Last October, Chris Del Conte left his job as Athletic Director of Rice University to assume the same job at the up-and-coming Texas Christian University. As Del Conte implied himself, it was improbable to think that within the next two years, TCU could rise up from its “BCS buster” status to a member of a legitimate BCS conference and 2011 Rose Bowl participant.
“Who’d have thought 5 years ago, today, a guaranteed fallback position is you’re going to the Rose Bowl?”, Conte asked rhetorically.
Ten years ago, TCU jumped onto the national scene behind 2nd overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft and surefire Hall-of-Famer running back Ladainian Tomlinson. Since then, the Horned Frogs bandwagon has continued to gain steam. Following the 2008-09 season, TCU squared off with Boise State in the highly anticipated Poinsettia Bowl matchup, defeating the Broncos 17-16. The game garnered the highest ratings in Poinsettia Bowl history, and the highest TV ratings for a pre-Christmas bowl game ever.
The next year, both met again, but in a BCS bowl, marking the first year in the BCS’ existence that two “BCS busters” faced one another in BCS bowls. The game was once again a fantastic matchup, with Boise emerging victorious by the score of 17-10. This game set the stage for the 2010 season, when both teams would return nearly their entire offenses. Both had their eyes set on a national title this season, entering the season ranked third and sixth in the pre-season AP poll respectively. Boise’s surprising loss to Nevada ensured that TCU would play in the Rose Bowl, a first for a non-BCS team.
Entering this season, TCU had flirted with the idea of joining the Big East, but the Big East only wanted TCU for its football program. However, it looked like the Mountain West Conference, TCU’s current conference, would have a legitimate case to get an automatic-qualifier bid into a BCS game, or even better, be named the 7th BCS conference. By 2012, the league would have joined all the potential BCS busters in one league: Utah, BYU, Nevada, Fresno State, Boise State, and of course TCU, making for a difficult schedule to navigate through unscathed. However, over the past few months, BYU left the MWC to become an Independent team, and Utah accepted an invitation to join the Pac-10, allowing the Utes an opportunity to compete for an automatic BCS bid. The damage done by the departure of BYU and Utah seemed irreparable and changed the conference’s landscape as Del Conte explained on November 29.
“It’s not the same conference we joined,” said Del Conte. “And you start to look at who you’re losing, you lose Utah, you lose BYU, and you start to look at the possibilities.
“… I think losing BYU and Utah was a significant load of the conference, it was not the same league that we joined.”
Regardless, Del Conte remained firm in his requirement that the conference took TCU onboard as a full-fledged Big East member, and called the Big East’s bluff. TCU’s allure was ultimately too much for the Big East to resist, and TCU will join the Big East as a full member starting in the 2012-2013 academic year. The opportunity to earn an automatic BCS bid that the Big East will offer TCU was also a major factor.
“Having BCS automatic-qualifying status was a priority for our football program and a great reward for the success we've had the last decade,” Del Conte explained. "This decision today is great for TCU. We're heading into a realm, an arena, that we've always dreamed about. The BCS does not define TCU. TCU defines the BCS.”
As of right now, the marriage of TCU and the Big East conference is a match made in heaven. While the Big East isn’t exactly thought of as a premier “Big Six” conference, it still has the automatic BCS berth, and TCU should be the leading contender for that bid come 2012. Additionally, head coach Gary Patterson is much more likely to remain with TCU now that the team has a legitimate chance to play for a national championship.
“My charge is to make sure that at the end of the day, that we put him [Gary Patterson] in the best position that he can compete for a national championship, because that’s Gary’s quest every single time he steps on the field,” Del Conte said. “And this gives us the greatest opportunity to compete for a championship.”
The Big East gains access to the Dallas-Fort Worth market, the fifth largest in the United States. TCU’s football program also should help the Big East keep its automatic BCS bid, which is not assured after the current BCS contract ends, especially considering the conference sent an unranked team to a BCS bowl this year.
Now though, TCU has nowhere to look but up. The football program over the past decade has turned around from a middling Conference USA program to a legitimate national championship contender. Del Conte’s vision for the program and daring resolve has vaulted TCU to new heights as a school and eliminated the “BCS buster” label from their reputation. And out of everyone involved, he most of all is relieved to finally be desired and not on the outside looking in.
“It’s good to be wanted, I can tell you that much.”
No comments:
Post a Comment