From: costley@solo.eng.hou.compaq.com (Brett Costley)
Subject: Re: Possible #1 vs. #2 matchup in major bo
Organization: Compaq Computer Corp.
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 21:22:09 GMT

In article <1992Nov16.201126.14064@ods.com> scott@ods.com (Scott Harper) writes:
>David Head (dhead@comanche.ess.harris.com) wrote:
>: [previous discussion over coalition "mandates" deleted]
>: 
>: My understanding of the Bowl Coalition is that a #1 Miami would indeed 
>: have had to play a #2 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl or a #2 TAMU in the 
>: Cotton Bowl whether or not the Orange Bowl paid more.  Supposedly if 
>
>This is absolutely not true.  This exact scenario has been discussed at
>length in the Dallas Morning News the past week or so.  This discussion
>has included interviews with Miami AD Dave (?) Maggard, who will only
>say that Miami is "committed to making the coalition work", but "all things
>being equal", they would prefer to stay home and play in the Orange Bowl,
>and that they would have to evaluate their options at the end of the season.
>
>Now, where neither #1 or #2 have a conference bowl tie-in, I don't know
>what the "rules" are...  But if a #1 (or #2, for that matter) team can
>choose against a MNC game in a conference bowl, I can't believe that they
>wouldn't have the same option in the Fiesta Bowl.
>
>: either of the two above happened, or my personal favorite, Miami vs. FSU 
>: in the Fiesta, the hosting bowl would suddenly come up with the extra 
>                                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>: money (network TV or somewhere) to take away the economic argument.  
>  ~~~~~
>This has been discussed too, and is considered unlikely.
>
>: I don't really know for sure about the "mandate" part either.  I think 
>: what happens is the bowl with the highest ranked committed team (currently 
>: the Sugar with #2 Bama, but certainly subject to change) gets first pick 
>: of available opponents and would naturally choose currently #1 Miami.  I 
>: guess there isn't anything that would force Miami to accept, but if the Sugar
>: somehow came up with enough money to eliminate Miami's financial argument for
>: the Orange Bowl, then Miami would have a hard time explaining not going to the
>                                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>This, along with their stated "committment" to making the coalition work is
>the only thing to force it to happen.
>
>: Sugar Bowl.  If they tried to do that, then I would be in favor of stripping
>                                                                     ~~~~~~~~~
>: them of their ranking and moving the rest of the teams up.  In other words, if
>  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>: you are going to duck a National Championship matchup with no valid reason, 
>: you lose your ranking and chance to be #1.  The same goes for any #1 who 
>: would try to do the same, including my beloved Noles!
>
>Sounds good to me!!
>-- 
>Scott Harper                       Optical Data Systems, Inc.
>scott@ods.com                      1101 E. Arapaho Road
>(214) 234-6400                     Richardson, TX  75081

From _Preview_'92_:_ACC_Football_ article "Here's How The Coalition Works":

2. Whenever the number one or two team in the final regular season Associated
Press poll come from amoung the ACC champion, Big East champion or Notre 
Dame, and the host conference champion from amoung the Sugar, Cotton or
Orange Bowl is ranked number one or two, these teams must play one
another in the bowl of the host conference champion.

...

5. The ACC and Big East champions and Notre Dame have the right to
pass a Tier One selection for a higher payout, to avoid a rematch of
a regular season game or to avoid playing in a particular bowl game
for the third consecutive year.

It is unclear as to whether the "must" in rule two has precedence
over the "right to pass" in rule 5.  I'm under the impression that
rule 5 is may not be applied to "escape" a #1 vs. #2 game.

BTW what if Alabama, A&M, and/or FSU tie for #2? (yeah, right).  Does
Miami get to pick the opponent?  
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.college