opponents, particularly conference opponents, and the fear of loss of television revenue as a result of a decreased number of teams.
The injunction request also states repeatedly that on numerous occasions, West Virginia voted to uphold the bylaws and its exit provisions. Most importantly, West Virginia voted to increase the exit fee and uphold the 27-month waiting period as late as October 17, 2011, less than two weeks before the school would announce its departure for the Big 12. Below is a link to the pdf of the full filing from the Big East in a Rhode Island court, today.
Stay tuned to Big East Coast Bias and in particular our Big East Expansion section for any additional news on potential new additions to the conference.