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C-USA jumping on title game
bandwagon?
Bonesville.net staff report
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One year ahead of a major
reshuffling in its membership, Conference USA's athletic directors have
reportedly decided to hold an annual football championship game starting in
2005 and have settled the issue of where the game will be played.
According to overnight stories in a number of online publications, the
league's AD's agreed in a meeting in Irving, TX, on Thursday � without a
dissenting vote � to recommend to the conference's board of directors that
an annual showdown be staged that would pit the champions from the East and
West Divisions against one another at the stadium of the team with the best
winning percentage.
Curiously, the development was
not relayed to the news media in a press release nor was it reported on the
conference's official website. It is unusual for the league to release major
news in such an casual manner.
The board of directors that
will ultimately say yea or nay on the issue consists of the presidents of
the league's schools.
Southern Mississippi Ad Richard Giannini was quoted as citing several
factors for staging the game.
"We are very excited to provide an additional showcase for some of the top
football programs in our conference," said Giannini. "We also feel there are
a number of advantages to the schools and the host community. This format is
not only the best method to determine our champion, but will provide
excellent media exposure for the schools and the community, including the
economic impact a game like that creates."
According to the account, East Carolina, Marshall, Memphis, Southern
Mississippi, UAB and Central Florida will compete in the East. Houston,
Rice, Southern Methodis, Tulane, Tulsa, and Texas El Paso will contend in
the West.
The 2005 entrance into C-USA of Central Florida and Marshall � currently
members of the Mid-American Conference � and Rice, SMU, Tulsa and UTEP �
presently in the Western Athletic Conference, will coincide with the
departures of five teams from C-USA.
Cincinnati, Louisville and
South Florida are set to join the Big East in 2005. At that same time, Texas
Christian will move to the Mountain West Conference and Army has announced
its intention to rejoin the independent ranks.
If the league's board of directors gives final approval to the
recommendation from the AD's, C-USA will become one of five Division I-A
conferences that hold a football championship game. The Southeastern, Big 12
and Mid-American conferences currently stage football championship games,
and
the ACC has picked Jacksonville, FL, to host its
inaugural title game in 2005.
Copyright 2004
Bonesville.net. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
02/23/2007 11:29:59 AM
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