Pac-10 move would cost Colorado $9 million

Nine million dollars. It`s the initial price tag for the University of Colorado to move from the Big 12 Conference to the Pac-10 by 2012. The biggest question from the Colorado perspective, if the Pac-10 comes calling, is whether absorbing the initial cost of switching conferences is too much or if it`s a small price to pay in the long run to be in a conference in which many believe CU is a better fit. Under Big 12 rules, Colorado must give two years notice if it plans to withdraw from the league and would forfeit 50 percent of its conference distribution for both of those years. CU received $9.7 million from the Big 12 for the 2008-09 school year and is expecting about $9 million this year because the league had only one team in a Bowl Championship Series football game. Assuming those numbers remain consistent over the next two years, it would cost Colorado roughly $4.5 million per year or $9 million over two years to leave the Big 12. The fall of 2012 is the target date for any possible Pac-10 expansion because that is when its new television agreements will begin. It`s possible CU could give one year`s notice in the summer of 2011 and end up paying roughly the same amount by forfeiting 90 percent of one year of Big 12 revenue. The cost also could grow if the Pac-10 required an entry fee, but that is unlikely. – Daily Camera

BYU in the Pac 10?

As the NCAA’s powerhouse conferences appear to be on the cusp of a major realignment, it’s important to use history as a guide to all the rumor mongering that goes along with these heady times. For example, in the early 1990’s Brigham Young was close to joining the Pac 10. If you’re scratching your head to figure out how that could have possibly been a good fit, remember that BYU won a national championship in 1984 and quarterback Ty Detmer won the Heisman Trophy in 1990. – Deseret News

Texas could land in Pac-10

For the University of Texas, it has a larger pool of conferences to choose from. Many reports state that Texas’s draw to the Big Ten is not seen as favorably by the university as a possible jump to the Pac 10 would be. Yes, the current television deal would be greater in the Big Ten, but many view the Pac 10 as the next conference to go the route of owning its own network outright. The Pac 10 can provide the media centers of the west coast, along with a similar climate and potential rivalries (Texas vs USC every year anyone?). – St. Louis Globe-Democrat

Blount may be reinstated today

When the Oregon Ducks resume practice Monday, after a rare 25-hour opportunity to enjoy their victory, they might learn about the return of a player who has yet to participate in an Oregon win this season. Pacific-10 Conference commissioner Larry Scott met Sunday with running back LeGarrette Blount, university president Richard Lariviere, university counsel, coach Chip Kelly and athletic director Mike Bellotti to discuss the possible return of Blount. Athletic director Mike Bellotti said he expects an announcement Monday on Blount’s status. – The Oregonian

Rose Bowl’s dream matchups

With the BCS title game being played in Pasadena, the top four ranked teams in the final BCS standings could end up playing in the Rose Bowl in January. The Rose Bowl brain trust doesn’t publicly cheer for schools, but it can shake 100 pompoms for number sequences, and the dream countdown for this season’s two-game extravaganza is, without question, 4-3-2-1. No. 4 playing No. 3 in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 and, six days later, No. 2 putting rose petal to the metal against No. 1. – Los Angeles Times

USC football program generated $35.2 million in revenues

According to a report that must be filed annually as part of the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act of 1994, USC’s athletic department balanced its budget, reporting total expenses and revenues of $80.2million for the period covering July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2009. The football program generated $35.2 million in revenues on expenses of $21.4 million. Athletic department revenue from sources such as support groups, donations and endowment income was $39 million. – LA Times

Oregon coach Chip Kelly to reinstatement of LeGarette Blount?

University of Oregon football coach Chip Kelly has called a press conference for 11 a.m. Friday to discuss the possible reinstatement of LeGarette Blount to full participation with the Ducks’ football team. Blount, a senior running back, was suspended from play for the rest of the season after punching a Boise State player and attempting to go into the stands to confront hecklers after Oregon lost to the Broncos 19-8 on Sept. 3. – Statesman Journal

Brian Kelly Could Dump Cincinnati for Notre Dame?

UC may end up being without head coach Brian Kelly, if its not careful. Rumors are flying about whether Kelly will leave the Bearcats after the season for another school, Notre Dame being the most talked about. Kelly probably wouldn’t leave Cincinnati for a lower-level SEC or PAC-10 school so Notre Dame would probably be UC’s biggest threat to take him away. Irish head coach, Charlie Weis, could be one more painstaking loss to an inferior team away from getting the ax at the historic school. That’s where Kelly comes in. Who knows? Maybe Notre Dame doesn’t lose another game this season and Weis keeps his job. Then UC keeps Kelly for at least one more year. Realistically, Notre Dame loses another game and they cut the cord on Weis. Then, Notre Dame’s powers that be throw $10 million on the table for Kelly and he leaves UC without a second thought. – News Record

Rick Neuheisel Silencing Critics at UCLA

There is nothing like anything Neuheisel does, is there? He comes to town as UCLA’s third choice, loses eight of 12 games his first year, and still manages to tweak USC and laugh with the fans and love the alumni and strum his guitar and convince kids it all makes sense. He shows up this year, untested quarterback, freshman running backs, suspended players, USC sucking down every last ounce of publicity, and what happens? The Bruins begin the season beating teams from three good conferences while Neuheisel’s group is being slowly surrounded with something rarely felt in recent years. That not-so-slick thing known as love. During their pregame walk into the Rose Bowl, their fans are now forsaking hamburgers for back slaps. “Last year during the walk, everyone was sort of just standing there, but this year, completely different body language, they’re all leaning in, like, I want to get a piece of this,” Neuheisel said… The coach who was too flighty is calmly building the solid foundation for success. The big ego has surrounded himself with strong coaches encouraged to shout him down. The flashy Hollywood guy is slowly winning over the wary attitudes of an inner city where he must compete on Fridays to win on Saturdays. The brain who knows only offense is fashioning a complete team that competes. Winning with a quarterback who hasn’t played in two years? Check. Winning after that quarterback breaks jaw? Check. Winning after a week in which four players were suspended? Check. Winning with nearly half as many rushing yards in three games as they had all of last season? Check. Neuheisel’s biggest fault so far has been perhaps that he cares too much, his frustrated sideline gestures at struggling players continuing to irk the most important of critics. “I get graded on that every week by my mother, and last week she read my lips when I said something bad, and I got in trouble,” he said. “I’ll never get an A, but I’m working on it, and I think the players appreciate the real emotion.” – LA Times

San Jose State Dumps Stanford for more money from Big Ten or SEC

Saturday night, in a half-filled stadium with no television cameras in sight, Stanford and San Jose State will tango for the 64th time. Don’t be surprised if it’s the last time. The teams were supposed to meet next season, but SJSU had to back out for financial reasons. They’re under contract to play in 2011-13 and have an agreement for 2014. The head coaches and athletic directors are saying all the right things about the series, which was renamed the Bill Walsh Legacy Game after the SJSU alum and former Stanford coach died in 2007. The Cardinal, once burned, is worried that budget problems could prompt SJSU to cancel again in order to pursue more lucrative games. The Spartans will receive a pittance from Stanford ($200,000 per game) compared with what they could collect by playing Big Ten or Southeastern Conference teams. (The payout is low because of the minimal travel costs and the long-standing relationship between the schools.) – Mercury News

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