It is Valentine’s Day, but one longterm relationship has come to an end. West Virginia is officially leaving the Big East to join its natural rivals in the Big 12 conference by next football season. The Mountaineers will pay $20 million to leave early, with $10 million of that coming from a Big 12 loan. The Big 12 will forgive part of the loan.

Syracuse and Pittsburgh are expected to stay until 2013, though the Big East still must find a team to join by 2012, presumably Boise State, or force a scheduling scramble with the seven members searching for a sixth non-conference game.

It’s great for West Virginia, who receive terra firma, television riches and not having the school’s athletic future subject to bumbling commissioners and the whims of small, Catholic basketball colleges. The folks in Providence should be the jilted party, though they would have you believe the Big East has controlled events throughout the process.

In deciding to terminate West Virginia University’s membership, the Conference took into account the accusations that WVU asserted against the BIG EAST in the lawsuit that is now being dismissed. The Conference also took into account the steps that West Virginia University was willing to take to resolve the litigation, including the payment of an exit fee well in excess of that required by the Bylaws. In light of all of these factors, the BIG EAST Conference felt that it was in its best interest to terminate West Virginia University’s membership and conclude the litigation.

The Big East also “decided” to permit its girlfriend to move out. The conference closes with the hopeful assertion that “the future for the Big East has never been brighter.” Sorry, the “BIG EAST.”

Previously: West Virginia is Confirmed to the Big 12 and Mountaineer Fans Should Get Psyched for 2,300-Mile Big 12 Road Trips

[Photo via Getty]