Congress investigates BCS system vs. Playoffs

**CycoCyclone** · 05-01-2009, 10:43 AM

Congress to examine fairness, financing of BCS - NCAA Football - SI.com

It's interesting to hear all these south and east coast accents defend the BCS

CNN.com Live

**jaretac** · 05-01-2009, 10:47 AM

They should keep their noses out of it.

**Wingback** · 05-01-2009, 10:47 AM

Our tax dollars at work, fellas. Washington is the biggest conglomeration of boobs ever assembled. They don't know anything about anything else...let's see what they know about football!

**delt4cy** · 05-01-2009, 10:47 AM

Is a playoff even logistically possible?

How could a fan base of a team travel to up to 3 different locations w/in 3 or 4 weeks? (I guess it works at the 1-AA level, but they don't have to send 20-30K fans to each game for the game to be profitable)

I originally thought an 8 team playoff using the BCS bowls would work, but asking any school to send 20-30K fans (conservative guess) to Miami then New Orleans then LA in consecutive weeks would be extremely difficult.

Perhaps a home scenario for the first round, but then the lower seed would be at an extreme disadvantage.

Any theories?

**jeff0514** · 05-01-2009, 10:48 AM

You have got to be kidding me! They have no business in this!

**Knownothing** · 05-01-2009, 10:49 AM

Glad our country is in good enough shape for these idiots to concentrate on the BCS and Steroids rather than Job growth.

**CycoCyclone** · 05-01-2009, 10:49 AM

The rep from Boise State is complaining about too many bowl games reducing the "specialness" of bowl eligible team, with 6-6 teams playing in bowls.

He says BCS unfairly disadvantages smaller schools

**pulse** · 05-01-2009, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by CycoCyclone

The rep from Boise State is complaining about too many bowl games reducing the "specialness" of bowl eligible team, with 6-6 teams playing in bowls.

He says BCS unfairly disadvantages smaller schools

"And my Bowl is the worst example of that."

**jumbopackage** · 05-01-2009, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by delt4cy

Is a playoff even logistically possible?

How could a fan base of a team travel to up to 3 different locations w/in 3 or 4 weeks?

I originally thought an 8 team playoff using the BCS bowls would work, but asking any school to send 20-30K fans (conservative guess) to Miami then New Orleans then LA in consecutive weeks would be extremely difficult.

Perhaps a home scenario for the first round, but then the lower seed would be at an extreme disadvantage.

Any theories?

The only way it would really work is to have all the games played at home stadiums, with a relatively small field. Maybe 8 teams. That would give the winner of the tournament only 3 games to have to win. The 3rd game (championship game) would be at the neutral site.

Essentially a mini NFL playoff/superbowl. You'd have sellout games, but it would be a pretty lopsided crowd I'd imagine.

That's speaking logistically. The problem with an 8 team playoff is that it gives you no greater access than already exists for the mid-majors. There is no objective way to rank teams with so few games, and the necessity of a small playoff field means that you don't have a lot of margin for error in putting teams in the playoffs.

I don't think the BCS is a perfect system by any means, but there just aren't any viable alternatives so long as the D-1A football pool is so stratified financially, and so large.

If you want a playoff, you need to get rid of the mid-majors, IMO.

**clones11** · 05-01-2009, 11:01 AM

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

**CycoCyclone** · 05-01-2009, 11:02 AM

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

That's a good suggestion, automatic bids waste spots.

And Notre Dame should have to join a conference to play in a bowl game.

**delt4cy** · 05-01-2009, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by jumbopackage

The only way it would really work is to have all the games played at home stadiums, with a relatively small field. Maybe 8 teams. That would give the winner of the tournament only 3 games to have to win. The 3rd game (championship game) would be at the neutral site.

Essentially a mini NFL playoff/superbowl. You'd have sellout games, but it would be a pretty lopsided crowd I'd imagine.

That's speaking logistically. The problem with an 8 team playoff is that it gives you no greater access than already exists for the mid-majors. There is no objective way to rank teams with so few games, and the necessity of a small playoff field means that you don't have a lot of margin for error in putting teams in the playoffs.

I don't think the BCS is a perfect system by any means, but there just aren't any viable alternatives so long as the D-1A football pool is so stratified financially, and so large.

If you want a playoff, you need to get rid of the mid-majors, IMO.

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.

**jdoggivjc** · 05-01-2009, 11:03 AM

As much as I would love a "fair" BCS, or better yet, a playoff, this is completely ridiculous. Congress is not in the business of regulating and operating sports, it is in the business of creating laws for this country. Quite frankly, I'd think they'd be more concerned about the $1.7 billion budget deficit we're facing this year, or which business/bank they need to bail out next, or whatever else they SHOULD be doing with their time...

**CycoCyclone** · 05-01-2009, 11:04 AM

oh wow, I didn't know they were considering removing "National Championship" from the BCS....wonder what that'll do

**mplscyclone** · 05-01-2009, 12:19 PM

You should have a winning record in your conference to go to a bowl game IMO. At least a .500 record. I think there are too many teams that win 3-4 Mickey-Mouse games in the pre-season to only win a couple in their conference and go to a bowl.