Collegiate Sports

[ksquared]

The plot thickens...

I just caught this headline and the beginning of the story... will have to read the whole thing at lunch.

Later,
ksquared

Miami mulling staying in Big East
Friday, June 27, 2003
BY TOM LUICCI
Star-Ledger Staff

Just when it appeared that the Atlantic Coast Conference's expansion plans couldn't get any more bizarre than they have been for the past six weeks, they somehow did.

Miami president Donna Shalala said yesterday her school was now considering an informal counterproposal from the Big East and that it would hold off until Monday deciding on whether to accept the ACC's invitation to join.

That wouldn't be unusual except for one catch: No Big East officials except for those at Syracuse and Boston College are privy to the counterproposals the league is supposed to be making.

"I don't know anything about it other than what I'm hearing, and neither does anyone else in the conference (besides Boston College and Syracuse)," Rutgers athletic director Bob Mulcahy said.

A Big East official said the league has not been consulted about the counterproposals, although nothing being offered by Boston College and Syracuse is new or groundbreaking, according to someone familiar with the offer. Big East commissioner Michael Tranghese declined comment.

One college official said last night that representatives from Boston College and Syracuse would fly to Miami today to make their pitch to Shalala in person. Both schools were originally part of the ACC's expansion plans with Miami but failed to generate enough support to receive an invitation to join.

Following a one-hour meeting with Miami's 19-member executive committee and athletic director Paul Dee yesterday, Shalala said her school would study the Big East's counterproposal before announcing its plans on Monday -- the deadline for Big East schools to declare their intentions before their exit fees double to $2 million. No vote was taken on whether to accept the ACC's invitation.

If Miami chooses to remain in the Big East, it won't affect Virginia Tech, which has already accepted an invitation to join the ACC -- after being thrown into the league's expansion mix at the 11th hour on Tuesday night.

"The Big East has informally sent a proposal, or at least a list or proposals, to us and we feel a responsibility to review them," Shalala said.

The proposals were presented to Shalala by Father William Leahy, the president of Boston College, and Syracuse chancellor Kenneth "Buzz" Shaw.

"Big East institutions are making a case to Miami for it to stay in the conference," said Syracuse spokesman Kevin Morrow. "At the forefront of these conversations are Syracuse and Boston College. Chancellor Shaw, Father Leahy and Donna Shalala are talking. (Syracuse athletic director) Jake Crouthamel, (Boston College athletic director) Gene DeFilippo and Paul Dee are talking. It is not appropriate for me to discuss details publicly."

Said DeFilippo: "My hope is that we can still be aligned in a conference with Miami, because my hope at this point is that Miami decides to remain in the Big East."

According to those familiar with the situation, Boston College and Syracuse have simply dressed up some of the old offers made to Miami so the school can compare them to what it can expect in the ACC if it joins with Virginia Tech to form an 11-team conference. All of Miami's previous projections for joining the ACC were based on a 12-team conference that included Boston College along with the Hurricanes. Now it will re-consider the Big East's old offer in comparison to its new situation -- which explains why BC and Syracuse have not consulted the rest of the Big East.

The counterproposals include the following:


A guarantee of $9 million per year in revenue for the next five years, which Big East commissioner Michael Tranghese previously promised to Miami in a letter three weeks ago.


Expanding the Big East Football Conference to 10 teams, with the league then seeking to amend NCAA legislation so it can stage a football championship game. Current legislation requires 12 teams in order to merit staging a title game.


A restructuring of the bowl revenue sharing that is more heavily weighted to reward performance.


Exploring the possibility of the football schools breaking away from the basketball schools to form their own all-sports conference.


Greater say by Miami on which teams are added to the Big East for football.

Those close the situation said that Rutgers, Connecticut, Pittsburgh and West Virginia were intentionally omitted from the last-minute pitch to keep Miami because they still have an active suit against the school. Shalala is said to be more willing to listen to what Boston College and Syracuse have to say because they were originally aligned in the ACC expansion plans that began in mid-May.

"Our statement is that we want to be fair to our colleagues, and since it came from Syracuse and Boston College, we are particularly obligated to give it a thoughtful response," Shalala said.

She said that Miami was "deeply disappointed that Boston College and Syracuse were not invited by the ACC."

Asked if there was a chance that Miami might remain in the Big East, Shalala said:

"Yes. But I can't analyze that for you, and I only answer the question yes because we haven't made a decision yet," she said.

http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/1056695440164370.xml