Morgantown, W.Va. ? The lawsuit over a $4 million buyout clause in the contract of former West Virginia University football coach Rich Rodriguez is headed back to the court where it originated.

A federal judge ruled Monday that the matter belongs in Monongalia County Circuit Court. That’s where WVU filed the case after Rodriguez resigned to take the head coaching job at Michigan.

The ruling also says it’s clear the outcome of the case will have an impact on state funds because any money paid to or held by the university is considered the state’s money.