Check out the all-new CalBears.com site. It's a rare combination where a website manages to improve both form and function.
Fewer than twenty four hours from the meeting on how to divide the Pac-12, some details are becoming clearer. Regardless of the decisions made tomorrow, nothing will be finalized until at least October.
In the current 10-team league, every team plays either at USC or at UCLA every year. Once Colorado and Utah transform the league from the Pac-10 to the Pac-12, the league will split into two divisions in order to stage a conference championship game.
Scott said they have looked at three basic models: geographic divisions, the so-called "zipper" divisions, in which each of the six geographic pairings (Arizona-Arizona State, USC-UCLA, Stanford-Cal, Oregon-Oregon State, Washington-Washington State, Colorado-Utah) would be separated, or a hybrid of the two ideas.
Whatever the makeup of the divisions, Scott said, "If you're going to play nine conference games, you'll play five in your division and four out of six teams in the other division. You're going to play an L.A. team every year and you're going to get to L.A. at least two of every three years."
One issue with the "zipper" plan, Scott said, is that the rivalry games played in the last couple of weeks of the season would become inter-division games. That introduces the possibility of rematches in the Pac-12 Championship Game. To solve that issue, Scott said, the league will discuss moving those rivalries to the middle of the season.
After the jump Tedford speaks at media day, Cal is picked to finish 7th, and more.
Football
- Cal was picked to finish 7th in the conference by the media. Here's Tedford's transcript, featuring his opening statement and comments from Pac-10 Media Day.
- The season opener against UC Davis will kick off at 1pm and be televised on Comcast Sports Net California.
- Cal is the only Pac-10 team in "great shape" with its tight ends, according to Ted Miller. Once again, Anthony Miller and Spencer Ladner should prove to be effective tight ends this season.
- Hoping to avoid the scrutiny faced by the Big Televen, the Pac-10 will officially change its name to the Pac-12 when Colorado and Utah join next year. Wilner dislikes the idea, as he believes it suggests a lack of value in the brand name of the Pac-10.