C-USA talks to Mountain West on football merger plan - Memphis Commercial Appeal
University of Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson returned from the annual NCAA Division 1 athletic directors meetings in suburban Dallas late Wednesday with the understanding a potential merger between Conference USA and the Mountain West Conference for football is gaining momentum.
The two non-automatic qualifying leagues are discussing a merger where each of their football champions would meet. The winner potentially would gain entry into a Bowl Championship Series postseason game.
Johnson said athletic directors from the two leagues met ''two or three times'' during the Division 1 meetings and ''felt like such a merger would give us stability.''
Johnson said TV consultants were intrigued by the merger of two leagues that would not play conference games against one another, but meet in a title game. The merger, which could represent as many as 24 teams, would cover ''five time zones from Hawaii to Orlando,'' Johnson said.
''It probably wouldn't be 2012, but we are trying to move as quickly as possible,'' Johnson said. ''Not all of the school presidents have been (briefed).''
C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky told a Texas newspaper 2012 was premature, but said 2013 is possible. The current BCS contract runs through January 2014.
In a statement C-USA issued last week, Banowsky confirmed the two leagues were discussing such a merger and ''working on some creative consolidation strategies that have the potential for positioning our members well into the future.''
A mega-conference would likely lead to enhanced television deals and marketing opportunities.
Among other topics discussed, Johnson said, were reducing the maximum number of a scholarships for football from 85 to 80; re-doing the NCAA manual; raising the Academic Progress Rates (APR) from 925 to 930 and capping the full cost of attendance for athletic scholarships at $2,000. Current scholarships cover tuition, housing, books and other fees.
Back at work
Tiger starting football center A.J. Antonescu returned to practice this week after missing the past two games with a concussion. Antonescu suffered the concussion the week of the Austin Peay game and said he ''kept having headaches.''
After the headaches subsided ''for four of five days'' in succession he was allowed to return.
''It hurt me personally (to be sidelined) because I kept thinking about every play and what I would have done,'' he said. ''(Freshman backup) Monte (Golden) was thrown into the fire.''
-- Phil Stukenborg: (901) 529-2543
30 Sep, 2011--
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGcnBBdOhNKx4L24ASKQeHiFYYhYw&url=http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/sep/30/c-usa-talks-to-mwc-on-football-plan/
~
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com
