Compromise plan

Rutgers AD proposal: Only Miami would jump to ACC

Court date set in Big East lawsuit A Connecticut judge will hear preliminary arguments Thursday in the lawsuit filed by five Big East schools to stop three league members from defecting to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Lawyers on Monday said Connecticut Superior Court Judge Samuel Sferrazza, who sits in Tolland, will consider moving the lawsuit to the state's complex case division in Waterbury. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal on Monday wrote the judge, saying he does not see any need to move the case, but is more concerned with how soon it can be heard. He has asked for a speedy trial schedule, regardless of whether the case gets moved, and permission to take depositions immediately. ACC lawyer D. Erik Albright said Waterbury appears to be the proper venue but, "We're willing to appear wherever the court tells us to appear." Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Virginia Tech and West Virginia of the Big East filed the lawsuit June 6. They charged that Boston College and Miami have abandoned their financial duty to the conference and its members so they could make more money with the ACC. It also accused the ACC of attempting to destroy the Big East as a contender in football by also grabbing Syracuse and putting the Big East at risk of losing its guaranteed berth in one of the four Bowl Championship Series games.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) -- Rutgers has floated a compromise plan that would allow Miami to join the expanding Atlantic Coast Conference as long as ACC officials agree to end their bid to add other Big East schools.

Robert Mulcahy, Rutgers' athletic director, confirmed Sunday that he had made the proposal. He would not discuss the plan at length, but The Star-Ledger of Newark reported Monday that other Big East schools are apparently supporting the proposal.

The ACC last month targeted Miami, Syracuse and Boston College for expansion, and the plan seemed likely to sail through the approval process. However, Virginia Tech and four other Big East football schools have since filed suit against the ACC, Miami and Boston College, alleging the three were conspiring to destroy the Big East.

The ACC responded this week by again considering adding Virginia Tech, creating what would be a 13-team league by removing one of the major obstacles to the plan. ACC presidents have met three times via conference call in the past two weeks to vote on expansion, but have failed to do so.

While Mulcahy wants Miami to remain the marquee team in Big East football, he says the Hurricanes departure would be better than having a group of teams leave, a move that could cripple the conference.

"I would hope Miami would understand that our first option is for them to stay with our league. That would take care of the whole issue," Mulcahy said. "But if they're uncomfortable and the ACC feels it has to do something, this is a reasonable way for all sides to come out of this.

Mulcahy would not comment on whether he has spoken with Miami officials about his proposal. Miami athletic director Paul Dee has said his school did not want to head to the ACC alone.

 

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