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News Nuggets, 07.31.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

ECU's first foe ranked 11th in coaches poll

Southern California will start the football season in the top spot as the Trojans are named preseason No. 1 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll.

No Conference USA teams made the Top 25, but Louisville, Texas Christian, Memphis and Southern Mississippi garnered votes, as did future league member Marshall.

The Trojans, who went 12-1 last season and earned a share of the national title by finishing first in the AP poll after a victory over Michigan in the Rose Bowl, earned 44 first-place votes and 1,500 points.

Oklahoma is second with 12 first-place votes and 1,462 points, while LSU, last year's BCS champion, is third with five first-place votes and 1,387 points.

Georgia is fourth, while ACC newcomer Miami is fifth. Florida State is sixth, followed by Michigan, Texas, Ohio State and Florida.

Clemson, at No. 16, was the only ranked Carolinas team, while North Carolina State received votes.

East Carolina will face two teams which caught the attention of voters to one degree or another. In addition to their Nov. 27 regular season finale against the Wolfpack in Charlotte, the Pirates will open the 2004 campaign on Sept. 4 at No. 11 West Virginia.

USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Poll

The top 25 teams in the USA Today-ESPN preseason college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, 2003 records, points based on 25 points for a first-place vote, through one point for a 25th-place vote and final ranking:

[Conference USA teams, present and future, and Carolinas teams in bold; East Carolina opponents in red.]

Record Pts Pvs
 1. Southern California (44) 12-1 1500 2
 2. Oklahoma (12) 12-2 1426 3
 3. LSU (5) 13-1 1387 1
 4. Georgia 11-3 1328 6
 5. Miami (Fla.) 11-2 1246 5
 6. Florida State 10-3 1177 10
 7. Michigan 10-3 1128 7
 8. Texas 10-3 1087 11
 9. Ohio State 11-2 1030 4
10. Florida 8-5 691 25
11. West Virginia 8-5 684 NR
12. Iowa 10-3 642 8
13. Kansas State 11-4 639 13
14. Tennessee 10-3 598 16
15. California 8-6 566 NR
16. Clemson 9-4 503 22
17. Missouri 8-5 502 NR
18. Auburn 8-5 473 NR
19. Virginia 8-5 453 NR
20. Maryland 10-3 443 20
21. Utah 10-2 438 21
22. Wisconsin 7-6 248 NR
23. Minnesota 10-3 187 17
23. Purdue 9-4 187 19
25. Oregon 8-5 175 NR

Others receiving votes: Nebraska 151; Oregon State 101; Boise State 99; Washington State 86; North Carolina State 84; Louisville 78; Virginia Tech 62; Texas Christian 50; Oklahoma State 41; Toledo 33; Memphis 27; Georgia Tech 25; Notre Dame 25; Bowling Green 22; Brigham Young 21; Miami (Ohio) 21; Fresno State 17; Michigan State 16; Pittsburgh 14; Marshall 13; Alabama 12; Arkansas 12; Boston College 10; Northern Illinois 10; San Diego State 8; Colorado State 7; Mississippi 7; UCLA 7; Texas Tech 6; Hawaii 5; Texas A&M 5; Southern Mississippi 4; Penn State 2; Air Force 1; Arizona 1; Arizona State 1; Connecticut 1; New Mexico 1; Washington 1.

New bowl, legal squabble on Big East agenda

Notes from this week's Big East Conference Media Day:

• The Big East has a new agreement with the Motor City Bowl, which currently has ties-in with the Mid-American Conference and the Big Ten. But if the Big Ten does not have enough bowl eligible teams to fill the Motor City Bowl slot, the spot will now go to a bowl eligible Big East team.

• Boston College is contesting in court the $5 million exit fee the Big East is charging the school for jumping to the Atlantic Coast Conference next season. After Miami and Virginia Tech announced that they would leave for the ACC, the Big East changed its constitution, upping the exit fee from $1 million and requiring a team give 27 months notice instead of one year. BC claims the constitution was improperly changed and it should only be required to pay $1 million. "It's in the hands of lawyers and the presidents," Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said.

• Tranghese said there is legislation before the NCAA that would permanently expand the college football regular season to 12 games.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2004 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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