Quote:Big East sues to try to prevent ACC expansion

EDDIE PELLS
Associated Press

Five Big East schools filed a lawsuit Friday to try to prevent Miami and Boston College from jumping to the Atlantic Coast Conference, accusing them of secretly taking part in an expansion plan that could ruin the Big East.

The lawsuit, filed in state Superior Court in Hartford, Conn., says Miami and Boston College professed loyalty to their conference while concocting a "deliberate scheme to destroy the Big East and abscond with the collective value of all that has been invested and created in the Big East."

Big East schools went ahead with millions of dollars in renovations and upgrades under the assumption they would be part of a healthy conference for years to come, the lawsuit contends.

The lawsuit was filed by Pittsburgh, Connecticut, West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Rutgers against the ACC, Miami and Boston College. Syracuse is part of the potential ACC expansion but was not included in the lawsuit because plaintiffs said they found no evidence the school made promises to stay in the Big East.

The ACC did not immediately return phone messages seeking comment.

Miami athletic department spokesman Mark Pray said he had not seen the lawsuit and could not immediately comment on the lawsuit.

The five Big East schools are suing for financial damages and want an injunction to prevent Miami and Boston College from leaving.

"Our universities have brought this lawsuit with great regret and only as a last resort. Unfortunately the actions of Miami and BC - in concert with the ACC - simply left us no choice but to act," presidents of the five schools said in a statement.

Last month, the ACC announced plans to try to expand to 12 teams. Football power Miami is the lynchpin of the deal, and if the Hurricanes go, Boston College and Syracuse are expected to follow.

ACC representatives have visited all three campuses and a final decision on expansion is expected soon.

The lawsuit accuses Miami and Boston College of making repeated assurances of their loyalty to the conference. It quotes Miami president Donna Shalala on March 6, 2002, reiterating Miami's commitment "in the strongest terms possible, emphatically stating that the University of Miami is in the Big East and has no interest in leaving it for any other conference."

Based on that statement, and others like it, the lawsuit says several Big East schools financed major construction projects.

For instance, Virginia Tech invested about $37 million in the second phase of expansion of its football stadium. UConn completed a $90 million construction project on a stadium as part of plans for its football program to begin play in the Big East in 2005.

The lawsuit contends the Big East could lose millions of dollars in revenue from bowl games, the lucrative Bowl Championship Series and from TV deals. The ACC has promised Miami increased revenue from a more lucrative TV deal it believes it could negotiate as a 12-team conference.

Hmmm, better check with the accounting department to see if VT has paid us for our work on that.



<!--EDIT|Lucy|Jun 6 2003, 11:16 AM-->

Wow, the Big East is really desperate.

Woah. I didn't see this coming...

First of all if Im not mistaking, the BE allows for an early leave as long as it gets a 1 year notice and the school that wants to leave pays a fine in doing so, or the school buys out its contract to the BE which I think is about to happen.
So this lawsuit tells me, go ahead and leave, pay your fine, but we will still sue you in the process. Cry Mike Tranghese cry you little baby, you got whats coming to you.
Secondly, as I read it was "repeated assurances of their loyalty to the conference" was a reason for the lawsuit.
Well for one since were dealing with millions and millions of dollars here, Im not taking no ones word on anything, if its not signed on the dotted line anything goes.
Ask Bill Clinton about loyalty while being the leader of this country, ask Monica too :eek: well thats another story, anyway
I can be loyal to my job and tell my supervisor im never leaving, but if another company gives me an offer I cant refuse well loyalty just went out the window.
One last comment on this, where in the hell does V Tech get off with being part of the lawsuit? Wasnt it just a few weeks ago Virginia wanted them in the ACC? I didnt hear no complaining then. V Tech surely would have accepted the offer

So do universities sign a contract to never leave a conference? What you say depends on "what you mean by sex" as we all know by now. Look, some schools want in any BCS conference for a few more dollars. So whats so different if a school wants a better payout in another BCS conference. I'll tell you whats happening here is the BIG EAST will not be a BCS conference... Thats why the "lawsuit" card is being played! No TV contract will replace the present one without these three schools.



<!--EDIT|socalbyu|Jun 6 2003, 12:27 PM-->

SoCal, what Im saying is next time have everything signed. A word is just that..a word. When dealing with millions of dollars im not listening to any loyalty subject. If its not legally signed what good is a promise.
For instance UCONN spent 90 million on renovations for their move to the Big East
VTech has made some upgrades and had to spend a few million in doing so.
No one told them that well if you spend all that money there might not be a conference to join. VTech also spent all that money on promises of teams staying loyal to the BE, thats their own fault
The contract has a buyout clause that if you leave early you must pay the remainder of your contract on whatever time you have left in that particular conference and give a years notice of leaving.
Also not in the contract is promises and loyalty to the conference, in other words your word against mine, there is nothing saying I cant leave
As I previously said you can be loyal all you want but the all mighty dollar has a way of changing that loyalty and promise.
Think about all the college coaches that said "Im never going anywhere, im here to stay" The NFL gives that a coach a call, offers him far far far more money then what any college can pay him, well there goes his promise of staying around and not going anywhere.
When all is said and done, I want Mike Tranghese to get everything thats coming to him.
Also I will have two teams in Miami and FSU to root for in the same conference, hopefully in different divisions

Agreed! A verbal commitment is "not " binding as all football fans know!

IMO, I don't like the idea of a "superconference" like the ACC...though I'm sure you all would love it.

I like to see good teams spread out....rather than in one large clump.

*I wouldn't like a superconference like the ACC would be transforming to

that's a better statement

Actually the BCS will be forced to include good teams on a national basis or the TV dollars will dry up! There will be regional powers but you can't get national TV with Miami playing Florida St. twice in the same year and say thats all there is in college football. It won't happen!

Do not be fooled by any Big East lawsuit.

It is simply a delaying tactic.

It is not a secret that not every school in the ACC
wants the merger. The Big East is simply trying to
force the "unsure" members to switch from "Pro"
to "Con"

And if that happens...

Then...The Big East will opt to keep Temple, Add
UCONN as scheduled...and then accept Florida State,
Clemson and Georgia Tech from the ACC...

'Cause folks, those three schools are gonna be part
of a 12 team league with increased revenues...One
way or another.

Who do you think was behind all of this...I posted
this stuff a year ago...no one wanted to listen then...

Maybe y'all will now.

The ACC is not unified, in this stance. The Big East
is simply using that against the league.

This is all about the Big East, not the ACC. The ACC has come to terms with the realities of expansion; it is the Big East schools who weren't asked to come play with the big boys who are crying foul.

Yes, the lawsuit is a tactic, but it will not be successful, and I predict that later this summer, the inevitable will happen and the ACC will find itself bigger and the Big East will find itself scrambling to siphon schools from the CUSA.

Lucy, I seriously doubt the Big East will exsist if Miami, Boston College and Syracuse all come to the ACC.
I see the Big East becoming another Southwest Conference, either the BE will exsist but at a Div 1 AA level or just fold all together.
The SWC lost out to the Big 8 which eventually became the Big 12 with the additions of Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
C-USA has no fire power what so ever to have teams come and join the soon to be defunct Big East, it wont help them financially at all.
If I was the commissioner of one of the 5 conferences that were voted out of the BCS bowl bid and Mike Tranghese came calling, I'd tell him to take a hike.
His whole world is crumbling. Commissioner of the BE, Chairman of the BCS, and now look at him :crying: :crying: :crying: and I love every minute it :laugh: heres to you and your little college football world about to bow down to the ACC Mr Tranghese you deserve everything coming your way

The Big East will remain.

It would add Louisville...which is "begging" to get into a BCS
league.

It will add UCF...to add a Major Florida Newspaper for
visibility and recruiting purposes.

It may go after Marshall and create a "rebirth" of a rivalry...
WVU-Marshall.

And if it were smart...would keep Temple and go after three
other schools to create a Championship Game...and folks
if the MAC Title Game is televised Nationwide...so would
the Big East.

With Va Tech, Pitt and WVU...they still have some"name"
schools. I doubt that they'll go away.

In reality...the ACC has added stronger programs in
basketball instead of Football. Both BC and Syracuse
would have finished near the bottom of the ACC
last year.

Miami is the prize.

Sorry! Adding Louisville & Conneticut doesn't qualify as a BCS conference any more than the MWC! In fact VT battled AFA in the Bowl last year to prevail 20-13 if you get my drift. Syracuse got drilled by 5th place BYU and Syracuse is leaving for the ACC. The BIG EAST is dead as a BCS conference. They are reduced to another "mid major" conference. Louisville is competitive but don't expect to see them in the top 10 of college football. They may still carry the title Big East Conference but they will be nothing "BIG" about it.

Lucy...

Not arguing with you...(This Time)

However...Syracuse also got drilled, at home, by next
to last, North Carolina. On the other hand...UVA, got
whipped by Colorado State, also of the MWC. And
Fluke or Monsoon, Louisville beat the ACC Champs.

Nah...Big East will remain a BCS league. In much the
same fashion as the ACC became one when they
added Florida State.

And please...don't "pick hairs" by saying there wasn't
a BCS when FSU joined the league. You know the
meaning of the post.