Other Alliance (Pac-10 / Big Ten) Appears Too Strong to Break

Don’t expect a change in the Rose Bowl’s longstanding pact with the Pacific 10 and Big Ten conferences any time soon.

That was the word Wednesday after Pac-10 athletic directors met in Los Angeles.

“They would be cautious about making any changes that might jeopardize the special 90-year relationship the Pac-10 has had with the Rose Bowl,” Pac-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen said.

At issue was the fact that, for the second year in a row, the possible Big Ten representative in the Rose Bowl might be denied the chance of playing in the bowl alliance’s “national championship” game because of the conferences’ tie to the Rose Bowl.

Last year Penn State was denied that chance. This year, Ohio State is 9-0 and ranked second behind Nebraska.

Big Ten officials were hoping to explore options that might allow an escape clause to the Rose Bowl contract if a Pac-10 or Big Ten team finished ranked first or second.

There was also talk of the Rose Bowl joining the bowl alliance as early as 1997.

But Hansen said changing the contract, which runs through the 2001 Rose Bowl, would be “laborious” and require the joint approval of the Pac-10, Big Ten, Rose Bowl and ABC.

Hansen said Pac-10 chancellors will take up the issue at their December meetings in San Francisco.