saintfan

NEW ORLEANS -- Armed with a defense stronger than a Pat O'Brien's Hurricane and an offense nearly as potent, No. 2 LSU stunned No. 1 USC 20-17 in the title unification game in the Superdome.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls0...ory?id=1703403

BlackandBlue

Seriously, I caught the tail end of a radio news brief that had something to do with a wealthy independent offering millions in dollars to USC and LSU if they were to play on a neutral site. Has anyone else heard anything on this? The schools won\'t allow it, but damn it would be nice to put this to rest.

JOESAM2002

It was the CEO of Gateway. Offered $30 million in scholarships to the schools to play at the end of this month. NCAA said NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! oh well it would have been nice.

Updated: 08:34 PM EST
NCAA Rains on Gateway CEO\'s Title Picnic
Organization Says Game for $30 Million in Scholarships Illegal, Impratical

SAN DIEGO (Jan. 8) -- Unhappy with college football\'s split national championship, the head of a computer company thought he could entice Southern California and LSU to play each other later this month by offering $30 million in scholarship money.

The NCAA quickly hit the \"delete\" button, saying there was no way such a game could be played.

Ted Waitt, chairman and CEO of Gateway Inc., which is based in the San Diego suburb of Poway, offered each school $10 million in scholarships for disadvantaged students if they\'d play each other the weekend of Jan. 24-25. The winner would have gotten an additional $10 million in scholarships and $1 million in Gateway products.

\"Everybody wants to see it happen,\" Waitt said. \"It\'d be fun. But everybody is afraid of the NCAA. We just want to know one good reason why this can\'t happen.\"

Waitt made his proposal in letters faxed Thursday to LSU Chancellor Mark Emmert, USC President Steven Sample and NCAA President Myles Brand.

\"It\'s just not as simple or easy as doing that,\" said Wally Renfro, the senior adviser to Brand. \"Decisions about postseason football are made by the membership of the association. Those two institutions would not be able to make that decision in any event.

\"Right now, by the bylaws, it couldn\'t happen.\"

And the NCAA wouldn\'t jump even with $30 million in scholarships up for grabs?

\"No,\" Renfro said.

Besides numerous logistical problems, games aren\'t allowed past last Sunday, which was the date of the Sugar Bowl.

USC was No. 1 in both the AP media poll and coaches poll at the end of the regular season, but slipped behind No. 2 LSU and No. 3 Oklahoma in the computers and the final BCS standings because of a weaker strength of schedule.

LSU won the BCS national championship by beating Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl while USC won the Associated Press title by beating Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/sports/ar...08201409990003


[Edited on 10/1/2004 by JOESAM2002]

Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut and be thought an idiot, than to open it and remove all doubt!!!!!

"Every time you think, you weaken the nation!" Moe Howard...The Three Stooges.

DarkSaint504

Yes this would be a good game but we must have good quartback play from Matt Mauck to beat a good USC team.


go Saints, LSU
boot-up

BlackandBlue

Didn\'t know it was Waitt- crazy bastard. I know that he\'s been trying to sell his majority share of Gateway for the past 5-6 years, rumor in the biz has it that they are hurting. He might be crazy, but he\'s no fool- he\'d make that $30 million back on the game itself, real easy.