Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/20561
2B – Daily News – Tuesday, November 30, 2010 TCU to join Big East in 2012 Dodgers working to finalize Uribe signing TCU Horned Frogs FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — TCU is getting out of future debates about whether the Horned Frogs deserve to be in a BCS game. They are joining a league with automatic access. The Frogs won’t have to be a BCS buster when they move to the Big East Con- ference, starting with the 2012 season. Win their new league and they will be guaranteed a spot in one of the big-money games. In the latest restructuring of the college football land- scape, TCU’s board of trustees unanimously approved an invitation Mon- day to join the Big East in football and all other sports. The move from the Moun- tain West Conference becomes official July 1, 2012. TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte said gain- ing automatic-qualifying status ‘‘was a big factor’’ in the move and gives the Horned Frogs ‘‘the greatest opportunity to compete for the national championship.’’ The Big East, currently with eight football teams, has one of six automatic BCS slots. ‘‘Access got easier, not the road,’’ said Frogs coach Gary Patterson, whose third- ranked Frogs (12-0) wrapped up their second consecutive undefeated reg- ular season and Mountain West title with a 66-17 win at New Mexico on Saturday. TCU is third in the BCS standings — the highest- ranked non-automatic quali- fying team — and is in line for a chance to play for the national championship if Auburn or Oregon lose next weekend. The Frogs likely will play in the Rose Bowl if Auburn and Oregon both win. ‘‘Who would have thought five years ago that the guaranteed fallback position is, you’re going to the Rose Bowl, and one loss you’re in the national cham- pionship?’’ Del Conte told a LOSS (Continued from page 1B) good quarterbacks. We just have to come out and play and help the defense out.’’ Gradkowski had an MRI on Monday and there was no immediate word on the extent of the injury. But he said after the game that it felt like it did when he first hurt it against San Diego — an injury that sidelined him for more than a month. That will give another opportunity to Campbell, who has lost the starting job twice already since being acquired in April to be Oak- land’s quarterback of the future. Campbell began the sea- son as the starter but was replaced by Gradkowski after just six quarters. Camp- bell got another chance when Gradkowski was hurt and led the Raiders to wins in three of four starts to seemingly win back the job when Cable said he would stick with the hot hand. But Campbell got pulled in the second half at Pitts- room filled with supporters and staff. ‘‘We’re going to Pasadena, let’s get fired up. We’re going to the Big East, let’s get fired up. ... It’s a great time to be a Frog.’’ The pending departure of TCU continues a big shuffle for the Mountain West, which last summer announced that Boise State was leaving the WAC to join its league in 2011. That was expected to bolster the strength of the MWC and put the league in better posi- tion for possibly gaining an automatic BCS berth in the future. But now so much has changed. Utah is leaving the Mountain West for the expanded Pac-12 and BYU is going independent. Fres- no State and Nevada, and maybe Hawaii, are going from the WAC to the MWC in 2012 after TCU leaves. ‘‘Today’s intercollegiate athletics environment is very fluid,’’ Mountain West Con- ference commissioner Craig Thompson said in a state- ment. ‘‘Our board of direc- tors and directors of athlet- ics, as they have throughout the history of the MWC and with even more focus recently, will continue to analyze the landscape and chart our course in the con- text of ongoing changes.’’ Thompson said there were ‘‘conversations already under way with potential future members.’’ Del Conte said losing BYU and Utah was a ‘‘sig- nificant blow’’ to the Moun- tain West. ‘‘It was not the same league that we joined,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s not the same home that we bought, it’s not same home we were invited to, and things changed, the landscape changed.’’ Boise State president Bob Kustra called TCU’s decision disappointing ‘‘but not entirely surprising given the stakes of automatic qual- ification in the BCS bowl system and relative lack of access for non-AQ confer- ences.’’ He said the Moun- tain West was still a good fit for his school. TCU could help the burgh and then was replaced last week by Gradkowski. Now it looks as if he’ll get another chance with Grad- kowski hurt again. ‘‘It’s not an easy thing to be going through, by no means,’’ Campbell said. ‘‘You’re a competitor, you like to compete. ... It’s kind of tough because you’re caught right in between something and you don’t know what’s going on.’’ The Raiders have plenty of problems beyond quarter- back play that need to get fixed if they are going to make a late-season run. Dar- ren McFadden, who led the NFL with 108.1 yards rush- ing per game going into Pittsburgh, has been held to 16 yards on 18 carries the past two games. Leading receiver Zach Miller has been slowed by injuries and has just three catches the past two games, putting more pressure on an inexperienced receiving corps. He has a bruised lower leg that could slow him again this week. The defensive line that was so dominant during the FREE Fitness Fair December 4th • 9am Tehama Family Fitness Center We will be featuring displays from local health conscious businesses, restaurants, and beauty services Free Fun Run December 4th 8:30 Jolly Jog 5k Run your first race! at TFFC Tehama Family Fitness Center 2498 South Main St • Red Bluff 528-8656 www.tehamafamilyfitness.com MWC land an automatic bid to the BCS after the Frogs are gone. TCU’s excellent 2010 (and it’s 2011 perfor- mance) will count toward the MWC’s resume when the conferences are evaluat- ed after the 2011 season. BCS officials have said a non-automatic qualifying conference could earn an automatic bid for the 2012 and ’13 seasons. And if the Big East’s BCS bid comes under scrutiny when the next TV contract ends after the 2013 season, TCU’s 2010 season will also count toward the Big East’s resume. ‘‘It’s too soon to specu- late about what the BCS thresholds will be for the 2015 and beyond, but it seems likely that TCU’s move will enhance the Big East’s position,’’ BCS exec- utive director Bill Hancock said in an e-mail. The Big East has schools in nine of the nation’s 35 largest media markets and will being adding Dallas/Fort Worth, the fifth largest. ‘‘Located in one of the top five media markets in the country, TCU also enables the Big East to extend its media footprint, which already encompasses more than a quarter of the country,’’ league commis- sioner John Marinatto said. The only current Big East team ranked in the AP poll is No. 23 West Virginia (8-3, 4-2 Big East), which is 24th in the BCS standings. Connecticut (7-4, 4-2) could get the league’s automatic BCS spot. TCU might not be head- ed to a BCS game without Boise State’s loss Friday night in overtime at Nevada. Had the Broncos remained undefeated, there was a real possibility that the Broncos could have passed the Frogs in the BCS standings and been the only non-AQ team to get into one of the top- level bowls. ‘‘This is a great move,’’ Patterson said. ‘‘I’ll say this, we don’t seem to get bored around this place. ... The one last mark people have held winning streak has given up 348 yards rushing the past two weeks. Pro Bowl cor- nerback Nnamdi Asomugha is still hampered by a sprained right ankle and struggled in coverage against Miami when he was able to play. Rookie cornerback Wal- ter McFadden got picked on repeatedly in his most exten- sive action of the season, with Asomugha limited and Chris Johnson sidelined by injuries. Now the Raiders have one week to fix all those problems. ‘‘We got ourselves into this the last two weeks,’’ Cable said. ‘‘We’re also the same group of men that were 4-1 the five weeks prior to that.” ODDS Glantz-Culver Line For Nov.30 NFL Thursday at Philadelphia 8.5 (50.5) Houston NCAABasketball Today at Northwestern at Wake Forest 1 at Tennessee 17.5 at Syracuse 18.5 at Miami at Notre Dame1 7 Ohio St. at Clemson at Utah UTEP Missouri-x at Illinois at Portland 8 14 Pk 5 5 at Washington 16 at W.Carolina 2 at Montana at Gonzaga at Mississippi St. 9 at LSU 4 1 7 4 GeorgiaTech Iowa MiddleTenn. Cornell Mississippi Indiana St. at Florida St. Fla.Atlantic Houston Michigan Fresno St. 5 at New Mexico St. Georgetown North Carolina Saint Louis Long Beach St. Bradley 12.5 27 at Washington St. 22 at S.Dakota St. 7 at Texas Tech 8.5 x-at Kansas City, Mo. NBA Today Boston at Orlando Portland at New York L.A.Lakers Indiana 4.5 10.5 3.5 5.5 4.5 3 San Antonio 4 NHL Today at Toronto -120 at Chicago -150 at Nashville -120 at Colorado -140 at San Jose -120 Tampa Bay +100 St.Louis+130 Phoenix + 100 Atlanta +120 Detroit +100 at Cleveland Detroit at Philadelphia New Jersey at Memphis at Sacramento at Golden State CalSt.-Fullerton E.Washington Sacramento St. Nevada Oral Roberts against in recruiting is that we were not an automatic qualifier. Now that’s been erased.’’ TCU was a BCS buster for the first time last season, then lost to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. The Frogs have won 25 consecutive regular-season games, and 38 of 41 overall. The only losses in that span were in the Fiesta Bowl, and games at Oklahoma and Utah. ‘‘Coach Patterson’s done a great job there and has brought an awful lot of exposure to themselves just because of the success that they’ve had,’’ South Florida coach Skip Holtz said. ‘‘Probably over the last five years, (they) have been one of the leaders in this whole BCS busters thing, and they’ve done it on a consis- tent basis. They’ve proven that they can compete at that level, that they’re deserving of having the opportunity to be in a BCS conference.’’ Louisville athletic direc- tor Tom Jurich believes TCU is ‘‘a great addition’’ to the Big East, and has no problem with the league expanding so far west. ‘‘Hey, the Big 12’s got 10, the Big 10’s got 12,’’ Jurich said. ‘‘Why should we be any different?’’ With all TCU sports moving to the Big East, it will create a 17-team basket- ball league. Marinatto said the league was aware of the logistical issues associated with hav- ing 17 basketball teams and nine football teams and that those issues would be addressed. He wouldn’t dis- cuss the possibility of even more schools being added to the league outside of what the league previously stated. Villanova, which won the FCS national champi- onship last season, has been considering moving up in classification in football and joining the league in which their basketball teams and other sports are already a member. Villanova AD Vice Nicastro said the school’s timetable of a Spring 2011 decision had not changed. TENNIS ATP Final Money Leaders 1. Rafael Nadal 2.Roger Federer 3.Novak Djokovic 4. Andy Murray 5. Robin Soderling 6.David Ferrer 7.Tomas Berdych 8. Andy Roddick 9. Jurgen Melzer $8,571,998 $6,698,289 $3,778,857 $3,546,805 $3,331,527 $2,318,353 $2,249,122 $1,917,612 $1,887,084 10.Fernando Verdasco $1,771,365 11. Mikhail Youzhny 12. Gael Monfils 13.Sam Querrey 14. Ivan Ljubicic 15. Nicolas Almagro $1,725,349 $1,303,546 $1,252,096 $1,251,619 $1,205,538 16. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga $1,166,151 17. Marin Cilic 18.Bob Bryan 18. Mike Bryan 20. John Isner $1,151,955 $1,143,970 $1,143,970 $1,066,839 San Francisco Giants SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Infielder Juan Uribe is closing in on a three-year deal to leave the Giants for the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, two people with knowl- edge of the situation told The Associated Press on Monday. A key member of the World Series champions this season, Uribe was set to travel from his native Dominican Republic to Southern California to undergo a physical on Tuesday, one of the people said. Both people spoke on condition on anonymity because nothing had been announced. San Francisco offered Uribe salary arbitration last Tuesday, when gen- eral manager Brian Sabean acknowledged the sides were far off in their numbers. Sabean had hoped to bring back Uribe to keep much of his roster intact heading into 2011. The 31-year-old Uribe hit .248 with 24 homers and 85 RBIs in 2010 while playing in 148 games, including 103 at shortstop. He homered and drove in five runs during the World Series for the Giants, who won in five games against the Texas Rangers, and had nine RBIs in all during the postseason. San Francis- co won the city’s first championship since moving West in 1958. The versatile Uribe would give new manager Don Mattingly plenty of options for the Dodgers, whose owners, Frank and Jamie McCourt, are embroiled in a nasty divorce dispute largely NCAAFOOTBALL Friday’s Top 25 games No.24 Northern Illinois vs. Miami (Ohio) at Detroit, 4 p.m. Saturday’s Top 25 games No. 1 Oregon at Oregon State, 12:30 p.m. No.2 Auburn vs.No. 18 South Carolina at Atlanta, 1 p.m. No. 9 Boise State vs. Utah State, Noon No.10 Oklahoma vs.No. 13 Nebraska at Arlington, Texas, 5 p.m. No.12 Virginia Tech vs.No.20 Florida State at Charlotte, N.C, 4:45 p.m. No.14 Nevada at Louisiana Tech, Noon No. 23 West Virginia vs. Rutgers, 9 a.m. No.25 Hawaii vs.UNLV, 7:30 p.m. regarding who will assume ownership of the team. Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti has said the Dodgers will have a budget that will allow them to com- pete in 2011. At 80-82, Los Ange- les finished fourth in the NL West in manager Joe Torre’s final season after reaching the NL champi- onship series the previ- ous two years. It marked the club’s first losing season since 2005. Sabean said last week the Giants already have had discussions regard- ing other available shortstops to fill the void left by departed World Series MVP Edgar Renteria, who is con- templating retirement. ‘‘So this may take some time to get sorted out,’’ Sabean said of Uribe. ‘‘I think both parties are willing to do something faster, we’re just not talking the same language in ball- park figures. You have to be patient because we like the player ... but you do have to do busi- ness at hand and that’s why we’re juggling the trade scenario. I really don’t know what the outside world is going to bring to him offer wise.’’ NCAABASKETBALL The Top Twenty Five The top 25 teams in The Associated Press’ college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Nov.28, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week’s ranking: Record Pts Pvs 6-0 5-0 7-0 6-0 5-1 5-1 5-0 6-0 5-0 4-1 4-0 5-1 5-0 5-0 6-0 1.Duke (65) 2. Ohio St. 3. Pittsburgh 4. Kansas 5. Kansas St. 6. Michigan St. 7. Connecticut 8. Syracuse 9. Missouri 10.Kentucky 11.Baylor 12.Villanova 13.Tennessee 14. Memphis 15. Minnesota 16. Georgetown 6-0 17. San Diego St. 5-0 18. Florida 19.Texas 20. Illinois 21.BYU 22. Purdue 23.Washington 24.UNLV 5-1 5-1 6-1 6-0 5-1 2-2 6-0 25.Notre Dame 7-0 1,625 1 1,530 3 1,488 5 1,402 6 1,263 4 1,250 2 1,188 — 1,085 9 984 11 890 8 844 12 807 7 779 24 758 14 754 15 701 16 594 18 553 16 484 20 435 19 369 23 318 10 270 13 255 — 126 — Others receiving votes:West Virginia 95, Louisville 94, Gonzaga 51, North Carolina 41, Vanderbilt 25, Richmond 24, Virginia Tech 8, Arizona 6, Saint Mary’s, Calif. 6, Texas A&M 6, Old Dominion 5, Cincinnati 3, Va. Commonwealth 3, Wichita St. 3, Iowa St. 2, Cleveland St. 1. Monday’s Top 25 results NFL AFC West WL T Pct PF PA Kansas City 7 4 0 .636 285 231 Chargers 6 5 0 .545 310 225 RAIDERS 56 0 .455 255 256 Denver East 3 8 0 .273 250 323 WL T Pct PF PA NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE Pacific Division Dallas WL OT Pts GF GA 14 8 1 29 68 62 Phoenix 11 6 5 27 66 65 Kings Central Division Detroit SHARKS 11 7 4 26 65 63 Ducks 13 9 0 26 63 55 11 11 3 25 64 77 WL OT Pts GF GA 15 4 2 32 73 56 Columbus 14 8 0 28 62 53 Chicago 13 11 2 28 79 74 St. Louis 12 7 3 27 57 57 Nashville 9 8 5 23 51 60 Northwest Division WL OT Pts GF GA Vancouver 12 7 3 27 68 59 Colorado 13 9 1 27 83 71 Minnesota 11 10 2 24 56 65 Calgary 10 12 2 22 67 69 Edmonton 7 12 4 18 59 89 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division WL OT Pts GF GA Philadelphia 15 6 4 34 87 61 Pittsburgh 16 8 2 34 79 62 N.Y. Rangers14 11 1 29 74 69 New Jersey 8 14 2 18 45 69 N.Y. Islanders5 12 5 15 46 72 Northeast Division WL OT Pts GF GA Montreal 15 8 1 31 60 47 Boston 12 8 2 26 59 46 Ottawa 11 13 1 23 58 75 Buffalo 9 13 3 21 62 73 Toronto 8 11 3 19 48 61 Southeast Division WL OT Pts GF GA Washington 17 6 2 36 86 68 Tampa Bay 13 8 3 29 73 78 Atlanta 12 9 3 27 77 72 Carolina 10 11 3 23 71 78 Florida 10 12 0 20 57 57 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. ————————————————— Monday’s results Calgary 3, Minnesota 0 Dallas 4, Carolina 1 Edmonton 4, Ottawa 1 Pittsburgh 3, N.Y. Rangers 1 Los Angeles at Anaheim, late Today’s games Detroit at San Jose, 7:30 p.m. Tampa Bay at Toronto, 4 p.m. Phoenix at Nashville, 5 p.m. St. Louis at Chicago, 5 p.m. Atlanta at Colorado, 7 p.m. West Seattle WL T Pct PF PA 5 6 0 .455 209 275 St. Louis 5 6 0 .455 213 231 49ERS 47 0 .364 187 225 Arizona 3 8 0 .273 194 319 East WL T Pct PF PA N.Y. Giants 7 4 0 .636 277 240 Philadelphia 7 4 0 .636 310 257 Washington 5 6 0 .455 215 262 Dallas South Atlanta 3 8 0 .273 256 301 WL T Pct PF PA 9 2 0 .818 276 209 New Orleans 8 3 0 .727 265 197 Tampa Bay 7 4 0 .636 219 223 Carolina 1 10 0 .091 140 276 North WL T Pct PF PA Chicago 8 3 0 .727 222 172 Green Bay 7 4 0 .636 269 166 Minnesota 4 7 0 .364 189 239 Detroit ————————————————— Monday’s result San Francisco 27, Arizona 6 Thursday’s game Houston at Philadelphia, 5:20 p.m. Sunday’s games San Francisco at Green Bay, 10 a.m. Oakland at San Diego, 1:05 p.m. Buffalo at Minnesota, 10 a.m. Chicago at Detroit, 10 a.m. Cleveland at Miami, 10 a.m. Denver at Kansas City, 10 a.m. Jacksonville at Tennessee, 10 a.m. New Orleans at Cincinnati, 10 a.m. Washington at N.Y. Giants, 10 a.m. Atlanta at Tampa Bay, 1:15 p.m. Carolina at Seattle, 1:15 p.m. Dallas at Indianapolis, 1:15 p.m. St. Louis at Arizona, 1:15 p.m. Pittsburgh at Baltimore, 5:20 p.m. Monday, Dec.6 game N.Y. Jets at New England, 5:30 p.m. 2 9 0 .182 258 282 New England 9 2 0 .818 334 266 N.Y. Jets 9 2 0 .818 264 187 Miami Buffalo South WL T Pct PF PA Indianapolis 6 5 0 .545 282 252 Jacksonville 6 5 0 .545 240 294 Houston 5 6 0 .455 264 287 Tennessee 5 6 0 .455 257 218 North WL T Pct PF PA Baltimore 8 3 0 .727 250 188 Pittsburgh 8 3 0 .727 254 181 Cleveland 4 7 0 .364 216 229 Cincinnati 2 9 0 .182 225 288 NFC 6 5 0 .545 205 225 2 9 0 .182 229 295 No. 5 Kansas State 85, Emporia State 61 No.11 Baylor 90, Prairie View 45 Virginia 87, No. 15 Minnesota 79 Today’s Top 25 games No.2 Ohio State at Florida State, 4:30 p.m. No.7 Connecticut vs.N.Hampshire, 4:30 p.m. No. 8 Syracuse vs. Cornell, 4 p.m. No.9 Missouri vs.No.16 Georgetown, 6 p.m. No.10 Kentucky vs.Boston University, 4 p.m. No.13 Tennessee vs.Middle Tenn., 4:30 p.m. No. 20 Illinois vs.North Carolina, 6:30 p.m. No.23 Washington vs.Long Beach St., 8 p.m. No.25 Notre Dame vs.Indiana St., 4:30 p.m. NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE Pacific Division Lakers WL Pct GB 13 4 .765 — WARRIORS 89 .471 5 Phoenix 8 9 .471 5 KINGS 411 .267 8 Clippers 3 15 .167 10.5 Southwest Division WL Pct GB San Antonio 14 2 .875 — Dallas 13 4 .765 1.5 New Orleans12 5 .706 2.5 Memphis 7 10 .412 7.5 Houston 5 12 .294 9.5 Northwest Division WL Pct GB 14 5 .737 — Utah Okla. City 12 6 .667 1.5 Denver 10 6 .625 2.5 Portland 8 8 .500 4.5 Minnesota 4 13 .235 9 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division WL Pct GB Boston 12 4 .750 — New York 9 9 .500 4 New Jersey 6 11 .353 6.5 Toronto 6 11 .353 6.5 Philadelphia 4 13 .235 8.5 Southeast Division WL Pct GB Orlando 12 4 .750 — Atlanta 11 7 .611 2 Miami 10 8 .556 3 Charlotte 6 11 .353 6.5 Washington 5 11 .313 7 Central Division WL Pct GB Chicago 9 6 .600 — Indiana 8 7 .533 1 Cleveland 7 9 .438 2.5 Detroit 6 11 .353 4 Milwaukee 6 11 .353 4 ————————————————— Monday’s results Dallas 101, Houston 91 Miami 105, Washington 94 Oklahoma City 95, New Orleans 89 Utah 109, Milwaukee 88 Today’s games Indiana at Sacramento, 7 p.m. San Antonio at Golden State,7:30 p.m. Boston at Cleveland, 4 p.m. Detroit at Orlando, 4 p.m. Portland at Philadelphia, 4 p.m. New Jersey at New York, 4:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Memphis, 5 p.m.