Trying to decipher Big East bowl picture

Posted Aug 4, 2009 by Brett McMurphy

Updated Aug 4, 2009 at 01:11 PM

NEWPORT, R.I. – So much for me filing something shortly on the Big East bowl situation as I mentioned yesterday. I apologize to leave you hanging, but it’s been busy with the formal festivities for Big East media day just ending.

First the hang-up between the Big East and Gator Bowl I mentioned. As I reported Monday, Big East commissioner John Marinatto said it’s “doubtful” the Big East will remain with the Gator Bowl if the Gator requires the Big East and Big 12 to split the four bowl appearances, the current hybrid model that is in place.

According to league and bowl sources, the Gator is open to locking into a Big East team for all four years and ditching the hybrid model, but only if it can select Notre Dame twice in the four-year span. The Big East only wants to allow Notre Dame to be selected once in the four-year span.

Gator Bowl President Rick Catlett told me Monday he was aware of the Big East’s position and didn’t want to comment.

If the Gator Bowl and Big East split ties, then the most likely scenario would be either having the Sun Bowl or Champs Sports Bowl – or possibly both.

As one bowl source told me: “There are a lot of things going on at one time with different conferences. I’d say there’s probably as many as four or five possibilities that could work out one way or another.”

Sun Bowl Executive Director Bernie Olivas said the Sun Bowl would be interesting in locking into a Big East team, but is waiting to see what the Gator Bowl does. Obviously, the Sun Bowl would prefer getting the second selection from the league, so would Orlando’s Champs Sports Bowl, which currently is a Big Ten-ACC matchup, join the Big East if it wasn’t guaranteed the second pick? Or would Sun Bowl commit to the Big East’s third selection?

As unpredictable as the Big East season will be, trying to predict how the Big East bowl lineup will shake out is probably even more difficult. But, of course, I’ll take a stab at it.

And these educated guesses don’t even factor in the very real possibility of the Big East landing a bowl in new Yankee Stadium in the coming seasons.

I think there are three more likely possibilities for the next four-year bowl cycle (2010-13), so here goes:

Guess A
BCS (champion)
Sun (2nd or 3rd pick)
Champs Sports (2nd or 3rd pick)
Meineke Car Care (4th pick)
Papajohns.com/St. Pete (share picks five and six)

Guess B
BCS (champion)
Gator (2nd pick)
Meineke Car Care (3rd pick)
Papajohns.com/St. Pete/International (share picks four through six)

Guess C
BCS (champion)
Sun (2nd pick)
Meineke Car Care (3rd pick)
Papajohns.com/St. Pete/International (share picks four through six)