PASADENA, Calif. — The next phase of college football’s postseason arrives today.

OK, so there’s still one more season of the much-maligned Bowl Championship Series before we arrive, in 2014, at a four-team playoff. But as commissioners of 11 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick arrive for another round of meetings Tuesday to Thursday, they’re prepared to unveil answers to several questions — including what it will be called and where it will be played.

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But we might have to wait a while longer to learn who will choose the teams and how.

The site of the first championship game could be announced as early as Tuesday. Set for Jan. 11, 2015, it has been considered a lock to be played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. But according to several published reports, Raymond James Stadium in Tampa made a strong bid and had gained consideration. Although the championship game is expected to rotate among several cities, only the first site is expected to be announced this week.

When it comes to the name and logo of the playoff, don’t expect it to be flashy. Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said last week the aim was for something classic, not corporate. “We want it to be more like the Masters than NASCAR,” he said. Do not expect anything like “BCS.” That brand, battered by controversy that ultimately led to the current postseason metamorphosis, will be retired after this season’s championship game, which will be played Jan. 6, 2014, at the Rose Bowl.

“It will be simple,” BCS executive director Bill Hancock said. “It will not be cutesy. And it will be descriptive. I’ve seen too many people make mistakes by trying to be cutesy.”

The Fiesta, Cotton and Chick-fil-A bowls are expected to be named as the three so-called “host” bowls, which will join the “contract” bowls (Rose, Sugar and Orange) as rotating hosts for semifinal games.

The most important issue probably won’t be finalized this week. Although the commissioners have spent plenty of time working on the composition of the committee that will select playoff participants and the criteria it will use, it hasn’t been settled. There’s consensus that each FBS conference will be represented, as well as several “at-large” representatives; the committee could number from 14 to 20. Candidates could include current administrators, but also former college administrators, retired coaches and even retired media members.

“You need people that know the game and understand the game and have experience and wisdom and integrity and respect,” ACC Commissioner John Swofford told USA TODAY Sports in February, when the commissioners last met.

The commissioners also have worked to determine what guidelines the committee would use in ranking and choosing participants. Although it is expected to function much like the NCAA basketball committee does in filling out the NCAA tournament bracket, the smaller field (four teams vs. 68) and sample size (12 or 13 games vs. 35) significantly raises the stakes. Commissioners hope to de-emphasize polls and won-loss records and to develop more comprehensive data and reports.

“I know the commissioners are very interested in moving the needle on it,” Hancock said. “I’m sure it will get a fair amount of discussion.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

As the Pac-12 attempts to repair credibility in the wake of a controversy that cost the league’s coordinator of basketball officials his job, it might also need to repair its relationship with one of its highest-profile programs. Correspondence between Arizona and Pac-12 officials suggests relations already were strained before the Pac-12 Tournament, and that tensions might linger despite Ed Rush’s ouster.

Documents obtained by USA TODAY Sports from Arizona in response to a public records request show a flurry of communication and continuing disagreement over the circumstances surrounding the Wildcats’ two-point loss to UCLA in a tournament semifinal on March 15.

That was the game that led to a public reprimand and $25,000 fine for Arizona coach Sean Miller, both for his postgame confrontation with referee Michael Irving and for a subsequent outburst near a Pac-12 staff member minutes later. Two weeks later, CBSSports.com broke a story alleging that Rush, the league’s coordinator of officials, had promised cash and travel awards if officials called a technical foul on Miller or ejected him.

The documents show Arizona athletic director Greg Byrne and Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott had discussed the allegations against Rush much earlier. According to emails, the two men disagreed whether it and other factors should have been considered a mitigating circumstance in punishing Miller, who was incensed over a technical foul he was assessed by Irving with 4:37 left in the game against UCLA.

In an email March 17, Arizona athletic director Greg Byrne asked Scott to consider a “condescending” email sent March 6 by Rush regarding Miller’s request for review of questionable calls in an earlier loss to UCLA. Days later, after learning of the allegations that Rush had offered $5,000 or a trip to Cancun to game officials to target Miller during the conference tournament, Byrne asked Scott to waive the $25,000 fine.

The commissioner declined. In a memorandum dated March 26, Scott wrote that more than a week since the public reprimand, he had “not seen any signs of contrition from Coach Miller” and had “not received any communication from him, nor have the official and staff member who were the targets of his profanity-laced outbursts.”

Scott added that an evaluation of the Wildcats’ semifinal loss to UCLA “reveals a normal number of missed calls” and enclosed Rush’s review of the officiating, which included the notation that the double-dribble call that led to Miller’s technical foul was “NOT correct.” Scott also wrote that he was “troubled by my impression that you condone Coach Miller’s behavior or, at the very least, fail to adequately appreciate its seriousness.”

Byrne forwarded Scott’s memorandum to Arizona president Ann Weaver Hart, who wrote back: “We need to let this go now. You did your best.”

Pac-12: Rush was joking

Six days later, allegations of Rush’s inducement to officials went public. Rush told ESPN his comments were made in jest. Scott said a review by the conference’s head of enforcement indicated the same, and that Rush was jokingly referring to all of the Pac-12 coaches, not just Miller. Still, Rush resigned April 4. Five days later, the Pac-12 announced it would commission an independent review.

Scott declined to comment to USA TODAY Sports pending the results of the review. Although he said the Pac-12′s executive committee has not yet hired an investigator, he said the report should be completed before the league’s scheduled board meeting in June.

Miller did not return an interview request made through a school spokesman.

Byrne also declined comment. But after Rush’s resignation, Byrne told the Arizona Daily Star, “there was a deep concern within our peer institutions as well” as Arizona. He also tweeted: “Although u never want someone to lose their job, this is a good step for the Pac-12 in restoring confidence in the bball officiating program.”

In a memorandum to Byrne dated March 22, Scott followed up on earlier discussions of the allegations against Rush. He wrote that Pac-12 director of enforcement Ron Barker had interviewed Rush and officials who had worked Arizona’s quarterfinal and semifinal games.

“We have concluded that Ed Rush did make reference to rewards like money and travel (different people remembered different phrases) for being stricter with Pac-12 coaches and making them remain in the coaching box,” Scott wrote. “However, based on the interviews, we have determined that these comments were made in jest and that the officials in the room recognized that they were not serious offers. … No official believed they would be awarded money or a trip if they actually disciplined a coach during the tournament.

“We also believe Ed Rush used inappropriate language and humor during these meetings. We have addressed this matter with him, and have initiated steps to ensure this does not happen again.”

On March 25, after the Wildcats had advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16, Rush emailed a one-paragraph note to Miller: “Sean, Congratulations to you and your staff AND all the best in LA. I am optimistically looking forward to seeing you in Atlanta. Ed Rush.”

There is no indication Miller replied to the email, which he forwarded without comment to Byrne.

The documents show Arizona officials felt relations between Miller and Rush were strained before the conference tournament. Among the emails was Miller’s request, sent by Arizona’s director of basketball operations Ryan Reynolds, for Rush’s review of 21 sequences from Arizona’s loss March 2 at UCLA. Rush questioned the number of issues raised by Miller and wrote that only two were missed calls. He dismissed most of the others with brief notes, including: “???? Do not see YOUR point.”

“Ed’s tone was condescending and one could assume that he was bothered by the request,” Byrne wrote March 17, noting it was “only the second time that we had brought an officiating call issue to Ed … and isn’t it part of Ed’s job to be the middle man between the officials and our coaches/programs? If this is the response Sean/we get when we bring an issue forward to Ed it does not give us a lot of confidence that we will be constructively listened to in the future.”

In his reply, Scott wrote: “I do not believe Ed was trying to be condescending with Ryan, and I will address his style with him to work on improvement in this area. He tells me he reached out to Coach Miller personally via telephone after the referenced e-mail exchange, and did not get a return phone call.”

Miller’s previous reprimand

The documents include a previously issued private letter of reprimand to Miller dated Jan. 11, 2013, for a postgame incident after Arizona’s loss at Oregon the previous night. Scott wrote that Miller “confronted the game officials in the tunnel after the game,” complaining about a no-call on the final play, and that Miller’s actions “included pointing at the official and profanity.” The commissioner warned: “Please be aware that any further incidents … will result in enhanced penalties.”

Two months later, on March 17, before the public reprimand for Miller’s actions following the March 15 loss to UCLA, Scott wrote to Byrne with an offer to waive the $25,000 fine under the following conditions:

Miller declined to apologize and Scott handed down the fine.

On March 29, Miller wrote letters to Scott and to the unnamed Pac-12 staff member. He apologized to the Pac-12 staff member, saying his outburst was directed “toward a Pac-12 banner hanging in the tunnel area near our locker room.” Miller wrote that he didn’t notice the representative, but added: “I understand that you were shaken by this incident, for that that I am truly sorry. Please know that my actions were not directed towards you in any way.”

Miller’s letter to Scott, which accompanied a $25,000 check for payment of the fine, did not include an apology. Noting Scott’s earlier proposal to Byrne of a meeting between Scott, Rush and Miller, the coach closed his letter with:

“After learning more details from numerous sources about ‘The Meeting’ between Ed Rush and several Pac-12 officials in Las Vegas prior to our semi-final tournament game with UCLA, I do not believe this meeting is in my best interest moving forward.”

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Devin and Jason McCourty, the former Rutgers defensive backs now playing in the NFL, took to their shared Twitter account @McCourtyTwins on Friday to express their disappointment with the situation at their alma mater and support athletic director Tim Pernetti, who resigned.

@McCourtyTwins: So RU made Pernetti resign but they are going to keep this clown as president…He still hasn’t taken ownership in his role (D-Mac)

@McCourtyTwins: Highly doubt Rutgers finds an AD that was better than Pernetti! (J-Mac)

In a phone interview Friday afternoon with USA TODAY Sports, the twins reiterated a similar theme. Saying they had been talking with several other prominent Rutgers athletic alumni, they praised Pernetti’s accomplishments and questioned the lack of “ownership” by university president Richard L. Barchi.

“I don’t see how you can have a president and he doesn’t know about things that are going on when an employee is suspended and fined,” said Devin McCourty, the New England cornerback. “I don’t know how you would recommend that Mr. Pernetti should resign and not feel the same way. I’m thinking, ‘Wow, this is embarrassing. My school is a joke right now.’”

Jason McCourty, the Tennessee Titans cornerback, added: “It seems as though (Pernetti) was made to be the scapegoat and the entire blame went to him. You have to believe there’s more blame to go around than just to Pernetti. For us, we hope more would be done. It looks like there’s confusion. We listened to some of the president’s response today and it seemed like no one would take ownership.”

Barchi said during a Friday news conference that he did not watch the video when it was first presented in November because he trusted Pernetti to handle the matter appropriately.

Both twins said basketball coach Mike Rice should have been fired.

“Growing up playing Pop Warner on through, we always had tough coaches who liked to yell,” Jason said. “But some of the things he said and his actions, that stuff doesn’t need to happen. To watch it was very embarrassing.”

The twins questioned whether Pernetti was mistaken in not firing him earlier, but they praised his accomplishments as athletic director and said they had planned to petition to have Pernetti keep his job. “Obviously,” Jason McCourty said, “we were too late. At this point, it’s really all in the higher-ups’ hands.”

Jason McCourty said he and his brother would continue to support Rutgers.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

The uncle of former Auburn running back Michael Dyer said Thursday that contrary to a published report, his nephew was never in danger of academic ineligibility while at the school.

In a story by Roopstigo.com which alleges NCAA violations including potential academic fraud during the Tigers’ run to the 2010 national championship, Dyer was mentioned as one of “as many as nine” Auburn players who were academically ineligible and wouldn’t be able to play in the 2011 BCS Championship game.

“We thought we would be without Mike Dyer because he said he was one of them, but Auburn found a way to make those dudes eligible,” said former Auburn player Mike Blanc, according to roopstigo.com. (According to a Rivals.com report, Blanc denied he said it.)

Dyer, then a freshman, was named the game’s MVP. He could not be reached Thursday, but Andre Dyer disputed the account, saying when he heard the allegation, he called his nephew.

“He was not academically ineligible for the BCS Championship game,” Andre Dyer told USA TODAY Sports. “I don’t think he was even close.”

Andre Dyer said Michael Dyer told him: ” ‘Unc,’ my freshman year was my best year academically at Auburn. I passed 33 hours.” And he said: “The records will show he was not academically ineligible either year (at Auburn).”

Michael Dyer left Auburn in January 2012 after he was suspended for breaking unspecified team rules. He later testified in court that his .45 pistol was used without his permission by four former teammates – including Mike McNeil, the focus of the Rooptsigo.com article – in a robbery.

After transferring to Arkansas State in 2012, Michael Dyer was dismissed from the program by then-coach Gus Malzahn (who’s now the head coach at Auburn). He is attending Arkansas Baptist College in pursuit of an associate’s degree, with a goal of returning to an FBS-level school to play football next fall.

The more important goal, according to Andre Dyer and as detailed by USA TODAY Sports last September, was for his nephew to grow as a man. He has been undergoing personalized mentorship program with officials at Arkansas Baptist.

“This ain’t about football,” Donald Northcross, Arkansas Baptist’s dean of men, told USA TODAY Sports then. “This is about Michael Dyer being a good man.”

“The young man is doing everything he can to get his act together,” Andre Dyer said. “They keep pouring salt in his coffee. He’s doing great. All he does is go to class, work out with me and go home.”

Andre Dyer said Michael Dyer made the dean’s list last fall and is on track to earn the associate’s degree this summer.

“He’s taken his lumps and he’s worked through them,” Andre Dyer said. “He’s changed that image that he had. But these people won’t let it die.”

The latest fallout might have affected Dyer, though. A planned visit this weekend to TCU has been postponed, according to Andre Dyer, at the school’s request.

“He’s gonna land somewhere on his feet,” Andre Dyer said.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.