...but NOT Syracuse?!?!

From The Chronicle of Higher Education (see 6th paragraphy for explanation for why 'Cuse was *not* included):

Jilted Members of Big East Sue U. of Miami, Boston College, and ACC
By WELCH SUGGS

With news reports asserting that the University of Miami will announce today that it is leaving the Big East Conference for the Atlantic Coast Conference, and will be followed by Boston College and Syracuse University, the remaining members of the Big East on Friday rolled out the heavy artillery.

The Universities of Connecticut and Pittsburgh, Rutgers and West Virginia Universities, and Virginia Tech filed a lawsuit in Connecticut state court charging that their academic and athletics programs had been "placed in profound jeopardy by the conduct of Miami, Boston College, and the ACC." The universities accused Miami and Boston College of having misrepresented their interest in the ACC, thus encouraging the conference's other members to spend tens of millions of dollars to upgrade their athletics facilities.

"Barely a year after Miami President Donna Shalala committed in the strongest terms to remain in the Big East," the lawsuit says, "defendants have embarked on a scheme that is calculated to destroy the Big East and misappropriate its value for their benefit."

The ACC invited Miami, Boston College, and Syracuse to join the conference last month, pending official league visits to their campuses. Those visits wrapped up last week, and a decision is expected soon. Over the course of the past two weeks, the presidents of the five other Big East institutions have met separately with Ms. Shalala; Boston College's president, the Rev. William P. Leahy; and Syracuse's chancellor, Kenneth A. (Buzz) Shaw, to persuade them to stay in the league.

"I did not come away from that conversation with my hopes raised," said Charles Steger, Virginia Tech's president. "We did, however, suggest to Miami and the others that the course of their actions would result in potential harm to institutions."

Syracuse was omitted from the lawsuit because the university "was left to protect its own interests" by Miami's actions, according to the complaint. The ACC wanted exactly three new members to enable it to play host to a conference football championship, under National Collegiate Athletic Association rules, and Miami officials pressured Syracuse to join the Hurricanes and Boston College's Eagles in making the jump.

The Big East plaintiffs are accusing the "Defecting School Defendants," as they are labeled in the complaint, of breaching their fiduciary duties and an "implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing" with other league members by trying to "gain an unfair advantage over or to injure" the conference.


The legal briefs:
http://chronicle.com/weekly/documents/v49/...i41/bigeast.pdf

Interesting that Virginia Tech approached the ACC about being considered for expansion just a couple of weeks ago, and now is suing? Give me a break.

I agree--if Syracuse were to stay in the BE, I'd bet you a dollar that Va Tech would jump at the chance to go

It is news here that the University of Virginia will vote NOT in favor of the expansion in lieu of political pressure from Richmond. Remember a lot state funding goes to Virginia Tech. Unless the ACC would consider a Virginia/Virginia Tech rivalry within the conference, UVA will vote no!

Miami should go to the ACC and Syracuse and Boston College should stay put. Then the NCAA should make an exception or change the rules and allow the 10 team ACC to have a conference championship game.

I would imagine the ACC wants Miami and Florida State to, at least potentially, meet in the championship game. Since most super conferences divide into North/South or East/West divisions, seems like Miami and FSU end up together.

Potential divisions:

North: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, NC State, Duke

South: Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Miami, Florida State, Clemson

Wake could be in the North, but I can't see them splitting up NC, NC State and Duke.


Meanwhile ESPN is reporting that the Big East may expand to 16 teams regardless of what happens with defections.

A Big-ger East

[ June 18, 2003, 01:22 PM: Message edited by: George_vikingfan ]

Hmmm. I guess the Big East thinks it's okay if THEY raid other conferences. :confused:

I don't think that the BE bringing in L'ville would bust the C-USA like the ACC taking 3 BE teams would have done.

Marquette leaving the C-USA won't bust it either and neither would Xavier leaving the A-10.

I would rather see a couple of teams instead of Marquette and Xavier. I much rather see Temple and Cincinnati come in as full members. If not Temple, then Memphis.

Now I heard today that the ACC wants to "extend" its invitation to include Virginia Tech. Sounds like the ACC needs that vote from UVA or this this expansion thing will never happen. What a mess for the ACC and Big East! And now they want they want to look at members of the C-USA? :confused:

That about sums it up. And the bottom line is getting harder and harder to guess-timate.

Bring in VT and split the dough?

Leave them out and lose the whole pot?

Have thirteen teams and complicate the tourney matchups?....Drop somebody else and piss off "who knows"?

Has the East dropped thier lawsuit?
I assume so, but didn't hear/read anything to that effect (then again, I have been living under a big rock these past few weeks)

if it gets any wackier, next thing you know the ACC will just take all the FB playing BE schools, throw in another (Louisville? South Florida?) and just create one big ole happy 18-team conference, with an old guard (current 9) vs. new guard championship game

[ June 20, 2003, 09:34 PM: Message edited by: Breesboy ]

Now the latest is that Rutgers is making the recommendation that if the Big East gives up Miami, and doesn't take anyone else, they will all be happy. This thing changes daily!