You can almost hear Englebert Humperdinck’s version of “Please Release Me” ringing in the mountains around Morgantown, W.Va.

“Please release me. Let me go. For I don’t love you anymore. To waste our lives would be a sin. Release me and let me love again.”

The song would be an appropriate ringtone for West Virginia Univeristy Athletic Director Oliver Luck as the Mountaineers try to negotiate their release from the Big East to play in the Big 12 starting with the 2012 football season.

The Big East is trying to compel the Mountaineers to honor the league’s 27-month exit agreement. WVU and the Big East Conference are locked in legal battles in Virginia and Rhode Island.

The Big 12 Conference and its schools are waiting.

Big 12 officials sent a preliminary conference schedule to its television partners earlier this month. Big 12 interim commissioner Chuck Neinas told the Charleston (W.Va.) Gazette that West Virginia is included on the Big 12’s 2012 football schedule.

Yet, neither the league office nor any of the Big 12 schools has publicly released a 2012 schedule.

Big 12 schools will be scrambling to fill a 12-game regular season schedule if WVU doesn’t win its Big East release.

TCU will take Texas A&M’s schedule. TCU joined the league after Texas A&M bolted for the Southeastern Conference. West Virginia is supposed to leap into Missouri’s spot, vacated when the Tigers made the jump to the SEC next year.

The Big 12 doesn’t have a problem if WVU wins its release. If it doesn’t, yikes. You’ve got eight schools scrambling to fill an open date and Oklahoma may be scrambling to fill two open dates because TCU already was on OU’s schedule for the 2012 season as a non-conference game.

A Rhode Island judge ordered the Big East and West Virginia to enter into non-binding mediation in early January. They conference and WVU were scheduled to issue a status report Thursday.

Reports on Wednesday that a deal was eminent proved incorrect on Thursday when Rhode Island court officials revealed court-ordered mediation had not resolved the issue.

A statement released by the Rhode Island court stated: “The result of the Big East/WVU conference with Judge (Michael) Silverstein this morning is that the matter is continued to an unspecified date for another status conference. The Rhode Island case continues on a path toward trial though Judge (Michael) Silverstein is certainly open to news of a settlement if that happens in the interim.”

A Charleston newspaper reported Wednesday that WVU is willing to pay the Big East $11 million to break away from the conference. It also reported the Big 12 Conference schools could chip in $1 million apiece to get the Mountaineers in the Big 12.

CBSsports.com cited college industry sources as indicating the Big East might accept a $20-million buyout.

The Big 12 Conference’s television contracts call for a 10-member league. If conference membership slips below 10, the television contracts could be voided or subject to renegotiation. So, the $9-million contribution is small change compared to the $1 billion Fox television contract agreed upon last year.

The mountains around Morgantown may echo with the refrains of “Please Release Me.” But if a deal isn’t completed quickly, the song whistling down the plains could just be Hank Williams’ “Hey Good Lookin”....”Say hey good lookin’. Whatcha good cookin’. How’s about cooking something up with me.”

Chris Day is sports editor for the Stillwater NewsPress.