[NU Sports] New Rose Bowl contract

[Jonathan Hodges]

I don't know how correct this blog entry is - since the ABC/Big Ten/Pac 10
contract with the Rose Bowl actually didn't expire until 2013 (which was one
of the roadblocks in creating a playoff or Plus-One in coming seasons).
What I believe the article is speaking about is the new BCS contract with
the Orange/Fiesta/Sugar Bowls (& National Championship Game) which is
currently with FOX and will be going to ESPN starting with the 2010-2011
season.  The current Rose Bowl contract will remain in effect until 2013
(although there is a clause in the contract allowing ABC/ESPN to move the
game to ESPN if the other BCS games are also on ESPN, which they will be
beginning in January 2011).

It isn't exactly clear how this rule will be applied, but seemingly it means
that a non-BCS conference champion will always be in BCS games.  Note that
since the addition of the National Championship game (making a total of 10
BCS slots), such a team has always been included in the BCS (Boise State,
Hawaii, and Utah).  So, if this is indeed formalized, it wouldn't really be
turning over a new leaf.  And likely what will happen is that the lowest
bowl in the picking order (which rotates every year) will be stuck with such
a team - which is basically what happened in the past 3 years with the
aforementioned WAC/MWC teams.

What will be interesting to see is what happens with the ABC/Big Ten/Pac
10/Rose Bowl contract when it comes up for renewal - if ESPN will try to
combine it with the other contract to remove an obstacle to a Plus One or
playoff, or if the conferences and Rose Bowl continue to try and hold them
to tradition - although that tradition has been broken numerous times this
decade after the implementation of the BCS.

Jonathan

On Sun, May 31, 2009 at 10:44 PM, Sportsbiz <sportsbiz at gmail.com> wrote:

> I don't remember seeing this come across here before but if I missed in
> then
> I apologize.  Apparently, in the new BCS contract with ESPN, there is a new
> wrinkle to the selection of teams in the Rose Bowl.  Remember that ABC/ESPN
> have a separate contract with the Rose Bowl, Pac-10 and Big Ten, but now
> that they are all one big happy family again, I suppose this was all agreed
> to.  If the Rose Bowl loses a team to the National Championship game, it
> automatically takes the qualifying conference champion of a coalition
>  (i.e.
> non-BCS Six) conferences:
>
>
> http://blogs.ajc.com/barnhart-college-football/2009/05/29/sec-headed-to-a-big-payday-in-2010/
>
> So, the next time that USC makes the championship game the Big Ten gets to
> play Boise
> Mark
>
> Mark S. Ament
> sportsbiz at gmail.com
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Jonathan W. Hodges
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