Conference USA Spring Meetings
May 22, 2000
Beginning on Monday and continuing through Friday, Conference USA officials will meet in Destin, Fla., to discuss league business.
Topics that are sure to arise are, the location of the men’s basketball tournament through 2005, television contracts, a fourth bowl alignment, and an eight-game league football schedule.
Location of upcoming C-USA basketball tournaments will be the hot topic, with league officials pursuing a four-year rotation between Louisville, which has yet to host the tournament in historic Freedom Hall, and Cincinnati. A few weeks ago, that proposal seemed to almost a lock for approval, but Memphis is now making a serious push to have the games return to The Pyramid, which served host this past season.
The University of Memphis and City of Memphis and Shelby County Sports Authority will attend this weeks meeting to make their argument. One thing that is working in the Tigers favor is their recent hiring of John Calapari to lead its program. Calapari has already made great strides in recruiting and has the team poised for a return to past glory.
FOX Sports and ESPN are both making bids to improve their contracts with C-USA. Currently FOX is in contract with C-USA to televise the leagues football games, while ESPN is under contract to show the men’s basketball games. It is believed that FOX wants to add basketball, while ESPN wants to add football. While the networks enter into a bidding war, ESPN, with its larger audience, may be awarded the contract with a lesser bid.
When C-USA officials agreed to a new alignment with the new furnituregallery.com Bowl earlier this year, it allowed the league to continue with three bowl ties. The league champion plays in the AXA Liberty Bowl, while the second choice participates in the Mobile Alabama Bowl. A contract with the Humanitarian Bowl ended after this previous season.
With two additional bowls, along with the furnituregallery.com Bowl, being added, there has been quite a bit of interest in C-USA. The new bowls in San Jose, Calif., and New Orleans have both expressed interest in aligning itself with the league. The Motor City Bowl has also expressed interest to league officials. Officials with the Humanitarian Bowl have also contacted the league hoping to continue its connection with C-USA.
Rumors are that the new game in New Orleans has the upper hand.
There is also discussion about when the league should move to an eight-game league football schedule. This is an effort to further strengthen rivalries and boost C-USA football. While it will reduce the number of out of conference games, it does seem an important step towards solidifying the conference as it moves towards twelve programs playing football and a league championship game.
It appears that the league will move to 8 games beginning with the 2002 season because the NCAA will allow 12 regular season games.
Red Rage meaningless suggestions for C-USA officials during their spring meeting are to approve the four-year rotation between Louisville and Cincinnati for the men’s basketball tournament, sign a new contract with ESPN for both basketball and football, sign a contract for a fourth bowl game with the folks in New Orleans and don’t move to an eight-game league schedule for football until a 12th member joins.
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