Big East is proving its worth to BCS
by Jack Bogaczyk
Daily Mail Sports Editor
It wasn't so long ago that college football cognoscenti were talking how the Big East Conference may not get one Bowl Championship Series berth a year. Now, the rebuilding league might get two?
Well, if favored West Virginia, Louisville and Rutgers win Saturday, the Big East will have three teams with double-digit wins for the first time in a 16-year history -- and those teams still have a week and a bowl to play after that.
WVU's hopes for an 11-1 finish and a BCS at-large spot hinge on many things (like winning out), but one that would help Mountaineer hopes mightily would be to have unbeaten, 3-point favorite Boise State lose Saturday at 8-3 Nevada (4:15 p.m., ESPN2).
The Broncos would fall significantly in the polls, losing their BCS top-12 guarantee and opening another at-large BCS berth for a WVU or Southeastern Conference team. Two of the four at-larges are locks for Michigan and Notre Dame.
WITH BOISE in the mix, a first Bowl Championship Series berth is projected at $17.1 million for the Big East. Because Boise isn't from a BCS charter conference, the payout to each of the six BCS leagues is diminished if an outsider is worked into the mix.
If no Boise, the Big East, Big Ten, ACC, SEC, Big 12 and Pacific 10 payouts will be in the $18 million range. Conferences with a second team in the BCS get an additional $4.5 million (as does independent Notre Dame under a new arrangement).
Other possible and projected minimum bowl payouts to the Big East are: Gator ($2.25 million) or Sun ($1.9 million) and Texas ($500,000). The new International (Toronto) and PapaJohn's.com (Birmingham) bowls have "no pre-established amount as payouts," a Big East source said. "A lot is dependent on ticket sales."
Each will pay a maximum of $750,000, but the Big East isn't expecting that in the first year.
THE BIG EAST revenue-sharing structure for its better teams is very similar to a year ago. The conference will pay its championship team (standings) $600,000, with $300,000 to second place and $100,000 to third. There's no stipend for finishing lower than that.
If there's a tie for any of those spots, the stipends are added and divided (so, $450,000 apiece for a two-way tie for first).
The conference also pays its bowl teams (mostly for expenses) depending on the level. A Big East team going to a BCS game (automatic bid or at-large) receives $1.8 million. The next team in the selection order (Gator or Sun) receives $1.3 million, with all other Big East bowl teams paid $1.1 million.
IF WEST Virginia is bypassed by the BCS selectors, the Gator Bowl is staring at a very tough choice: Does it take a 10-2 Oklahoma or an 11-1 WVU to play a No. 3 ACC selection?
Actually, the decision may not hinge on how the Jacksonville, Fla., game views the Sooners and Mountaineers. The other side of the pairing may drive the Big East versus Big 12 call.
Because of a new one loss-differential rule in the ACC, if Georgia Tech loses the ACC title game and the Chick-fil-A Bowl (old Peach) takes Virginia Tech over the hometown Jackets, the Gator cannot take Clemson (5-3 ACC) over Georgia Tech (7-1).
The Gator really likes a Clemson-Oklahoma pairing. However, if the ACC team the Gator must take is Wake Forest, Boston College or Georgia Tech (back to Jax for the second time in a month), the Gator may need the Mountaineers to sell tickets.
If the Gator can't get Clemson, a desired second ACC choice would be Maryland (also against Oklahoma; no WVU rematch as in 2003). If the Gator gets BC or Wake, a Big East team becomes more likely (WVU or Rutgers, either at 10-2 or better).
Besides, Gator chief Rick Catlett knows that getting an 11-1 WVU, likely ranked fifth or sixth, isn't a bad deal -- but the Gator folks think WVU is BCS-bound.
There's another factor at play.
Ticket sales to the Dec. 2 ACC Championship game in Jacksonville are down significantly, with 13,000 seats still available. Georgia Tech has exceeded its 10,000 guarantee by 4,000 sales, but the unsettled ACC Atlantic Division lead hasn't helped, and locals aren't buying because Florida State and Miami aren't involved.
So, the Jan. 1 Gator Bowl wants at least a near-sellout.
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