By John Antonik for MSNsportsNET.com
January 8, 2004
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – There were whispers in the media room down in Jacksonville before the 2004 Gator Bowl that Boston College was making a big push to exit the Big East Conference this year.
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Big East Commissioner Michael Tranghese will be in Nashville this weekend working with commissioners John Swofford and Britton Banowsky trying to sort out the issues brought about by the ACC's expansion last summer (Big East photo) |
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The Eagles were admitted into the ACC last October and Boston College is under obligation to remain in the Big East through next year unless the conference releases them. Making the move more complicated is the fact that no less than 22 schools from several different conferences will be affected.
Because of that, commissioners John Swofford of the ACC, Mike Tranghese of the Big East and Britton Banowsky of Conference USA will meet at the NCAA Convention in Nashville this weekend to try and iron out a plan to satisfy all parties in involved.
“If we could work it out and everyone could do this, then fine,” Tranghese told the Washington Post Wednesday. “But honestly, I think the roadblock is too significant.”
The hurdles include Conference USA’s desire to keep revenues from the NCAA tournament -- particularly revenue generated by Louisville and Cincinnati, lawsuits filed by the remaining Big East football schools against Miami and Boston College, and a lawsuit filed by Boston College asking for a judgment on whether or not it owes the Big East $1 million or $5 million in exit fees.
The ACC would like to have its 12-team conference set as quickly as possible to begin planning for a championship game that the league expects will net it several million dollars in additional revenue. Boston College would like to leave the Big East to avoid being a lame duck. Louisville would also like to expedite its move to the Big East.
“Let me put it this way,” said Rutgers Athletic Director Robert Mulcahy. “I think there’s very, very little chance that BC could move for the next academic year.”
That means Boston College will more than likely have to make trips to Pitt and West Virginia next year to play football games.
More items to consider:
Syracuse is getting a taste of the harm done to the Big East with the loss of Miami and Virginia Tech this year, and Boston College next year. For the first time since 1993, the Orangemen might have to play more road games than home games to fill out its 2004 schedule. Syracuse Athletic Director Jake Crouthamel told ESPN’s The Pulse Tuesday that the Orangemen will not play Division I-AA schools and that Syracuse may also have to play some weekday games to get on television.
Other remaining Big East football schools are encountering similar difficulties.
The American Football Coaches Association wants the polls to carry more weight in picking the two BCS title game participants and the coaches also want another BCS-level game to offer more inclusion to those schools left out. Football coaches from 117 Division I-A schools were in Orlando, Fla., this week for their annual convention.
“I’m not surprised by these recommendations,” AFCA executive director Grant Teaff told the Associated Press Wednesday. “The current system may not be perfect but it is the one Division I-A coaches continue to prefer.”
ESPN.com is reporting that Monongah, W.Va., native and former Mountaineer assistant coach Nick Saban is taking his time looking over LSU’s new contract proposal which will make him college football’s highest paid coach by $1. Saban led LSU to a share of the national title and has become one of the hottest commodities in the coaching profession.
Saban was a member of Frank Cignetti’s coaching staff at West Virginia in 1978-79.
Sports Business Daily says attendance for the 28 post-season college football bowl games rose 6 percent this year. TV ratings were also up across the board. Leading the way was the Rose Bowl which increased its viewers by 27 percent; approximately 16.5 million households watched USC beat Michigan 28-14. The 14.4 rating was the highest for the Rose Bowl since the BCS system began in 1998.
Fans planning to attend men’s basketball games at the Coliseum this year may be interested to know that additional parking is now available in the parking lot adjacent to the Star City bridge where Hills used to be. A shuttle bus service runs from that parking lot and football’s Green Lot on Van Voorhis Road on game days to help alleviate traffic congestion.
Here are the records of West Virginia’s non-conference basketball opponents as of Wednesday, Jan. 7: James Madison (3-6); Northeastern (8-5); St. Louis (7-4); George Washington (7-6); Maryland (9-3); Duquesne (4-7); IUPUI (9-4); Florida (9-2); IPFW (2-11); Howard (3-7) and Marshall (5-5).
Judging from Connecticut’s 75-74 win at Rutgers Tuesday night, either the Huskies aren’t as good as advertised or Rutgers is going to be a handful for teams in the RAC this year. I’m betting on the latter.
I’m confused now. Which is worse: Pete Rose betting on baseball games or the fact that he lied about it for the past 14 years?
If Bill Callahan says yes to the Nebraska job, is he the big name Steve Pederson promised Husker supporters after he fired Frank Solich?
One thing I do know is that Pederson isn’t afraid to make controversial decisions. Remember, he is the one that tore down Pitt Stadium, moved Pitt football off campus, and built a basketball arena in its place while directing Panther athletics.
West Virginia baseball early signee Mark Wyner of Norwalk, Conn., is rated the nation’s 72nd-best player by Baseball America. Wyner, a right-handed pitcher, is believed to be the first top 100 player West Virginia has signed since pitcher Chris Enochs in 1994.
Putting a wrap on the 2003 football season:
Senior Grant Wiley finished his WVU career ranked first in total tackles (492), unassisted tackles (298) and tackles for losses (47.5). Wiley finished fourth in assisted tackles with 194. Linebacker Chris Haering sits atop the list with 222 assisted tackles from 1986-89.
Brian King also made his way to the top of the WVU record books with 56 career pass deflections, 18 more than second-place Aaron Beasley and teammate Lance Frazier. King is tied for 10th with six other players with 10 career interceptions.
Quincy Wilson may have had a disappointing Gator Bowl rushing just 12 times for 49 yards, but he finished his WVU career as the school’s fifth all-time leading rusher with 2,608 yards. Wilson finished fifth in rushing attempts with 474 and his 20 rushing touchdowns ties him with Rasheed Marshall for sixth all-time.
Wilson’s 1,380 yards this season extends West Virginia’s streak of having a 1,000-yard rusher to eight straight years. The last time the Mountaineers failed to have a 1,000-yard rusher was in 1995 when Robert Walker led the team with 508 yards.
Rasheed Marshall is now 10th in career passing yards (3,672), completions (289) and pass attempts (553) and is tied for 10th with Allen McCune and Jeff Hostetler for career touchdown passes (26).
Marshall’s 1,179 yards rushing are the second most by a WVU quarterback and his 20 rushing TDs ties him with Quincy Wilson for sixth all-time. Marshall’s 46 total touchdowns ties him with Mike Sherwood for fifth all-time and he’s sixth in total offense with 4,875 career yards.
I saw a preliminary list of players for the NFL combines and according to this list, running back Quincy Wilson is the only WVU player invited. Mel Kiper Jr. has Wilson listed as the fifth-best running back available for the draft.
Jim Nowell, Director of Skill Development the past two seasons at WVU, has taken a job coordinating the Mississippi State strength program under new coach Sylvester Croom. Nowell’s hiring was announced Wednesday.
Have a great week!
