Big East's Legal Strategy Looks Flawed

[E.T.]

Inside Dish: Big East's Legal Strategy Looks Flawed

02/29/2004

Matt Hayes

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Though lawyers for the Big East continue to take legal action following

the ACC's raid of the league last summer, it appears their fight is

futile. After losing three straight court rulings to the ACC, the Big East

now will seek monetary damages from Miami (Fla.) and Boston College --

two of the three defectors to the ACC -- in another suit. The problem:

Virginia Tech, the third defector, isn't part of the suit. "You're

going to prove malice by picking and choosing who to sue and who not to sue

of the three who left? Good luck," says one BCS administrator. . . .

Duke coach Ted Roof wants to compete for the state of North Carolina's

top recruits, and he took a big step last week by adding legendary

Charlotte high school coach Tom Knotts to his staff. Knotts coached Florida

star QB Chris Leak at Independence High and led the Patriots to four

straight state championships. Knotts will coach quarterbacks at Duke, and

one of the state's top recruits next year will be Independence QB Joe

Cox. . . .

West Virginia picked up a key late recruit and beat out Nebraska for

blue-chip RB Raymond Williams, Ohio's Mr. Football. Williams might have

to sit out his first season as a partial qualifier. WVU also got an

early start on 2005, landing one of the nation's top juniors in RB Jason

Gwaltney, who chose the Mountaineers over recruiting power Southern

California. . . .

TCU is close to completing a contract extension for coach Gary

Patterson that would make him one of the highest-paid non-BCS coaches.

Patterson is signed for $650,000 a year through 2006. The new deal would bring

him close to $1 million a year with incentives.

Staff writer Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News.

Email him at mhayes@sportingnews.com and include your name and location.

[cuseroc]

It is flawed. The BE needs to just drop that silly lawsuit, and conentrate their efforts on getting its new schools in there.

[smazza]

it certainly doesn't look good for BE