Ralph D. Russo

LSU did its part to make sure both the Tigers and Alabama get into the BCS national title game. Then Oklahoma State gave the voters a reason to rethink that rematch.

The top-ranked Tigers locked up a spot in the championship on Jan. 9 in New Orleans with a 42-10 victory against No. 12 Georgia in the Southeastern Conference title game in Atlanta on Saturday.

Oklahoma State followed that with a 44-10 blowout of rival Oklahoma in Stillwater.

The person spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the conference and school have not been making their talks public.

The Big East was trying to add BYU as part of its plan to expand westward and become a 12-team football league.

At issue are television rights. The person says BYU wanted to retain the rights to its home football games and the league could not agree to that.

No other school in major college football playing in a conference has such a deal.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the conference was not ready to announce which schools its members had voted Tuesday to extend invitations to in the upcoming days.

Commissioner John Marinatto declined to give specifics of the Big East's plan after meeting with the league's presidents at a Philadelphia hotel.

NEW YORK -- The Big East knows which schools it wants to add. Now it's just a matter getting those programs to come aboard.

To help convince some of the candidates -- such as Boise State -- that the Big East will be stable in the long run, the conference has a plan in place to double its exit fee to $10 million.

An official in the Big East told The Associated Press that conference leaders are slated to vote Monday on raising that fee, which will clear the way to invite six new members.

An official in the Big East, speaking on condition of anonymity because the conference had not authorized anyone to speak publicly about its plans, told The Associated Press the invites could go out as soon as next week, but could take longer.

The officials also said Commissioner John Marinatto was in Cincinnati on Friday meeting with representatives from UCF.

Conferences do not publicly invite new members unless they are confident those invitations will be accepted.

The New York Post first reported the Big East was expected to invite Boise State, Air Force, Navy and UCF.

Florida State looks to return to center stage

By RALPH D. RUSSO

AP College Football Writer

At the 2001 Orange Bowl, Oklahoma ended one of the greatest runs in college football history when the Sooners beat Florida State to win the national championship.

The Seminoles haven't been serious title contenders since that 13-2 loss in Miami.

Tonight at Doak Campbell Stadium, No.

Colin Kaepernick picked the living room at his parents' house over the green room at Radio City Music Hall.

The Nevada quarterback declined an invitation to attend the NFL draft Thursday night in New York so he could relax with friends and family in his hometown of Turlock, Calif., about 90 miles south of Sacramento.