WVU/Big East Settle Lawsuits

{Morgantown, West Virginia}...West Virginia University and the Big East have officially settled their lawsuits out of court, ending legal battles in West Virginia and Rhode Island. WVU Director of Athletics Oliver Luck says WVU will officially join the Big 12 on July 1st without any further legal ramifications. Both West Virginia and the Big East have decided to keep the terms of the settlement private, but Luck stresses that no state or taxpayer funds, tuition or academic support monies will be used to pay the settlement. A person familiar with the agreement said the settlement totaled $20 million. West Virginia  paid the Big East $2.5 million last fall when WVU announced it was leaving the league. Luck said WVU should get about $18 million to $19 million a year in television payouts, about double what it gets from the Big East. Payments are being prorated for the first three years at 50 percent, 67 percent and 87 percent, he said, reaching 100 percent in the fourth year.