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Big East, C-USA poised to take next steps in realignment '03

If you thought the recent ACC-Big East fiasco was confusing, just wait 'til next month.

Another round of musical chairs, this time involving as many as six Division I-A conferences, is set to commence just as soon as the Big East announces its new lineup, possibly as early as its Nov. 4 meeting in Philadelphia.

Ready to follow the dominoes?

The Big East, long expected to invite C-USA's Louisville and Cincinnati as replacements for the ACC-bound Miami and Virginia Tech, is now in need of a third team following Boston College's departure. C-USA's South Florida is believed to be the leading candidate, with C-USA basketball schools DePaul and Marquette rounding out what would become a new 16-team Big East.

In anticipation of losing those teams C-USA officials signed off on their own realignment plan at a meeting Tuesday in Chicago. According to numerous reports, the league, which under the aforementioned scenario would be down to seven football schools, is planning to invite five new teams: SMU, Rice and Tulsa from the WAC and the MAC's Marshall and UCF.

"One could make a case for all five of those teams matching up with our criteria," said Tulane president Scott Cowen. "The net result, I think, is Conference USA is going to be stronger than it is today in terms of alignment."

At the same time, though, the 10-team WAC is not only attempting to retain SMU, Rice and Tulsa but is pursuing C-USA's TCU, Tulane and Houston, hoping to land two of the three and split into two divisions.

"I think there will be a Central Time Zone division, either the WAC or Conference USA," said WAC commissioner Karl Benson. "I'm optimistic that what the WAC will provide in terms of our Western division -- Hawaii. Fresno State, Boise State -- will be attractive to the Conference USA teams."

However, what appears to be a tug-of-war between two conferences may be fairly one-sided, as Conference USA offers its teams a more attractive television package that runs through 2009 and a substantial amount of accumulated NCAA tournament revenue.

"None of them are leaving to go to the WAC," said Liberty Bowl executive director Steve Erhart, whose game hosts C-USA's champ. "I don't see that happening."

A source who attended Tuesday's meeting said he's confident the remaining C-USA teams will stick together. And Tulane's Cowen said he sees no scenario where his school would leave.

"If the Big Ten calls," joked Cowen, "maybe I'll return their call."

Complicating matters, however, are a couple potential wild cards.

For one, Mountain West school presidents are currently debating whether to add a ninth team, and their leading candidate appears to be TCU, said a source close to the proceedings. However, since the conference is in no danger of losing teams, it's moving with less urgency than the Big East or C-USA.

"Our bottom line is, we don't have to do anything," said Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson. "If we do choose to have more than eight members, that's a decision independent of what any other conference in America is considering."

Meanwhile, UCF, which has held off accepting an all-sports invite from the MAC, is hoping the Big East decides to add a ninth team for football only, in which case the Golden Knights, Temple, Army and Navy would probably be considered.

"I don't know about Conference USA's time frame, but [commissioner Britton Banowsky] let me know we are on their radar screen, and they were quite interested," Steve Orsini, UCF's athletic director, told the Orlando Sentinel. "At this point, we have only one offer on the table, but we're constantly monitoring what's going on."

The school that could ultimately swing the entire landscape is TCU, which, if the Mountain West comes calling, would have to weigh the benefits of joining a more stable conference against the potential hassle of being its only team in the Central time zone.

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"Conference USA has been a terrific affiliation for us the last couple years, we want to make Conference USA the best possible conference it can be," said TCU AD Eric Hyman. "But at the same time, we want to have a nationally prominent program, and we will always look for a vehicle with which we can achieve that."

If the Horned Frogs were to leave sooner than expected, Marshall and UCF might have to rethink whether to join a stripped-down C-USA, in which case C-USA would be at a much higher risk to lose teams to the WAC.

But if TCU stays, SMU, Rice and Tulsa are good as gone, and that could mean one final, crippling domino. To stay in business, the WAC's only conceivable recourse would be to pluck one or all from among the Sun Belt's Idaho, Utah State and New Mexico State.

"We haven't really focused on Plan B," said Benson.

At this point, everyone has a Plan B. And C, and D and ...

Orange crushed

Just two weeks removed from a 4-0 start, top 10 ranking and gratifying victory over Florida, the Tennessee football program has become enveloped in a sea of frustration that's reached all the way to head coach Phillip Fulmer's wife.

Vicki Fulmer raised more than a few eyebrows in the Neyland Stadium press box last week when she berated a Knoxville columnist for a critical piece about QB Casey Clausen, but it's safe to say her wrath pales in comparison to that of Vols fans following their team's fourth straight loss to Georgia, this one a 41-14 embarrassment.

Fulmer, who won the 1998 national title and has a street named after him, is facing the first tangible heat of his 12-year tenure dating to last year's disappointing 8-5 season. Tennessee is presently 10th in the SEC in offense, 11th in rushing. Following a bye week, the Vols visit Alabama next Saturday, Miami on Nov. 8.

"Obviously we're disappointed with the results of the last game," said Fulmer. "But as I told our football team, there's still much to play for, our pride and respect. Who knows what's going to happen down the road with the conference race and everything."

Reno 911

There's no more appropriately named position coach in college football right now than Nevada defensive line coach Barry Sacks.

Two of Sacks' protégés, senior end Jorge Cordova and senior tackle Derek Kennard, rank among the nation's top four in sacks. Cordova, coming off a monster game in the Wolf Pack's 28-17 upset of Washington -- 16 tackles, 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a blocked field goal -- leads the country with 10, while Kennard has seven. As a team, Nevada has 25 sacks through six games,

Both Cordova and Kennard are four-year starters who struggled earlier in their careers but have gradually improved each season (Cordova led the WAC last season with nine sacks).

"In a lot of ways, they're blue-collar guys," said Sacks. "They're nothing overwhelming when you see them in person or anything. Early in their careers, they got their tails kicked in. Now they're hungry."

The pair's improvement has mirrored that of Nevada's defense, which in Cordova and Kennard's freshmen season gave up a whopping 464 points in a 2-10 season. This year's Wolf Pack are 4-2, allowing 21 points per game.

Cardinal sins

Stanford may carry the academic banner in the Pac-10, but apparently its football players are hardly goody-goodies. Following a 44-21 loss to USC last weekend, several Trojans players accused the Cardinal of taking cheap shots, including an alleged chop-block on a play in which linebacker Matt Grootegoed sprained his ankle.

"They were a dirty team," defensive tackle Shaun Cody told the L.A. Daily News.

Stanford coach Buddy Teevens defended his team in the Pac-10's weekly teleconference Tuesday, saying, "We don't teach cheap football, we don't have cheap players. It's a physical game and things happen during the course of the game."

No love for the Utes

Mountain West followers are frustrated that Utah has yet to crack either Top 25 poll, despite numerous teams dropping out in recent weeks. The Utes are 5-1, with wins over Cal, Oregon and Colorado State, their sole setback a 28-26 defeat at Texas A&M the second week of the season in which the Utes' last-second, two-point conversion fell short.

"It gets so frustrating, week after week, year after year," said commissioner Thompson. "I don't know what people have not noticed or don't know about the University of Utah. I think they have, with the exception of a two-point conversion, won every game they've played and competed at a very high level and been on national television. Maybe people went to bed, I don't know."

Worth noting

Texas freshman QB Vince Young, who entered last week's Oklahoma game in the third series, will make his first start Saturday against Iowa State. ... With center David Castillo and guard Bobby Meeks doubtful following injuries against Miami, Florida State may turn to a true freshman, John Frady, to start at center Saturday against Virginia. ... The Cavaliers may be without star tailback Wali Lundy due to a foot injury. ... Washington State LB Will Derting, the Cougars' leading tackler, will not start Saturday against Stanford after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence. .... BYU is expected to regain the services of QB Matt Berry for this week's game against Wyoming. The Cougars have lost three of four since losing the sophomore to a hand injury. ... Matt Cassel, USC's No. 2 quarterback earlier in the season, is considering a move to tight end after slipping to fourth on the depth chart. ... Virginia Tech postponed a scheduled return game next season at LSU until 2007 because, according to AD Jim Weaver, a deal to host the season-opening BCA Classic next season against East Carolina fell through, leaving the Hokies without a budgeted seventh home game.

Stewart Mandel covers college sports for SI.com.