Post by elp525 on Dec 1, 2010 8:26:22 GMT -5
November 30, 2010
By Mitch Vingle
The Charleston Gazette
BECAUSE YOU'RE a valued reader of the Charleston Gazette, your Wednesday scoop-o-rama:
Big East commissioner John Marinatto spent Thanksgiving in his office, eating, instead of hot turkey and mashed potatoes, a meatball sandwich. The presidents had to vote on the TCU issue. The legal documents had to be signed. The deal had to be completed.
Now, the Horned Frogs are in the league's fold.
"It's where we wanted to go and we're where we want to be," Marinatto said in a phone interview on Tuesday.
The follow-up question, of course, is where the Big East now wishes to go. Corralling TCU probably isn't the end of the league's expansion.
Remember, the conference released a statement not too long ago that said its presidents "agreed that the interests of each of the conference's 16 member institutions would be served by increasing the number of Bowl Subdivision football-playing members to 10."
When asked about the issue on Tuesday, Marinatto said the following:
"When we made the [TCU] announcement, we said we weren't going to publicly comment on specifics, other than to say we've taken our first step."
Note the last three words. Their first step. Big East football teams now have four home league games and four away games secured. Apparently, though, there is more to come. But where will the league go now? Houston? Central Florida?
"We've always been consistent," Marinatto said. "We want to expand with someone that brings value. TCU brings value."
He added that "everything is on the table" now and the league would "step back for a few moments" to regroup before moving ahead.
Well, well, well. Notre Dame went and did it, eh? The Fighting Irish went out, defeated USC and positioned themselves for a nice bowl by finishing 7-5.
The Champs Sports Bowl, if you remember last week's column, can take Notre Dame with that record over a Big East school.
Sure enough, a source imbedded in Orlando, Fla., who asked to remain anonymous, said, "they're in the mix."
So I made more calls, and the consensus is this: If West Virginia defeats Rutgers, yet doesn't go to a BCS bowl, it will land in the Champs Sports Bowl. The Mountaineers, with their rabid following, would be attractive to pair against, say, North Carolina State. (A WVU-Maryland rematch isn't attractive.)
If WVU does go to a BCS bowl, however, look for Notre Dame to fill the Champs Sports Bowl. Those in Orlando are aware the Gator Bowl's last four-year contract with the Big East-Notre Dame alliance didn't deliver the Golden Domers, and they certainly want the Irish at some point.
Still skeptical that the Champs would take WVU over Notre Dame? Understandable, but consider a couple of facts. First, if WVU defeats Rutgers, the Mountaineers would be ranked and 9-3, while the Fighting Irish sit at 7-5. Second, if Champs officials were so hot on Notre Dame, why not extend the invitation now and get a jump on selling tickets?
While on the subject of bowls, those I spoke to on Wednesday aren't convinced the Big East champ will land in the Fiesta Bowl, which has the last selection among BCS bowls.
The thinking is there's an outside chance the Orange Bowl would pass on, say, Stanford to match up Virginia Tech and WVU. (What would be great, at least for reporters seeking angles, is a Stanford-WVU matchup. That would pit the Cardinal's quarterback, Andrew Luck, against the alma mater and current place of employment of his father, Mountaineer athletic director Oliver Luck. Don't see that happening though.)
A couple leftovers from the talk with Marinatto.
First, he said he did talk to Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson throughout the process of landing TCU. You may remember the outcry of ex-Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese, who said ACC commissioner John Swofford blindsided him and his conference during a raid.
Second, he said Pitt basketball coach Jamie Dixon, of all people, first put the TCU idea on the table. Dixon is a TCU alum and started talking to Horned Frog AD Chris del Conte at a football game while on a recruiting trip.
Third, Marinatto said his league ran financial analyses on what TCU would mean in regard to future television negotiations as well as what the inclusion would cost each Big East school in the area of travel, etc.
"What you have to know is in-season competition is not required within the Big East," Marinatto said. "TCU can choose to compete against local schools throughout the season then participate in Big East championships. The only exceptions are quote-unquote team sports: the two basketball teams, football and baseball, volleyball and women's soccer. So [the cost is] not as dramatic as you would think."
And finally . . .
A little over a month ago, I told you about a couple of very tall young men at WVU's home football game against Maryland. Basketball players.
After some digging, I found out via The Kiski School coach Daryn Freedman they were Sim and Tanveer Bhullar, underclassmen at the all-male private school in Saltsburg, Pa.
The brothers are 7-foot-4 and 7-2. They're from Toronto and Sim, 17 and a junior, was the taller one who, according to the coach, had narrowed his college choices to WVU and Pitt.
Well, the word I'm getting now is Sim Bhullar is transferring to Huntington Prep and coach Rob Fulford. Ditto standout 6-10 combo forward Stefan Jankovic.
What that means to WVU coach Bob Huggins is anyone's guess, but Bhullar is moving from the boarding school in Pennsylvania to the Mountain State, for whatever that's worth.
By Mitch Vingle
The Charleston Gazette
BECAUSE YOU'RE a valued reader of the Charleston Gazette, your Wednesday scoop-o-rama:
Big East commissioner John Marinatto spent Thanksgiving in his office, eating, instead of hot turkey and mashed potatoes, a meatball sandwich. The presidents had to vote on the TCU issue. The legal documents had to be signed. The deal had to be completed.
Now, the Horned Frogs are in the league's fold.
"It's where we wanted to go and we're where we want to be," Marinatto said in a phone interview on Tuesday.
The follow-up question, of course, is where the Big East now wishes to go. Corralling TCU probably isn't the end of the league's expansion.
Remember, the conference released a statement not too long ago that said its presidents "agreed that the interests of each of the conference's 16 member institutions would be served by increasing the number of Bowl Subdivision football-playing members to 10."
When asked about the issue on Tuesday, Marinatto said the following:
"When we made the [TCU] announcement, we said we weren't going to publicly comment on specifics, other than to say we've taken our first step."
Note the last three words. Their first step. Big East football teams now have four home league games and four away games secured. Apparently, though, there is more to come. But where will the league go now? Houston? Central Florida?
"We've always been consistent," Marinatto said. "We want to expand with someone that brings value. TCU brings value."
He added that "everything is on the table" now and the league would "step back for a few moments" to regroup before moving ahead.
Well, well, well. Notre Dame went and did it, eh? The Fighting Irish went out, defeated USC and positioned themselves for a nice bowl by finishing 7-5.
The Champs Sports Bowl, if you remember last week's column, can take Notre Dame with that record over a Big East school.
Sure enough, a source imbedded in Orlando, Fla., who asked to remain anonymous, said, "they're in the mix."
So I made more calls, and the consensus is this: If West Virginia defeats Rutgers, yet doesn't go to a BCS bowl, it will land in the Champs Sports Bowl. The Mountaineers, with their rabid following, would be attractive to pair against, say, North Carolina State. (A WVU-Maryland rematch isn't attractive.)
If WVU does go to a BCS bowl, however, look for Notre Dame to fill the Champs Sports Bowl. Those in Orlando are aware the Gator Bowl's last four-year contract with the Big East-Notre Dame alliance didn't deliver the Golden Domers, and they certainly want the Irish at some point.
Still skeptical that the Champs would take WVU over Notre Dame? Understandable, but consider a couple of facts. First, if WVU defeats Rutgers, the Mountaineers would be ranked and 9-3, while the Fighting Irish sit at 7-5. Second, if Champs officials were so hot on Notre Dame, why not extend the invitation now and get a jump on selling tickets?
While on the subject of bowls, those I spoke to on Wednesday aren't convinced the Big East champ will land in the Fiesta Bowl, which has the last selection among BCS bowls.
The thinking is there's an outside chance the Orange Bowl would pass on, say, Stanford to match up Virginia Tech and WVU. (What would be great, at least for reporters seeking angles, is a Stanford-WVU matchup. That would pit the Cardinal's quarterback, Andrew Luck, against the alma mater and current place of employment of his father, Mountaineer athletic director Oliver Luck. Don't see that happening though.)
A couple leftovers from the talk with Marinatto.
First, he said he did talk to Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson throughout the process of landing TCU. You may remember the outcry of ex-Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese, who said ACC commissioner John Swofford blindsided him and his conference during a raid.
Second, he said Pitt basketball coach Jamie Dixon, of all people, first put the TCU idea on the table. Dixon is a TCU alum and started talking to Horned Frog AD Chris del Conte at a football game while on a recruiting trip.
Third, Marinatto said his league ran financial analyses on what TCU would mean in regard to future television negotiations as well as what the inclusion would cost each Big East school in the area of travel, etc.
"What you have to know is in-season competition is not required within the Big East," Marinatto said. "TCU can choose to compete against local schools throughout the season then participate in Big East championships. The only exceptions are quote-unquote team sports: the two basketball teams, football and baseball, volleyball and women's soccer. So [the cost is] not as dramatic as you would think."
And finally . . .
A little over a month ago, I told you about a couple of very tall young men at WVU's home football game against Maryland. Basketball players.
After some digging, I found out via The Kiski School coach Daryn Freedman they were Sim and Tanveer Bhullar, underclassmen at the all-male private school in Saltsburg, Pa.
The brothers are 7-foot-4 and 7-2. They're from Toronto and Sim, 17 and a junior, was the taller one who, according to the coach, had narrowed his college choices to WVU and Pitt.
Well, the word I'm getting now is Sim Bhullar is transferring to Huntington Prep and coach Rob Fulford. Ditto standout 6-10 combo forward Stefan Jankovic.
What that means to WVU coach Bob Huggins is anyone's guess, but Bhullar is moving from the boarding school in Pennsylvania to the Mountain State, for whatever that's worth.
