Andrée Seu Peterson on the "Time" cover 
Click to Print
Include Comments
Does the BCS need a makeover?
Even in the midst of a busy session, our lawmakers are taking time to consider a “very” important issue facing the nation: How the Bowl Champion Series determines the nation’s top football team. On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary’s subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy, and consumer rights issued a statement saying the current system “leaves nearly half of all the teams in college football at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to qualifying for the millions of dollars paid out every year.”
Subcommittee member Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) is reportedly pushing for the hearings after his home state was snubbed despite going undefeated in the regular season. According to Hatch, the BCS system “has proven itself to be inadequate, not only for those of us who are fans of college football, but for anyone who believes that competition and fair play should have a role in collegiate sports.”
What’s your take: Is it time for the BCS to get a makeover?
back to top19 Comments to “Does the BCS need a makeover?”
I think our lawmakers have more important things to worry about.
Report comment to moderator
But for the record I do think Utah got jipped.
Report comment to moderator
KBells, Consider this:
While they’re messing up the bowl selections, they aren’t doing something really dangerous. Other than going on a boondoggle, this may be the next best thing.
Report comment to moderator
Good point, CHas. Distract them with something shiny.
Report comment to moderator
I never understood why Congress would get involved with regulating either college or pro sports.
It seems among the least important things they could spend their time on.
Report comment to moderator
I agree with Chas. This would not require any federal money, so let them go for it!
Report comment to moderator
I believe this question was asked last year about this same time.
The more things change, the more things stay the same.
Report comment to moderator
Dear Congress,
MYOB!
Report comment to moderator
As a diehard college football fan, I have been all over the map on this. My present position is that I like the current system because it makes every football game important. Every Saturday it’s “do or die” as far as making it to one of the BCS Bowl games. From a fan standpoint, that makes it all the more exciting (”the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat”).
However, I also recognize that the current system is unfair to some schools and conferences. The big-time football schools have colluded to heap the prestige and money that comes from the BCS Bowl games on themselves to the exclusion of others.
My solution? Take the power out of their hands and give it to a “federation” of sports writers, coaches and computer rankings. In particular, I think sports writers are more likely to see the big picture and be more meritorious in which football programs are worthy of a bowl. Second, open up the bowl games to any school that can prove itself worthy of being in the post-season. That’s where the computer rankings would come in, taking into account strength of schedule, size of victory, etc.
As far as congressional involvement, I don’t particularly care for it. This should probably be settled by the judiciary, where evidence could be brought forward about the collusion, and so forth.
I am not in favor of a play-off system at this juncture. But I could be persuaded.
Report comment to moderator
I think we need a system that bails out the 1 loss teams. It would be consistant with out federal policies for other losing entities that only the government likes to invest in.
Never mind the team that went 13 and 0…we must pull them down and force them to play with the rest of the losers. And not just one of them, but another 3 games against other said losers. Your only really the champion if you can win 18 games in football…
Report comment to moderator
It is clear that college football and basketball are more tiered towards the big power (or BCS) conferences which yield the ultimate champions of their sports. One could look at the long-celebrated March Madness 65 Team Tournament of College Basketball and see how the little guy is getting less and less of an opportunity to put themselves on the map (2002 saw 13 at-large berths from non-BCS conferences; in 2009 that number is down to 4).
The difference between the two (BCS and March Madness) is at least in March Madness the little guy is given a chance to take home the championship. In college football, the perfect mid-major team is allowed to share (on a small scale) in BCS dollars, but not in BCS championships.
The similarities between the two are clear, ultimately it’s about one thing—dollars (sponsorships and dollars to teams and conferences; the power conferences get more and stay big; the non-power conferences get a very small portion and stay small; the big dogs like it this way). In both, power conferences win (championships and large dollars) while the small stay small. In college football right now we have 1 very meaningful bowl game followed by a whole slew of less-meaningful games, but those 30 bowl games still have a big interest. With a change in the BCS to a playoff, many of the bowl games will take on even less role of significance and their overall long-term success will be up in the air (this might be a good thing though because why do we need to see two teams that barely finished over .500 in a bowl game). Plus, in a college football playoff system I can guarantee the non-BCS conferences will still only get one team in the playoff and more likely than not they will have to play the #1 team in all the land in the first-round.
This year the NCAA committee in picking the 65 teams made the remark, “We don’t look at conferences, but at teams” in making their at-large picks. If this continues, the mid-major or little guy will always get beat out by the big power conferences (this is why you saw Arizona who finished at .500 in conference beat out two 2nd place mid-major conference finishers in SDSU and St. Mary’s). A playoff system in college football will yield the same results: 15 BCS teams and 1 non-BCS team.
The University of Utah wanted a chance to be national champions. They finished their season undefeated and I do think it’s a disservice to not make them co-champions, but I’m not sure they could have won 4 games in a 16 team playoff and take home the national title. Why? The BCS and also March Madness are not made for the little guy. Every now and then one squeaks through and wins a game or two, but it is rare. It’s not set up for them to succeed.
Senator Hatch of Utah remarks that the system should be fair. Let’s be honest, when big dollars are at stake, nothing is fair.
Report comment to moderator
Stay out of it. Except maybe to eliminate athletic scholarships, at least in State schools. Athletics has become the tail that wags the dog and I think academics are much the poorer for it.
Report comment to moderator
Mark the day Arcadia . . .
They should not only leave it alone, keep their hands off and ‘fergidaboudit’, they should butt the hell out, shut up, go away and stay away.
As these arrogant morons have screwed-up so very, very badly countless other things they’re actually supposed to deal with, they’ve no business whatsoever even thinking about this until they’ve cleaned up the mess—a job without end.
Report comment to moderator
Look, if Utah wants to be in BCS bowl games every year then they need to join a BCS conference and win it. Period. PAC 10 has room.
Did Utah get jipped last year? Maybe, I don’t think they could have beat Florida or Oklahoma, but that my opinion. Furthermore I think the Alabama game would have been closer had Andre Smith played. Regardless, if they want some respect, join a big conference or stop crying.
Where does it end? What about all the 1-AA schools or triple AAA schools getting jipped. What about Appalacian State when they won the championship 3 years in a row, and beating a good Michigan team one of those years. Michigan was #5 in the country at the time. How come they didn’t get a chance at a national title?
Teams are going to get left out of any system. Bottom line is if you don’t want to be left out, join a big conference and win. Why doesn’t Utah do that? Because they know the result, and they have a much better chance at getting an at large bid than winning a BCS conference. Toughen up Utah, it’s football.
One thing I am sure of is that getting government involved with competitive sports is WAY out of line.
Report comment to moderator
Creeping totalitarianism. Totalitarianism differs from authoritarianism in that it refers to scope, not intensity. Medieval European governments were very authoritarian. However they typically left the average peasant’s daily life alone. Thus they were not very totalitarian. Our constitutional republic was designed as both non-authoritarian and non-totalitarian.
Totalitarian governments trend inevitably toward more authoritarian; government is intrinsically coercive. No matter how high-minded its impulse to meddle, or how just its ends appear, any government intrusion into any sphere of activity not explicitly enumerated by constitutional authority should undergo intense scrutinity and in cases like the BCS, vehemently repudiated.
Report comment to moderator
Go Gators.
Report comment to moderator
Reminds me of the time 10 years ago that Sen. John McCain used his considerable political clout to get a Phoenix mixed martial arts (a.k.a., “cage fighting”) cancelled — just hours before the event was to begin.
He ostensibly did so because, as a former Navy boxer, he found cage fighting “repugnant.” But at least one sports writer and MMA “evangelist” had a different theory:
I pretty much find cage fighting repugnant myself, but I don’t think US senators should get involved.
Ditto the use of steroids by professional athletes. (Let sports leagues set their own rules, hold their own hearings, and mete out their own punishments to offenders.)
And especially ditto the Bowl Championship Series! Have these stuffed-suit-idiots absolutely lost their ever loving minds?! Oh dear Lord, PLEASE spare us from these pompous, pretentious and arrogant men!
Report comment to moderator
Oh, but Frank, you forget that the “Obamessiah” has proclaimed that the BCS must be fixed as soon as possible. So of course the lap-dog Congress has to work and work fast to avert some overly-exaggerated national catastrophe!
Report comment to moderator
Oh, I forget that some cannot comprehend sarcasm, so:
[/sarcasm]
Report comment to moderator
back to topJoin The Conversation
You need to be a registered user of WORLDmag.com's Community section to "join the conversation."
If you are not a member yet, what are you waiting for? Register / Login Now!