BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- For the second time in four years, the SEC won't place a team in Birmingham's bowl game. That means Conference USA could replace the SEC on Jan. 7 to play a lower-selected Big East team than usual in the BBVA Compass Bowl.

Or not. Such is life this time of year and given Birmingham's convoluted bowl arrangements.

"Maybe you can figure this out for us," C-USA Associate Commissioner Alfred White joked.

Officials from C-USA and the Big East said Monday their understanding at this point is C-USA will vacate the Liberty Bowl and play the Big East in Birmingham. Because there's no SEC team in Birmingham, the Liberty contractually gets the BBVA Compass' Big East pick, pushing Birmingham down in the order.

"When we were negotiating our bowl deal, one of our criteria was the quality of opponent, and certainly the opportunity to play the SEC in bowl season was very attractive to us," Big East Senior Associate Commissioner Nick Carparelli said.

However, the C-USA scenario is contingent on LSU winning the SEC championship. If Georgia wins, the SEC would likely move three teams up to the BCS, also leaving the Liberty without an SEC team. In that case, C-USA would stay in the Liberty.

Birmingham is batting .500 with the SEC, drawing South Carolina and Kentucky the past two years and also missing in 2008. In order to become affiliated with the SEC, the city's bowl game raised ticket prices for most seats from $30 to $50 in recent years. The bowl kept $30 prices for corner seats and BBVA Compass customers can purchase tickets at bank locations for $45 and $25.

Last season was the first in which the BBVA Compass and Liberty bowls shared the SEC's final pick in rotating years. Since both bowls agreed on their SEC picks in 2010, the Liberty retains the higher SEC priority this year.

C-USA played in the first two games of Birmingham's Papajohns.com Bowl, which has since changed title sponsors. The league normally sends its champion to the Liberty, but if Houston beats Southern Miss in the C-USA Championship Game, the Cougars will be in the BCS.

That could leave Southern Miss (10-2), which lost to UAB in Birmingham on Nov. 17, back at Legion Field. C-USA will have only five bowl-eligible teams -- Houston, Southern Miss, Tulsa, SMU and Marshall -- and won't fill two bowl tie-ins if Houston goes to the BCS.

The Big East will have between five to seven eligible teams. There's a danger that Pittsburgh, whose fans travel poorly and won the BBVA Compass Bowl last season, will be Birmingham's only Big East option.

Syracuse (5-6) plays at Pittsburgh (5-6) on Saturday and the winner becomes the Big East's most likely team in Birmingham. Two more Big East teams could become eligible and provide more options: South Florida (5-6), which plays visiting West Virginia on Thursday; and Connecticut (5-6), which plays at Cincinnati on Saturday.

The X-factor is ESPN Regional Television, which owns several bowls -- including Birmingham's -- and could broker trades. Messages left for ESPN Regional Senior Vice President Pete Derzis and BBVA Compass Bowl Executive Director Mark Meadows were not returned.

When the BBVA Compass Bowl secured new four-year contracts with the SEC and Big East last year, C-USA and the MAC were added as backups. At the time, Derzis said that if the SEC isn't eligible, ESPN is obligated to place a MAC team in Birmingham or St. Petersburg, whose Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl is also owned by ESPN. The MAC has six eligible teams -- Ohio, Temple, Northern Illinois, Toledo, Western Michigan and Ball State -- for three primary bowl slots and four backup options.

If Pitt becomes the BBVA Compass Bowl's only Big East choice, ESPN could send the Panthers to St. Petersburg and add someone else, possibly even an at-large team. The Big East has told ESPN it's fine if that happens.

Potential at-large teams include Illinois and Iowa State since the Big Ten and Big 12 may have extra teams. When the SEC failed to qualify for Birmingham's bowl in 2008, North Carolina State was added.

White said he believes C-USA will be in Birmingham but acknowledged trades are possible.

"I think that would depend on what Pete (Derzis) is able to do," White said. "I think Pete would have to contact us and see what he's got on his mind. The understanding always was if we agreed to this (backup arrangement), we wouldn't lose a bowl opportunity for one of our eligible teams."

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