Congress investigates BCS system vs. Playoffs

**AIT** · 05-01-2009, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by clones11

or you just dont have any automatic bids to the BCS games that way when the big east or ACC sucks they dont get automatic bids that tehy dont deserve. they could just do an AP/USAt today/coaches poll ranking system and the top 8 schools that make it play. I dont know if that would work either but I dont like the automatic birth by winning your conference especially if your conference is a joke

First, there's no way the BCS conferences will agree to a system that doesn't guarantee their champion a spot in a big money game. Second, taking away auto bids will make it all but impossible for the non-BCS teams to make a big money game.

**Cyclonick182** · 05-01-2009, 01:01 PM

Wow, the economy must have rebounded last night for them to have so much free time to be working on this! GO USA, WE R TEH NUMBA 1!

Seriously though, this a huge waste of everyones time and tax dollars.

**superdorf** · 05-01-2009, 01:02 PM

The world is gonna be like "I Am Legend" by the time of the BCS games next year anyways... so why does it matter?

**The_Architect** · 05-01-2009, 01:10 PM

Congress is such a joke. Between this and the MLB steroid "investigation."

**CycoCyclone** · 05-01-2009, 01:14 PM

Barton, the top Republican on the committee, quipped that the BCS should drop the "C" from its name because it doesn't represent a true championship.

"Call it the 'BS' system," he said to laughter.

**jumbopackage** · 05-01-2009, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by clones11

or you just dont have any automatic bids to the BCS games that way when the big east or ACC sucks they dont get automatic bids that tehy dont deserve. they could just do an AP/USAt today/coaches poll ranking system and the top 8 schools that make it play. I dont know if that would work either but I dont like the automatic birth by winning your conference especially if your conference is a joke

The problem is that the ACC, Big East etc. are affiliated with these bowl games. The BCS only exists because they said OK. Eliminating the automatic berths will only serve to further exclude the mid-majors from the BCS, IMO.

Originally Posted by delt4cy

touche'

and the only way to solve the mid-major problem is by expanding the playoff scenario creating more game and more playoff bowls. Thus, further straining the ability of bowls to be profitable, and if the bowls are not profitable they cannot exist.

This is a tough one. I wish a playoff scenario was clear cut and easy to achieve.

You're assuming that the BCS generates a significant amount of the revenue which the school uses to run it's football program. That's simply not the case. And you're also presupposing that the reason BCS schools are successful is because they participate in major bowls. In reality it's the other way around.

The mid-majors won't ever be on equal footing regardless of the "national championship" system, because it's simply impossible for them to be so - UNLESS there was instituted some form of revenue sharing, or capping, and not JUST for revenue from bowl games or postseason play, but for donations from private donors as well.

And if they are not on equal footing, giving them elevated access to a postseason tournament isn't really fair to schools trying to compete at the highest level.

If the mid-majors are so increidbly exciting to watch play, they ought to break away and form their own division, have a playoff, and then crown a champion. It would clearly solve all their problems. They could have the one true national champion, and the BCS could continue to be the "farce" that they claim it to be.

**PGreen ISU '92** · 05-01-2009, 01:20 PM

16 Team Playoff -- 11 Conference Champions and 5 At-Large. Congressional approval ratings are never above 20%. If they were to somehow get a playoff implemented they could break that glass approval rating percentage!

**synapticwave** · 05-01-2009, 01:28 PM

Why not do both? There should just be two seasons of college football each year, a fall season with the existing BCS/Bowl layout and then a short spring tournament season. The spring season could allow spring practices to start in mid March (like most teams already hold) with a 3 week tournament format that starts the week (or two) after the final four ends in the second weekend of April. You could determine the 8 team tournament from the bowl game winners or through polling or some combination of the two.

In addition to the tournament, all other ncaa team would play 3 games during the spring season. The non-tournament games could be used for pre-season rankings for fall and if it was desired to have more importance placed on the spring games you could make it so that every team with a winning record in the spring started the next fall with a 1-0 record and every team with a losing record started the next fall season with an 0-1 record.

This scenario would give us a bowl national champion in the fall and not take anything away from the excitement of current bowl games. And, it would also give us a tournament format for a champion. The tournament might even be able to be played at neutral sites because fans are so desperate to watch football in April that teams would travel fairly well. Or you could adopt a "close to home" strategy where higher seeds get to play in-state but not in their stadium. It would also give all the non-tourney schools more revenue from holding more home games and would also prompt more teams to play exciting games with non-conf opponents in the srping that they normally wouldn't play in the fall season. Finally, the NCAA could shorten the fall season by 1 game to go back to the 11 game season format in the fall since I think that is what they would prefer in order to fit in the academic year better. Plus, that way season stats records would be more consistent (with the exception of the last 6 years screwing everything up).

In total, I think this type of two-season format would work extremely well and I think its something that most fans would like, most schools would like, the TV networks would like and the NCAA would like. It's a win for everyone, even congress.

**247cy** · 05-01-2009, 01:32 PM

In my opinion this sucks. What's that? Playoffs!?! Are you kidding me? You wanna talk about playoffs? I just hope they can fix the economy.

Sincerely,

Jim Mora Sr.

**CycoCyclone** · 05-01-2009, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by PGreen ISU '92

16 Team Playoff -- 11 Conference Champions and 5 At-Large. Congressional approval ratings are never above 20%. If they were to somehow get a playoff implemented they could break that glass approval rating percentage!

+1

**Ace000087** · 05-01-2009, 06:00 PM

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdUr5hF0yGc"]YouTube - Coors Light Jim Mora Press Conference Ad[/ame]

**hawkeye_t** · 05-01-2009, 06:45 PM

First of all, I am not a playoff guy. I do not understand why anyone would want to ruin the greatest regular season in sports. Playoffs work in the NFL and other professional sports due to the limited number of teams, salary caps, revenue sharing, etc. I just do not see it in college football. Especially as a fan of schools like Iowa or Iowa State. If you think we are insignificant now, imagine if there was a playoff. If you look at the teams in 1-AA, DII or DIII, it is basically the same teams every year. At least in the current BCS format there are more opportunities. If your team doesn't make the title game, they can still go to a BCS game with a really good season or a regular bowl game with a good season.

There are certainly things I would like to see tweaked, like really rewarding teams for playing a very difficult nonconference schedule, but by in large I think college football is the best sport in the world, particularly the regular season. March Madness may be more exciting than bowl season but the regular season in college basketball does not hold a candle to the college football regular season.

I can appreciate true college football fans debating the idea of a playoff. The thing I hate is to hear lame brain, east coast ESPN talking heads who went to schools like Colgate or Fordham talking about playoffs. They just assume because that is what happens in the NFL it should happen in college football also. I think there is truly something special about college football that would be diminished by having a playoff.

**Steve** · 05-01-2009, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by hawkeye_t

First of all, I am not a playoff guy. I do not understand why anyone would want to ruin the greatest regular season in sports. Playoffs work in the NFL and other professional sports due to the limited number of teams, salary caps, revenue sharing, etc. I just do not see it in college football. Especially as a fan of schools like Iowa or Iowa State. If you think we are insignificant now, imagine if there was a playoff. If you look at the teams in 1-AA, DII or DIII, it is basically the same teams every year. At least in the current BCS format there are more opportunities. If your team doesn't make the title game, they can still go to a BCS game with a really good season or a regular bowl game with a good season.

There are certainly things I would like to see tweaked, like really rewarding teams for playing a very difficult nonconference schedule, but by in large I think college football is the best sport in the world, particularly the regular season. March Madness may be more exciting than bowl season but the regular season in college basketball does not hold a candle to the college football regular season.

I can appreciate true college football fans debating the idea of a playoff. The thing I hate is to hear lame brain, east coast ESPN talking heads who went to schools like Colgate or Fordham talking about playoffs. They just assume because that is what happens in the NFL it should happen in college football also. I think there is truly something special about college football that would be diminished by having a playoff.

Good post - you nailed it.

**mcblogerson** · 05-02-2009, 11:05 AM

How about following the basketball tourney and set up regional sites for the four games in an 8 team tourney.
All teams qualifying would be the top 8 in the BCS rankings.
Forget the bowls, a tourney would make 10 times the money.