BCS vs. playoff debate comes to Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- College football's perennial armchair-quarterback argument over the need for a clear-cut national champion came to Capitol Hill Friday.

College football teams play in the BCS for the national championship trophy. The House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection held a hearing to dissect the Bowl Championship Series, asking whether the model needs to be tweaked, overhauled or done away with altogether.

Four witnesses testified at the morning hearing, including championship series coordinator John Swofford and Alamo Bowl President Derrick Fox; both of whom defended the current system, though Fox conceded that "no system is perfect and the Bowl Championship Series is not perfect."
Mountain West Conference Commissioner Craig Thompson and Boise State Athletic Director Gene Bleymaier testified that they would like to see the system revamped. Many critics say they want college football to have a playoff system to ensure that a champion is clearly defined.

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, called the Bowl Championship Series format unfair and perhaps took it one step further. "You should either change your name to BES for Bowl Exhibition System or just drop the C and call it the BS system, because it is not about determining the championship on the field."
Both sides were cordial but opinionated. Fox said he would prefer Washington not get involved. "Those who don't like the current system will say that's the way of the world, but we don't believe that government should have any role in promoting a demise of the bowl games."

Currently, 11 college conferences and three independents compete in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision -- formerly Division I-A. Six of those 11 conferences are guaranteed spots in the four Bowl Championship Series games. Schools from conferences that critics say are unfairly deemed as low profile are then left to fight their way into those prestige games. They share in significantly less of the series money and have less of an opportunity to challenge for the national title.

President Obama is one of the proponents of a college football playoff. In an interview with ESPN in November, Obama said he's had just about enough of the Bowl Championship Series.
"I'm fed up with these computer rankings and this, that and the other. Get eight teams -- the top eight teams right at the end. You got a playoff. Decide on a national champion," Obama said.
Before heading out early to catch a flight, Barton made it clear that he expects to see college football change its ways or risk having lawmakers introduce legislation to impose change for them.
"I think there is better than a 50 percent chance that if we don't see some action in the next two months on a voluntary switch to a playoff system that you will see this bill move," he said.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/01/football.bcs/index.html

Subcommittee OKs college playoff bill

Updated: December 9, 2009, 1:43 PM ET

WASHINGTON -- A House subcommittee approved legislation Wednesday aimed at forcing college football to switch to a playoff system to determine its national champion, over the objections of some lawmakers who said Congress has meatier targets to tackle.

"With all due respect, I really think we have more important things to spend our time on."
-- Rep. John Barrow, D-Ga.

The bill, which faces steep odds, would ban the promotion of a postseason NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision game as a national championship unless it results from a playoff. The measure passed by voice vote in a House Energy and Commerce Committee subcommittee, with one audible "no," from Rep. John Barrow, D-Ga.

"With all due respect, I really think we have more important things to spend our time on," Barrow said before the vote, although he stressed he didn't like the current Bowl Championship Series, either.

The BCS selections announced last weekend pit two unbeaten teams, No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Texas, in the Jan. 7 national title game. Three other undefeated teams -- TCU, Cincinnati and Boise State -- will play in a BCS bowl game, but not for the championship.

"What can we say -- it's December and the BCS is in chaos again," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He said the BCS system is unfair and won't change unless prompted by Congress.

The legislation, which goes to the full committee, would make it illegal to promote a national championship game "or make a similar representation," unless it results from a playoff.
There is no Senate version, although Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, has pressed for a Justice Department antitrust investigation into the BCS.

Shortly after his election last year, Barack Obama said there should be a playoff system.
In a statement before the vote, BCS executive director Bill Hancock said, "With all the serious matters facing our country, surely Congress has more important issues than spending taxpayer money to dictate how college football is played."

The subcommittee chairman, Rep. Bobby Rush, an Illinois Democrat who co-sponsored the bill, said, "We can walk and chew gum at the same time."

Yet Barrow wasn't alone in criticizing his colleagues' priorities; Reps. Zach Space, D-Ohio, and Bart Stupak, D-Mich., made similar arguments. Space said that with people facing tough times, the decision to focus on college football sends the "wrong message."

The bill has a tough road ahead, given the wide geographic representation and political clout of schools in the six conferences -- the ACC, Big East, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-10 and SEC -- that get automatic BCS bowl bids

The current college bowl system features a championship game between the two top teams in the BCS standings, based on two polls and six computer rankings. Eight other schools play in the Orange, Sugar, Fiesta and Rose bowls.

Under the BCS, the champions of those six big conference get automatic bids, while other conferences don't. Those six conferences also receive far more money than the other conferences.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

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(I think it is rather silly that this is what the BCS' future comes down to: our government needing to intervene. But there comes a matter of time when something needs to be done regarding this situation, and if our government is the answer, then so be it. Although, I agree with Rep. John Barrow, something does need to be done regarding this situation.)

Swofford: 'welcome dialogue on what's best for college football'

Updated: November 18, 2008, 5:04 PM ET

ESPN.com news services

President-elect Barack Obama would like a college football playoff. The BCS' response? We'll listen, but ...

BCS coordinator John Swofford responded to a stepped-up playoff push by Obama that was broadcast on CBS' "60 Minutes" on Sunday. President-elect Obama also lobbied for a college football playoff in an interview with ESPN that was broadcast the night before the presidential election during halftime of Monday Night Football.

"First of all I want to congratulate newly elected President Obama and I am glad he has a passion for college football like so many other Americans," Swofford said in a statement. "For now, our constituencies -- and I know he understands constituencies -- have settled on the current BCS system, which the majority believe is the best system yet to determine a national champion while also maintaining the college football regular season as the best and most meaningful in sports."

Swofford added: "We certainly respect the opinions of president-elect Obama and welcome dialogue on what's best for college football."

Obama said he will use his influence to create such a system.

"If you've got a bunch of teams who play throughout the season, and many of them have one loss or two losses, there's no clear decisive winner. We should be creating a playoff system," he told reporter Steve Kroft.

According to Obama's proposed system, eight teams would play over three rounds to settle the national champion.

"It would add three extra weeks to the season," he said at the conclusion of a wide-ranging interview. "You could trim back on the regular season. I don't know any serious fan of college football who has disagreed with me on this. So, I'm going to throw my weight around a little bit. I think it's the right thing to do."

Texas coach Mack Brown said he's a big fan of Obama's idea.

"Send the best eight teams and let them play it off," Brown said, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "There's a lot of good teams that are going to be left out of the BCS this year. What I would welcome is more conversation [about changing the BCS system]. I really wish we could hammer out some ideas and get it down to what's workable ... whether we do it now or three or four years from now. In most years, there are going to be six to 10 teams better than the others and it's tough to say who is best without a playoff."

Texas Tech coach Mike Leach has an even grander idea -- a 64-team playoff.



"I don't think there's much of an answer unless you get to an expanded playoff system. If you went to a 64-team playoff, it would take care of itself," Leach said, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal. "As it is now, if you're in a real weak league, there's going to be guys who can circle two, maybe three, games on their schedule, play well, then play mediocre and still run the table. There's just more margin of error there."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3708348