"So, um, anything else shakin'?"

More times than not, that ends any semblance of intellectual give and take. The stimulating question is usually met with, "no, not really." And that's the end of the interview.

Last week, however, while I had WVU deputy athletic director Mike Parsons on the line, I tacked on a few words. They were: "Anything on scheduling?"

"Well," he said, "we're waiting to get more definitive direction on TCU."

As you may know, the Horned Frogs are joining West Virginia's conference, the Big East, beginning the 2012-13 school year. The league may also add another school in the near future.

Anyway, his response led me to ask about the football series with in-state rival Marshall. There's been an extended impasse in regard to talks. The current seven-year deal expires after 2012. The teams will play season-openers in Morgantown on Sept. 3 of 2011 and Sept. 1 of 2012.

After that, might this series be dead?

"[TCU] will make it very difficult to bring on another non-conference team," Parsons said.

Reads like taps for the matchup, eh? Definitely sounded that way.

"Well, you never say never," Parsons said. "But [the Big East's addition of TCU] certainly makes it more difficult. We're trying to maintain a national scheduling philosophy."

Doesn't take a magnifying glass to read between those lines.

I understand. Sen. Joe Manchin "guaranteed" the series would continue back in September when he was the Mountain State's governor. While speaking at the Friends of Coal luncheon in Huntington prior to the most recent game, he said, "I will guarantee we'll have more to this series."

But additional months have passed in the already long impasse. Manchin is no longer the governor. And it's become pretty clear WVU officials have little or no interest in extending the series.

By all accounts, the tone of negotiations has changed since Oliver Luck became WVU's athletic director. Perhaps he's making a statement to his fans, many of whom don't like the series. Perhaps he's trying to curry their favor. Perhaps he's just holding the phone while the Big East concludes its expansion.

Whatever the case, there certainly will be no Coal Bowl in 2013. Both sides have agreed to skip that season. They've even agreed the series doesn't have to be an annual event.

After that, though, is where the questions bubble. Marshall certainly wishes the series to continue.

"I think it's a great game for the state and college football," said MU athletic director Mike Hamrick. "Marshall wants to play the game."

He pointed to sellouts. He pointed to statewide interest. Said advertisers love the game. Said the rating on ESPN was very healthy for this past season's Friday night game.

Yet the impasse remains. WVU, of course, sees the matchup as a no-win situation. Win and it's no big deal; lose - as the Mountaineers almost did this year - and it's a very big deal. The WVU Nation was set to flip until Geno Smith came to the rescue late in the last game.

There's still plenty of time, of course, for a deal to be done, especially since the sides have agreed not to play in 2013. Manchin is out, but new Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin was on the field with Manchin during the game's last coin flip. Would he take over Manchin's charge? Probably not.

Also, WVU could make moves if it wished. The school's long-term deal with East Carolina could be pared to make room for MU. Schedule changes like that happen all the time.

As it sits, however, West Virginia officials seem content with allowing the series to expire. Parsons' words indicate that. Luck's lack of action indicates that.

There's certainly no movin' and shakin' going on.

Reach Mitch Vingle at 304-348-4827, mitchvin...@wvgazette.com or follow him at http://twitter.com/MitchVingle.