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Date Posted: 06/20/03 5:08pm
Author: Seth Buford
Author Host/IP: 165.66.69.113
Subject: new football conference

Poly eyes possible move to new football conference
By Chris Giovannetti
The Tribune

Cal Poly is one of seven universities examining the creation of a new football conference.

The proposed conference would not only solidify the Mustangs' scheduling but possibly lead to an automatic playoff berth.

Besides Cal Poly, the proposed conference could include UC Davis, St. Mary's, Southern Utah, Northern Colorado, North Dakota State and South Dakota State.

"We're not sure of the time line but it's still an intriguing possibility," Mustangs head football coach Rich Ellerson said.

Since the four-team America West Conference disbanded in 1995, the Cal Poly football team has played as a Division I-AA independent.

The proposed conference, which doesn't currently have a name, would feature three teams -- St. Mary's, UC Davis and Southern Utah -- that Cal Poly regularly plays. Plus, Northern Colorado is scheduled for a future season.

"We'd love to have a conference, it's something we dream about," Ellerson said. "We'd have a part of our schedule automatically filled.

"We already have a rivalry with Davis and this adds fuel to the fire."

If the conference can secure at least six teams, the annual conference winner would receive an automatic I-AA playoff bid. That playoff berth, Ellerson believes, would be available in the league's third season.

To get the conference proposal rolling, Northern Colorado athletic director Jim Fallis believes three objectives must be reached in the near future:

• A scheduling alliance. Prospective schools should set aside an eight-week period toward the end of the season for games against the six other schools. "It's something for a long-term basis," Fallis said.

• A centralized office with a representative. Fallis isn't calling for a commissioner, merely someone to channel between the schools and the NCAA.

• Communication. "Conference calls, meetings," Fallis said. "We need to figure out where we go every step of the way."

While those items could speed up the process, Ellerson is wary of rushing into a new conference.

"We need to look at what the landscape in college football will be two years from now," he said.

Ellerson pointed out that several current Division I-A football programs, including San Jose State, could fall back to Division I-AA if they don't meet certain standards in the coming years. Averaging 15,000 fans per game against five Division I-A schools are among new rules that have been implemented.

"A lot of questions need to be asked and answered and some of those we can't get to right now," Ellerson said.

Ellerson wasn't sure what Cal Poly's next move would be and Cal Poly athletic director John McCutcheon, out of the office until next week, could not be reached for comment.

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