ACC makes sense, but it's interesting to see Luck confirm it, and say that he thinks the SEC may have been possible. I have trouble seeing that.

While Luck is aware of the options he had at his disposal, he’s also aware that there are those out there that still believe another conference that was a better geographic fit was a very real opportunity. Luck may not have said it, but I will. It was the Big 12 or it would have been the American Athletic Conference. To think there was something better is foolish, particularly those who still want to believe that the ACC was actually an option or that other conferences were just waiting for us so they could pounce at the right time.

It wasn’t the case. Luck said as much.

“I think it’s accurate to say the ACC was never an option and all you have to do is go back and look at the history of the ACC and WVU’s history with the Southern Conference. The ACC changed its membership four or five times and never was WVU in the discussion and never invited,” said Luck. “ … When the most recent discussions were taking place, there was zero opportunity with the ACC – none.”

As for the SEC, well, that’s not the same story as our friends in the ACC. While Luck didn’t talk specifics, he did say something could have happened if …

“The SEC was a little bit different. Missouri took a long time to decide what it wanted to do and I think they were on the fence for six, seven, maybe eight months. Some thought Missouri was waiting for an offer from the Big 10 or may stay in the Big 12,” said Luck. “Had they stayed or had they become a member of the Big 10, we may have had an opportunity – and I emphasize the word maybe – to be in the SEC. The thing is nobody really knew what would have happened. What we do know is that Missouri’s move closed that door.”

The door to the Big 10 was never open either and it had nothing to do with a slight at WVU. Luck said he had, and still has, a great relationship with Commissioner Jim Delaney, but that WVU simply did not have Association of American University status.

“That’s not a slam against the University, but that’s why we weren’t even considered,” said Luck.

http://www.connect-bridgeport.com/connect.cfm?func=view&section=&item=From-the-Bench-Luck-Talks-New-NCAA-Gig-Big-12-Significance-and-Failure-to-Renew-Backyard-Brawl17619