▁year ▁earlier ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Big ▁East . ▁ ▁On ▁October ▁ 1 4 , ▁the ▁Mountain ▁West ▁and ▁Conference ▁USA ▁announced ▁their ▁intention ▁to ▁merge ▁their ▁football ▁operations ▁and ▁form ▁a ▁two - div ision , ▁ 2 2 - team ▁conference ▁in ▁hopes ▁of ▁ear ning ▁an ▁automatic ▁qual ifier ▁to ▁a ▁B CS ▁bow l . ▁The ▁agreement ▁was ▁abandoned ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁after ▁both ▁con ferences ▁added ▁new ▁members . ▁ ▁The ▁next ▁change ▁came ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 8 , ▁when ▁the ▁Big ▁ 1 2 ▁formally ▁accepted ▁West ▁Virginia ▁from ▁the ▁Big ▁East . ▁This ▁move ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁legal ▁battle ▁in ▁which ▁West ▁Virginia ▁file d ▁suit ▁against ▁the ▁Big ▁East ▁to ▁over turn ▁the ▁standard ▁ 2 7 - month ▁notice ▁period , ▁and ▁the ▁Big ▁East ▁su ing ▁in ▁another ▁court ▁to ▁have ▁the ▁requirement ▁enfor ced . ▁In ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁the ▁two ▁parties ▁reached ▁a ▁settlement ▁that ▁allowed ▁West ▁Virginia ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Big ▁ 1 2 ▁that ▁July . ▁Several ▁months ▁later , ▁both ▁Pitts burgh ▁and ▁Sy rac use ▁reached ▁their ▁own ▁settlement s ▁with ▁the ▁Big ▁East ▁that ▁allowed ▁them ▁to ▁leave ▁for ▁the ▁A CC ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁ ▁Ch anges ▁in ▁membership ▁reduced ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁teams ▁in ▁the ▁Big ▁ 1 2 ▁from ▁twelve ▁to ▁ten ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁season ▁and ▁beyond , ▁forcing ▁the ▁conference ▁to ▁drop ▁its ▁annual