Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, January 6, 1992 TAG: 9201060145
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ANAHEIM, CALIF. LENGTH: Medium
BOWL ALLIANCE WILL BE HOT CONVENTION TOPIC
Although nothing is on the official agenda of this week's NCAA convention regarding the status of the proposed football bowl alliance, it seems certain to be a big topic of conversation.Among the approximate 2,300 delegates at the convention, which runs Tuesday through Friday, will be most of the people involved in trying to set up an arrangement that could, with a little good fortune, produce the equivalent of a national championship game.
Linda Bruno, a spokeswoman for the Big East Conference, said Sunday that no decision had been made on a reported offer by the Blockbuster Bowl that could imperil the alliance by pulling out the Big East and Atlantic Coast conferences.
"Nothing has been done or announced," Bruno said. "There are no meetings planned here."
The Blockbuster Bowl, not part of the alliance, reportedly has offered the Big East and the ACC $4.3 million per team if they sign an exclusive contract to send their champions to its game each year. This would leave the alliance with the Big Eight, Southwest and Southeastern conferences, and Notre Dame.
The idea behind the alliance is to produce a national championship game whenever possible by matching the two highest-ranked alliance teams in one of the major New Year's Day bowls. Removing the Big East from the alliance would eliminate Miami, a perennial contender for the national championship that finished No. 1 in this season's Associated Press poll.
The Big Ten and Pacific 10 conferences remain committed to the Rose Bowl and are not part of the alliance, which is supposed to begin next year.
Had the alliance been in effect this season, Miami could not have been matched against the other unbeaten, Pac-10 member Washington.