Big East football is at a critical crossroads. When West Virginia’s departure to the Big 12 becomes official, the conference will have only five teams, including one original member, Rutgers. What happens over the next week will determine whether the league will survive or divide.

While the Big East has appeared to hit rock bottom with the loss of Syracuse, Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Texas Christian, there are still embers of hope.

The official announcement has not been set, but a West Virginia official said Tuesday that the program has applied and been accepted to the Big 12, and that the departure from the Big East is solid.

For the Big East to survive — as it did in 2003 when it was whittled to five members in football — it needs the conference shakeups to end so it can rebuild. Missouri will eventually announce that it is headed to the Southeastern Conference, and when that happens it will be replaced by West Virginia as the Big 12’s 10th team.