What would Tech do?

[Dirtydawg]

Thursday, November 27, 2003


ESPN.com news services

TCU was unable to land a spot in the Bowl Championship Series. Now it appears the Horned Frogs may turn down the next best thing.


The school is planning to decline an expected invitation to the GMAC Bowl because of academic considerations, athletic director Eric Hyman told The Washington Post on Wednesday night.


TCU had its sights sets on a BCS bowl, but those hopes were dashed by a loss to Southern Miss on Nov. 20. As a result, the Horned Frogs will likely finish second in Conference USA and earn an invitation to the GMAC.


However, Hyman says the school will likely decline the bowl bid because the game falls in the middle of their exam period (Dec. 18). The bowl could have pitted a pair of impressive mid-majors (TCU and Miami-Ohio) against each other.


"I can't do that," TCU Athletic Director Eric Hyman told the Washington Post on Wednesday night. "I have to be sensitive to our young people. They are student-athletes, but they are also students, and they are coming to school to get an education. We cannot disrupt their exams. It's not fair to them."


A GMAC official was stunned by TCU's sentiments. Bowl president Jerry Silverstein told the newspaper he had informed Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky of plans to invite TCU.


"He told us everything is fine," Silverstein told the paper. "We have a seven-year deal with Conference USA and have never had a problem. I think [TCU] can do whatever they have to do to come down here. I would be absolutely shocked if they don't."


By passing on the bid, Hyman would be giving up the $750,000 bowl payout plus considerable national exposure.


"I understand why they want us," Hyman told the Post, referring to GMAC officials. "But on the flip side, I want them to understand that the priority for us this time of year is success in the classroom and in exams. There are alternatives to us."


Silverstein said he had no alternative plans. "I sympathize with them," Silverstein told the paper. "I never would ask a school to disrupt anything. But we have a bowl to put on. We are honorable people and hope they can resolve any problems they have."


"We've had several conversations, and they're ongoing," Hyman told the paper. "What I'm saying to them is real. It's not a matter of trying to position for something else."


Theoretically, TCU could still end up in another bowl with ties to Conference USA. The winner of Conference USA will be invited to the Liberty Bowl, but Southern Miss (8-3, 7-0) is in first place right now after beating TCU on Saturday.


The GMAC Bowl is entitled to select the second-place finisher. The Hawaii Bowl gets the next choice, followed by the Fort Worth Bowl. Memphis (8-3, 5-3) is third in the Conference USA standings. Louisville (8-3, 4-3) is fourth. TCU has one regular-season game remaining, against SMU on Saturday.


Hyman told the newspaper that the Hawaii Bowl (Dec. 25) and Fort Worth Bowl (Dec. 23) would not conflict with TCU's exam schedule.


In two previous GMAC Bowl appearances, TCU (10-1, 7-1) held its exams one week earlier.


"We have gone down to the GMAC Bowl and had a wonderful experience," Hyman told the paper. "But this is bigger than a bowl game."

[Tech74]

Well I'm stunned, too. TCU is a member of CUSA. CUSA has a contract with the GMAC bowl, presumably to send its second place team. How does TCU get the option to turn it down in favor of another bowl? Are the contracts written on Swiss cheese? As to what Tech would do, I think we would read the contracts and live up to our obligations.

[dawg80]

As long as Bick is here, we won't have to worry about turning down bowl bids.

[champion110]

My opinion is that it has nothing to do with exams. They have done it 2 years in a row. TCU wants a bigger name opponent and to play in the Fort Worth Bowl, I guarantee.

[Dawgpix]

I agree, Champion. TCU apparently didn't leave anything in Mobile the last two times during exam time. Some of their local boosters/alums (who are also probably tied in with the Fort Worth Bowl) will encourage the Toads to stay local and save the travel expense money since they can't be in the BCS hunt.
What other league is involved in the FW Bowl?

[champion110]

Not sure who the other contract is with, but I bet it will be a bigger name than Miami-Ohio. TCU doesn't really care if it breaks CUSA contract or not, which is a good sign. Of course, CUSA teams will be happy because they could get an extra team in a bowl possibly.

[aubunique]

Could someone with an extra few minutes please go to official TCU Web site and see how the announced exam schedule conflicts with Mobile Bowl? If it really does, then TCU is doing the right thing. If not, then maybe TCU is playing games with CUSA, GMAC, etc.

[Bigdog13]

Before saying TCU didnt care before are we sure the game was played on the same date? Don't know the answer just curious.

[FriscoDawg]

The GMAC Bowl is Thursday, December 18. TCU final exams are scheduled for the entire week Monday through Friday, December 15-19.

According to the 2001 and 2002 academic calendars, TCU did not play a bowl game during final exams in either of those years. University bulletins before 2001 are not available online to check, but it appears that TCU usually schedules finals for the third full Monday-Friday week after the Thanksgiving holiday. If that is true finals would have been over before TCU played in Mobile in both 1999 (December 22) and 2000 (December 20), and that was confirmed in today's Dallas Morning News article. And its 1998 bowl game was in El Paso on December 31. TCU has not played a bowl game earlier than December 20 since 1959.

Not sure who the other contract is with, but I bet it will be a bigger name than Miami-Ohio. TCU doesn't really care if it breaks CUSA contract or not, which is a good sign. Of course, CUSA teams will be happy because they could get an extra team in a bowl possibly.

The Fort Worth Bowl is supposed to be the Big 12's 8th and final bid. If Oklahoma and Texas or Kansas State and Oklahoma get BC$ bids, this spot could be the one that won't be filled by the Big 12.