Mitch McConnell lobbied to get Louisville into Big 12 instead of West Virginia? [View All]

Sources: West Virginia fighting Louisville for Big 12 spot; politics entering arena

Nothing is certain in realignment until the ink is dry, and that includes the Big 12's replacement for Missouri.

The only thing missing in the drama was politics - and that just became part of the storyline in a big way.

A day ago, West Virginia was the preferred choice by the Big 12 to replace Missouri, multiple sources confirmed. Now the Mountaineers are in a dogfight with Louisville, which has made an 11th hour push to join the conference.

Two Big 12 school sources confirmed that Louisville is back in the mix. And the sources confirmed a New York Times report this morning that Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) had lobbied Oklahoma president David Boren, a former Senate colleague. McConnell grew up in the Louisville area and has an undergraduate degree from Louisville.
The abrupt turn of events raised the ire of West Virginia's two Democratic senators....

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/10/sources-west-virginia-competing-with-lou.html

:wtf: