MT speaks at WVU v UL game on various topics

[TyBull]

Tranghese defends BCS system

No plans for expansion, Big East leader says

By Russ Brown

KENTUCKY.COM

LOUISVILLE  If a Big East Conference team goes undefeated at 12-0, but fails to land a spot in the national championship game because a one-loss team, such as Florida, Michigan or Auburn, finishes higher in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings, you won't hear Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese whining about it.

Tranghese, in Louisville for Thursday night's U of L-West Virginia football clash in Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, said he will accept without complaint whatever happens in the BCS.

Going into Thursday's game, the league had three unbeatens  No. 3 West Virginia (7-0), No. 5 U of L (7-0) and No. 15 Rutgers (8-0). WVU is No. 3 in the latest BCS standings, U of L No. 5 and Rutgers No. 12.

The national championship game will be played in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 8. At this point, the Ohio-State-Michigan winner is considered a lock for one of the spots, with the race for the other berth wide open.

"I know everyone wants to know about the national championship, but that is six weeks away," Tranghese said, referring to the close of the regular season. "We can't even worry about it. I don't even know if one of our teams can get through, to be honest with you. West Virginia, Louisville and Rutgers are all going to have to go on the road and beat somebody. If somebody can get through all that and they are 12-0, then we'll worry about it at that point."

U of L must play at Rutgers and Pittsburgh, while West Virginia plays at Pitt and Rutgers travels to WVU. But Tranghese said that if a Big East team does finish 12-0, he won't be critical of the BCS system or promote the Big East team.

"Not a thing," he said. "It doesn't matter what I do. They can all talk and they are all blowing smoke because they've got to protect themselves. There is a Harris poll, they are going to vote the way they do and the computers can't be affected. It is very easy to get up there and pound on the table. This system we created and we ought to accept it.

"People want to yell and scream about their one-loss teams, let them scream. But I just don't think it is going to affect anybody. I just think it is almost protectionist. Do I have to get out and pound the table for my schools? They know where I am coming from. If we are 12-0, I think we belong, but somebody else is going to make that decision. I just want to get there. I'd like to have that problem, I really would."

Tranghese said the BCS is a vast improvement over the former system, whereby the national championship was determined by the two main national polls  Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today  after the bowl games.

Tranghese said the BCS, which was the brainchild of former SEC commissioner Roy Kramer, has created more interest in the regular season and made each game more meaningful.

"The old system was a travesty," Tranghese said. "The BCS is not a perfect system, but Roy understood that by creating this we could create even more interest in the regular season. People can beat up Roy as much as they want, but he was right."

With two teams in the top five nationally and three in the top 15, the Big East is enjoying a resurgence after being left for death and in danger of losing its BCS status following the defection of Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

U of L, Cincinnati and South Florida replaced that trio and are in their second year in the league.

"I don't know what is left to say about what happened three years ago, but trust me, it wasn't a lot of fun," Tranghese said. "A year ago they had the coffin out for us. Two years ago we played in a limbo league where Louisville was a member but they weren't playing with us and Boston College was a member but they weren't playing with us. And the year before that we were dead. So these are nice times for our people."

The Big East currently has eight members. Adding a ninth would eliminate some of the problems with non-conference scheduling, cutting none-league games from five to four, and would make conference scheduling easier, because each team would play four home games and four road games.

But Tranghese said there are no expansion plans at the moment, although Navy, East Carolina, Central Florida and Memphis would all probably leap at the chance to become a Big East member.

"I think we would at some point look at an additional football member," Tranghese said. "But it is going to have to be someone that makes us better. And candidly, I think the people that are available don't necessarily make us any better. I know who the people are that would make us better and they aren't available. They are going to have to call us because we are not going to go out there and start tampering."

On another issue, Tranghese said Notre Dame, which is a Big East member in all sports except football, has agreed to play two or three conference teams a year, beginning in 2010. (Actually, the Irish have already signed an eight-year home-and-home deal with Pittsburgh, starting in 2008).

He said Notre Dame wants to play those games in big venues at neutral sites. For instance, the Irish could play Rutgers in the Meadowlands, Cincinnati in Paul Brown Stadium and U of L in the new Colts stadium being built in Indianapolis.

U of L athletic director Tom Jurich said he has discussed the matter with Notre Dame AD Kevin White and that the Cardinals will play the Irish if details can be worked out.

"We would love to talk with Notre Dame and I've talked with Kevin," Jurich said. "He's just trying to sort all that out right now. If a neutral site is important to them, I would love to play in the new stadium in Indianapolis. It is certainly going to be their call. He knows we are ready, willing and able. I think it makes a lot of sense for all of us."

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/sports/basketball/15914237.htm