President David C. Hardesty Jr. confirmed today (June 6) that West Virginia University along with four other Big East schoolsthe University of Connecticut, the University of Pittsburgh, Rutgers University and Virginia Technotified the presidents of the University of Miami and Boston College this morning that a suit had been filed in Connecticut against the ACC and those two school on behalf of these universities.
“Our five football playing universities have brought this lawsuit with great regret only as a last resort,”said Hardesty, adding,”we arrive at this day more in sorrow than in anger. Unfortunately, the actions of the University of Miami and Boston Collegein concert with the ACC simply left us no choice but to bring this action because of the irreparable harm being done to our schools.”
Hardesty was joined at a campus press conference by West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw Jr., WVU Athletic Director Ed Pastilong and WVU Board of Governors Chairman Hank Barnette. With reference to the suit, Hardesty said,”This is a defining moment in intercollegiate athletics. The question is whether partners of long standing can simply walk away from one another for a little bit more money, not withstanding their mutual commitments to one another.”
These discussions, he noted, were going on at the same time Miami and BC officials were pledging to the public and to the Big East schools that their commitment to the league was strong and they had no intention of defecting to another conference.
Big East universities depend on revenues from the conference to fund academic and sports programs, and the Big East schools have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in reliance of these”now broken promises,”Hardesty said.
The schools will be led in this suit by Jeffrey Mishkin of the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher&Flom, LLP in New York City.
Hardesty admitted that the proposed departure of the three Big East teams caught the Big East schools by surprise, but that he and his presidential counterparts at U Conn, Pitt, Rutgers and Virginia Techalong with AD Pastilong and his counterparts at these schoolshave worked diligently over the last several weeks”to keep the Big East together.”
He cited the four-day AD meeting in Florida; a personal visit to Boston College by Chancellor Mark Nordenberg of Pitt, President Philip Austin of U Conn and himself with Father Leahy; a personal visit from Hardesty and Nordenberg with Chancellor Kenneth Shaw of Syracuse; countless conference calls; the June 4 meeting in Washington, D.C., with the five presidents and Miami President Donna Shalala; and vocal support and efforts on behalf of West Virginia’s congressional delegation, among other actions.
“This is by no means a comprehensive list, but let me assure you, our efforts to save the Big East have been intense and focused.”
In addition to his colleaguesAustin, Nordenberg, President Richard McCormick of Rutgers and President Charles Steger of Virginia TechHardesty acknowledged WVU ’s Board of Governors and its chairman, Hank Barnette; Athletic Director Ed Pastilong; basketball colleagues at the five schools; Attorney General McGraw; West Virginia’s congressional delegation, including Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller and Rep. Alan Mollohan; Gov. Bob Wise; Morgantown officials, and WVU ’s alumni and fans who have been”patient, loyal and supportive during this difficult time.”