USC-SDSU Football Game Weighed

Renewed talks of a possible USC-San Diego State football game in 1992 are in the “exploratory” stages, John Reid, executive director of the Greater San Diego Sports Assn., said.

Fred Miller, SDSU athletic director, indicated Tuesday he is interested in scheduling USC but said he didn’t want to publicly negotiate SDSU’s schedule.

And a source close to the situation said a likely scenario has SDSU adding USC in place of Miami in 1992.

Although the SDSU-Miami contract still has 14 years to run, Miami needs to re-evaluate its schedule after joining the Big East Conference last winter. By 1993, the Hurricanes are committed to play seven Big East games and Dave Maggard, Miami athletic director, said last week Miami was looking at two or three opponents to cut and that SDSU was among the possibilities.

Miller discounted the replace-Miami-with-USC scenario.

“That’s very speculative,” Miller said. “I wouldn’t anticipate that.”

Original plans for the USC-SDSU game, to be called the “September Kickoff Classic” and played in September, 1992, were scrapped earlier this month when USC learned that scheduled renovation of the Coliseum--USC’s home field--would be delayed until at least 1993.

When USC informed the GSDSA that 1992 was out, the GSDSA wanted to try 1993. But SDSU’s schedule is full in 1993.

“Fred couldn’t adjust his schedule, so we thought it was off,” Reid said. “We tabled the matter, put it on a shelf. But word came back from SC . . .

“There was some concern about the passing of time and whether we would be able to crank up the marketing. We’re just seeing if it can be pulled back together now.”

Mike Garrett, USC associate athletic director in charge of football scheduling, said Tuesday he wants the Trojans to play the Aztecs.

“I think it is a good idea to do this,” Garrett said. “We cannot play in 1993, so I don’t know when we could play again. I could still rustle up a home game, but I (wanted) a good game wherever we played. Knowing San Diego is not a long junket, and we have a following there . . . we’d play a game at home and yet be away.”

In addition to the GSDSA’s concerns, another problem for Miller is that he had changed the date of the 1992 Brigham Young game and moved that year’s Hawaii game from San Diego to Honolulu to accommodate the proposed USC game. When talks broke down, Miller sent letters to BYU and Hawaii seven to 10 days ago thanking them for their cooperation and informing them that SDSU didn’t need to change after all.