With the official announcement of Colorado’s settlement with the Big 12 Tuesday coupled with Utah’s previously announced move from the Mountain West, the Pac-10 will in the very near future be known as the Pac-12.
In addition to figuring out how to split the league into two six-team divisions, there’s also the little matter of an inaugural conference title game to be held — more than likely — following the 2011 regular season.
While we don’t know yet where it would potentially be held or, obviously, who would be the first two schools to play for a Pac-12 title, we do know one school that (probably) won’t get to play for the right.
USC was banned from the postseason — or a 13th game that doesn’t involve Hawaii — for two years as part of the sanctions handed down by the NCAA earlier this year. Unless they are successful in appealing that aspect of the sanctions, that ban will extend to a Pac-12 title game as well.
“Due to USC’s ban from bowl competition, it would be ineligible for a Pac-12 title game in 2011, should the Conference conduct such a championship,” conference spokesman Dave Hirsch told ESPN Los Angeles.com.
Of course, this will be just one more thing Reggie Bush won’t feel the need to apologize for, even as his actions are what’s caused the current players to take the hits from the NCAA.
no news here
USC should be allowed to play in the pac 12 title game asuming they earn their way there and they dont play more than 12 games and if they win the game just simply let the second place team represent them in the rose bowl or wichever bowl they get invited to.
ralph says:
USC should be allowed to play in the pac 12 title game
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No loopholes. If you can’t play in a bowl then why deprive a team of the opportunity to play in a championship game that they CAN win and go on an represent the conference when even if USC does win, they CAN’T go any further. The conference deserves the best ELIGIBLE teams.
Looks like Vegas is in the running for the game but I don’t get it because they don’t have a big enough stadium. A Rose Bowl championship game takes away from the Rose Bowl so I would say that the Coliseum should be one to consider, as well as Cal’s Memorial Stadium.