Congressman proposing bill to kill BCS system

[huedawg]

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/28161939/

WASHINGTON - Taking aim at a BCS system he said "consistently misfires,'' a member of Congress planned to introduce legislation Wednesday that would force college football to adopt a playoff to determine the national champion.

Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, the ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, didn't specify what sort of playoff he wants — only that the BCS should go.

"In some years the sport's national championship winner was left unsettled, and at least one school was left out of the many millions of dollars in revenue that accompany the title,'' Barton said in a statement released ahead of the bill's introduction. "Despite repeated efforts to improve the system, the controversy rages on.''

He said the bill — being co-sponsored by Reps. Bobby Rush, an Illinois Democrat, and Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican — "will prohibit the marketing, promotion, and advertising of a postseason game as a 'national championship' football game, unless it is the result of a playoff system. Violations of the prohibition will be treated as violations of the Federal Trade Commission Act as an unfair or deceptive act or practice.''

The BCS was created in 1998 by the six most powerful conferences. Since then, the system has been tweaked to make it easier for teams from smaller conferences to qualify for the top games. The sites for the four BCS bowls - the Rose, Orange, Sugar and Fiesta - take turns hosting a championship game between the top two teams in the BCS standings, which are based on two human polls and six computer ratings.

This season, Florida (12-1) and Oklahoma (12-1) will meet in the BCS title game Jan. 8 in Miami.

Barton cited Southern California in 2003 and undefeated Auburn in 2004 as examples of worthy teams left out of the BCS national championship game.

"This year, we again have two teams with one loss each playing for the 'championship,' while two undefeated teams and four additional teams with only one loss will play in bowl games, but none can become 'champion,''' he said.

When an Energy and Commerce subcommittee held a hearing about the BCS in 2005, lawmakers said they weren't going to pursue legislation.

"The BCS method of determining who is No. 1 consistently misfires,'' Barton said Wednesday. "Simply exposing the flaws and subjecting them to discussion ... hasn't led to improvement by those who run the system.''

Wow ! Do you think Obama is having any say in this ?

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

I am for anything that brings a playoff where the games are played all over the country and not just in the hot spots.

[seofan_via_dublin]

Imagine that, this year it's from Texas.

Last year it was from Hawaii and Georgia.
The year before that Michigan.
The year before that Idaho.

Seems like a trend, if your home state gets screwed, get your congressman to complain.

Bowls don't sell out now, not even BCS bowls.

How do people expect fans to fill stadiums three straight weeks, in three different cities,
on very short notice. It won't happen in this economic time of crisis.

[Orestes]

The only way it will be done is if they do 6-8 teams and have home-field advantage until the championship game (at a BCS site). They would also have to keep the bowls in the place for the remaining eligible teams.

The sad part is, they would probably use the BCS conference champion tie-in like they do with the BCS now. So, teams like UC and VT would be automatically in the playoff. That would be of the suck IMO.

If they do it, it better just be the top 6 or 8 teams.


Believe me, I am not against any system that has OSU hosting Florida in late December. Plus, OSU has the playoff experienced coach. I doubt JT has any titles in 1-AA without running through the playoffs.

He treats the season like a journey, adds pieces bit by bit, and has his team playing its best in November. However, right now once November is finished, waiting for a bowl game is like starting all over.

[Peake]

Interesting.....I would love to see a 4 game playoff. Start it on January 1st and give the higher ranked team home field---give the winners another week to prepaire, and than set the site.

[BOO YAH]

Yes I agree that there needs to be a playoff system established, but for our government to get involved bothers me. There are other issues that they need to worry about. If fixing the BCS issue is the answer to all those problems, Ok, but I doubt that it will.

[alabama mike]

Good for him!!! NCAA D I football is the ONLY college sport that DOES NOT have a national championship. The NCAA D II championship will be on this weekend on ESPN.

[Bleeding Red]

Yes I agree that there needs to be a playoff system established, but for our government to get involved bothers me. There are other issues that they need to worry about. If fixing the BCS issue is the answer to all those problems, Ok, but I doubt that it will.

I have to agree. Our government is starting to be a little to socialistic for my taste.

But in this case, whatever brings closure to the football season through a playoff system is great.

[Tigercannon71]

The government has enough trouble running itself what makes it thinks it can run our sports. Think about it though the BCS does an excellent job for college football. It puts ratings up and brings in revenue for the NCAA. Every game is important throughout the season. People arent just watching their team, but all the games that can affect their team. This brings in ratings and money.

[boogerred]

Congressmen should be worried about our country's REAL problems, not the BCS.

Why not have a 10-team playoff? Cut out one of each team's non-conference games and have the playoffs begin after the regular season.

Take the conference winners from the Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, PAC 10, SEC, ACC give them byes and fill the rest with at large bids.

[2trap_4ever]

I am all for a playoff but at the same time don't we just make the regular season worthless, I give NCAA basketball as an example, the average fan(which is what they are looking at, the NCAA knows diehards will watch anyway) does not watch the regular season until it gets close to tourney time, and the fear of that happening with football is there. I believe we can have a playoff taking the top 8 and using a system without the polls, I really think they should use a system like our high school football computer system, its who you play and beat, not by how much, this way teams will schedule tougher games during the season and we can get away from the beating down of D I-AA schools, with the schedule like this then you keep everyone excited the entire season.

[oldtrojan]

I like the 16 teams system of D2 and D3 football.
Take the champions of the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, Pac 10, ,and SEC, CUSA,MAC, Mountain West, WAC, and Sunbelt,and then the top five at large bids and hold a D2, D3 like format. (I bet Notre Dame looks to join a conference in a hurry then).

[Orestes]

Ugh... conference champions.... Yes, I would just love to see 2005 5-loss FSU in the playoff....

I would love to see Buffalo in the playoff... double ugh....


Cut ties with the conference champion BS and put the top 4-8 teams in the playoff. No one outside of the top 8 deserves a sniff of the title.


Plus, ugh at any system that allows OSU to sit starters against Michigan....


College football sets financial records because of the intense regular season...

College basketball is dropping financially and is a failing business model....

Let's not mimic that horrible system... March is the only time to watch....

[sprinter14]

I agree with Oldtrojan. I have been pushing for a 16 team playoff. It is the ONLY way to get every conference champion and every undefeated team in there with a shot. There are 11 conferences, so you take the 11 champs plus 5 "at large" bids. If that were done this year, every team in the top 12 would make it in plus every undefeated. Then no one can complain about going undefeated and getting screwed because of what conference they play in.

To those of you who say, oh that sucks, I don't wanna see Troy or Buffalo get in......look at it this way, when you seed them and pair them up, the #1 and #2 teams will get fairly easy games......that would be their reward for being #1 and #2 going in. I know Florida #1 vs Buffalo #16 would not be that great to watch, but c'mon, a lot of fans would be pulling for the old David vs Gloliath thing to happen. And when it finally does happen one day, it would be talked about forever.

Look at all the Boise States, Utah, Ball State (til the last game) and other schools who can go 12-0 or maybe even 13-0 and get left out!! This is the only way to give everyone a fair shake.

As for scheduling; round 1 would be Dec 13th, round #2 would be Dec 20th, round # 3 would be Dec 27th, then give the final 2 teams a little more time to prepare and you come back the week of Jan 5-7 and pick a night to have the championship game at a neutral site.

[earp]

Do it like 1-AA used to,Whoever can bid the most fans gets home field!Buckeyes would get home field every year then,Well unless they played Penn State.Michigan or Tennessee!

[Just_A_Fan]

I like system we have now. I think a 16 team playoff was be very bad to college football and will turn into a one month sport. The system we have now is getting better and better at putting the top two teams in the country in the title game. Teams like Utah that go unbeaten put them in a bowl game like this year and if the kill bama gie them a split title.

Or teams like Boise St. and Utah start playing some tuff non-conf. games. If Marshall can play teams like Miami, WVU, Wisc, Cincy, and K-State. Then I think they could do the same.

[tomcat fan]

i like the idea of a playoff, seems like very year there is a team that gets the shaft with the bcs system

[Frank Reagan]

To me, use a 4 team format, use the current bowls (use the big 4 on a rotating basis) and have the National Championship game, used now, as the final. That wouldn't cost too many of the underserving bowl teams a game, just a select few that really don't deserve it anyway.

As for the US government getting involved, that is a crock. THey need to keep their paws off and work with our real problems, economy, health care, drugs, social security, illegal immigration, etc.