The Big 12 conference made an official announcement on Thursday regarding their search for a new commissioner, deciding on Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby.

The conference had been served the last seven months under interim commissioner, Chuck Neinas. Neinas replaced Dan Beebe, who was ousted last September.

 Honus "The Dude" Sneed comes down from the mountain (and off his mountain bike) to share his thoughts on Big 12 expansion rumors and the status of Clemson and FSU. 

As West Virginia prepares to enter their inaugural season in the Big 12 conference, many Mountaineer fans are taking the opportunity to connect with others from their future conference mates. And we here at eerinsider.com are no different.

Last week, we had the privilege of doing a Q&A with Hornsports.com, an phenomenal website dedicated to Longhorn sports. They were gracious enough to return the favor, and let us know more about the Horns, their thoughts on WVU, and what fans can expect when visiting Austin.

Usually, college football bowl projections are saved for the final stretch run of the season. But with the anticipation continuing to brew amongst Mountaineer fans about their inaugural season in the Big 12 conference, I've decided to get a head start.

As time allows, a break down of each individual team will come. However, for this purpose, I've focused on conference records and where each team will wind up.

With the 2012 NFL Draft in the books, eight Mountaineers either heard their named called in New York City or received a phone call with a shot at a free agent contract.

Let's take a look at where guys are heading.

As West Virginia prepares to enter their first season in the Big 12 conference, they do so with one key luxury in their favor - experience.

Yet, with position battles heating up in summer, there are numerous spots where the Mountaineers will rely on youth. Several players from the 2012 recruiting class will be called upon to contribute.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected two former Mountaineers in separate rounds of the NFL draft on Saturday.

In the 5th round, the Buccaneers selected linebacker, Najee Goode. A round later they selected defensive back, Keith Tandy.

Senior Kevin Jones was the recipient of the teams MVP award for the 2011-12 season, handed out at the teams banquet on Thursday night.

Jones, a senior from Mount Vernon, N.Y., averaged 19.9 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. He became just the third player in Big East conference history to have led the league in both scoring and rebounding in the same season. 

West Virginia defensive end Bruce Irvin because the first surprise of the draft, as the Seattle Seahawks drafted him with the 15th overall pick.

Irvin, at 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, had a sensational career in just two seasons for the Mountaineers. Among many eye popping statistics he's recorded, the most notable was his 22 1/2 sacks in his short college career.

Seattle head coach, Pete Carroll, immediately went to twitter to voice his pleasure with the pick.

"He (Bruce Irvin) looks like a carbon copy of Von Miller rushing the passer. This is the type of guy that puts fear in offensive tackles," tweeted Carroll.

Irvin is the ninth first round pick in West Virginia history, and the first since Adam "PacMan" Jones in 2006.

According to MetroNews, WVU freshman guard Paul Williamson is set to transfer from the Mountaineer basketball team.

The most likely destination for the Logan, West Virginia native is Fairmont State. Last week, former Mountaineer assistant, Jerrod Calhoun, was introduced as the new head coach for the Falcons.

Williamson, a walk-on, appeared in 20 games last season. He averaged 1.1 points and 0.4 rebounds per game. Mostly known to be a three-point specialist, he shot over 40 percent from behind the arc.

Williamson is the second player from last year's squad to leave the program. Tommie McCune left the program last March.