Disney to Unveil Title Plan

Walt Disney Co.’s push for a national collegiate football championship game at Anaheim Stadium will be unveiled today, when the 106 Division I-A university presidents and chancellors receive a proposal for the Disney Classic Week.

The game, proposed to start in January of 1995, would match the top two teams as voted in the USA Today/CNN coaches’ poll after the New Year’s Day bowl games. Each participant would be guaranteed $1 million. The other 104 Division I-A schools would receive at least $75,000.

The proposed week is in January of 1995, at various Orange County sites.

The events would include a student arts festival and symphony and a college fair. According to the proposal, Disney is prepared to make a five-year commitment.

A major hurdle still must be cleared before the national championship game becomes a reality. The project needs approval of the NCAA at its annual convention, scheduled for January.

Although an NCAA spokesman said Thursday it is too late to change the convention’s agenda, Disney officials are hoping the project is put to a vote. Deadline for such proposals was Aug. 15.

“There is no way tomorrow a majority of I-A presidents are going to change their mind and say we need to vote on this in January,” said Jim Marchiony, the NCAA’s director of communications.

“It is an issue the presidents want to discuss, but they are not ready to push it to a vote two months from now. They (Disney) are approaching the people they need to approach, but their timing is off.”

Jack Lindquist, Disneyland president, was not concerned about the timing. He said that he thinks the proposal could reach the convention floor for a vote.

“University presidents can get anything on the agenda,” he said. “We’re throwing something out. Let the bomb go off and see what happens.”

Lindquist said Disney would consider postponing the project for a year if the university presidents requested it.

Disney has discussed the project with some California college administrators, including Jack Peltason, president of the University of California system; John Sandbrook, UCLA assistant chancellor, and James Doti, Chapman University president.

The project is co-sponsored by ABC Television and The Times.