Big 12 Bound, W Virg.Turnbull won’t look past this Season, Talks to Takedown
Posted on | October 28, 2011 | No Comments
October 28, 2011 11:47 AM
IRVING, Texas – The Big 12 Conference Board of Directors have voted unanimously to accept West Virginia University as a full conference member effective July 1, 2012. The Mountaineers will begin competing in the Big 12 beginning with the 2012-13 athletic season.
West Virginia is the second new member to join the Conference since it began in 1996 after the addition of TCU earlier this month.
“The Big 12 Presidents and Chancellors are excited to welcome another outstanding institution to the Conference,” said Burns Hargis, Chair of the Big 12 Board of Directors and President of Oklahoma State University.
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| Dr. James P. Clements |
“The Big 12 is a perfect fit for West Virginia University,” said WVU President Dr. James P. Clements. “It is a strong conference that, like WVU, values quality academic and athletic programs, and has a great tradition of success. This is a very exciting time for WVU and Mountaineer nation. I am confident that the future of WVU athletics has never been more promising.”
West Virginia University, located in Morgantown, sponsors 17 varsity sports. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, football, soccer, swimming & diving and wrestling. Women’s sports are basketball, cross country, gymnastics, rowing, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field and volleyball. The Mountaineers also boast a co-ed rifle squad. The Big 12 sponsors every sport the Mountaineers participate in except rifle and men’s soccer.
“We are excited to add West Virginia to our exceptional lineup of Conference members,” said Big 12 Interim Commissioner Chuck Neinas. “They bring an excellent overall athletic program to the Big 12 and allow the league to expand into an area that boasts a passionate group of fans and alumni throughout its region.”
Since its inception 15 years ago, the Big 12 has won 42 team national championships and 492 NCAA individual crowns. In addition, more than 3,700 student-athletes have earned All-America First Team accolades for their play on the field with more than 500 being recognized with Academic All-America honors.
Beginning with the 2012-13 season it is expected that the Big 12 Conference will be comprised of 10 Universities – Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia. The Big 12’s footprint will encompass five states with over 36 million people. More than 4,100 student-athletes from across the United States and around the World compete annually in the 23 sports sponsored by the Conference.
“Coach Craig Turnbull has continually put together one of the top schedules in the country and this upcoming season is no different,” says Luck. “Given the success of the team over the years, we are able to find top-notch opponents that want to wrestle against us to receive quality competition. We are looking forward to watching the team excel this season.”
The schedule is highlighted by two non-conference meets against Big Ten foes Penn State and Michigan State, ACC rival Maryland and NWCA foe, Rutgers.
“We believe we have put together a very competitive schedule that will meet our needs and have our guys prepared to be able to pursue all of their goals at the end of the season,” says Turnbull. “The schedule is not put together to ensure that we have the strongest win-loss record, although that is always our goal.”
The Mountaineers will begin their season, Nov. 6, in College Park, Md. at the University of Maryland Duals, followed by the Washington & Jefferson Tournament and the Navy Classic.
After their first three dates, WVU will take its annual west coast road trip where it will compete in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and the Reno Tournament of Champions.
“We will get out to the west coast twice this season with those two tournaments,” Turnbull says. “While we are out there, we will see many of the top teams in the Midwest along with many of the top west coast teams.”
In between their two west coast trips, the Mountaineers will travel to State College, Pa., for a highly anticipated dual meet against the Nittany Lions.
“The marquee matchup on our schedule is probably Penn State,” Turnbull says. “They are the returning national champions and will be ranked No. 1 in the country at the beginning of the season. Penn State is a great place to wrestle a dual meet. They value wrestling and they understand wrestling. They will sell Rec Hall out, and it is a great opportunity for our guys to wrestle some of the best wrestlers in the country.”
WVU’s dual meet schedule kicks into full swing on Jan. 6 with its first home matchup against the Terrapins, which is followed up a week later with a meet against Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich.
“Reigning ACC Champions Maryland will come into our gym, and that is a very good home match for us,” Turnbull says. “We will get into the Big Ten with a dual match at Michigan State.”
WVU will begin action in the Eastern Wrestling League with its dual meet against Bloomsburg on Jan. 21 and conclude conference competition with a dual meet against Cleveland State on Feb.19.
Annual meets against Clarion, Lock Haven, Pitt will be held at home, while a meet against Ohio is set to take place in Athens, Ohio.
The dual meet against the Panthers is always anticipated, and this year, it will be particularly important since Pitt is the defending EWL champion.
“The EWL is really challenging,” Turnbull says. “Pitts returns most of its team that won the league last year. First or second is generally the place we are, and this year, we would like that to be first. It is a very strong challenge with the team that Pitt is returning this year.”
The Mountaineer’s final two dates are the EWL Championships, which take place in Clarion, Pa., this season and the NCAA Championships, which will be held in St. Louis, Mo.
“The ultimate goal in putting our schedule together is that each one of our guys receives the preparation in competition and challenges throughout the year in order to place high at the NCAA Championships or winning a national championship at the end of the season,” Turnbull says.
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