">Forum Views ()
">Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
BCS warns playoff system threat to bowl games
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
Yahoo! Search
Search:
Sign InNew User? Sign Up
News Home -
Help
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
Search
Search:
BCS warns playoff system threat to bowl games
By FREDERIC J. FROMMER,Associated Press Writer AP - 1 hour 34 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - The coordinator of the Bowl Championship Series told Congress Friday that a switch to a playoff system _ favored by fans, President Barack Obama and some lawmakers _ would threaten the existence of celebrated bowl games.
ADVERTISEMENT
Sponsorships and TV revenue that now go to bowl games would instead be spent on playoff games, "meaning that it will be very difficult for any bowl, including the current BCS bowls, which are among the oldest and most established in the game's history, to survive," said BCS coordinator John Swofford in prepared testimony. "Certainly the twenty-nine games that are not part of the BCS would be in peril."
Swofford was appearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee's commerce, trade and consumer protection subcommittee, some of whose members back legislation aimed at prodding the BCS to switch to a playoff system.
Under the BCS, some conferences get automatic bids to participate while others do not. Conferences that get an automatic bid _ the ACC, Big East, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-10 and SEC _ get about $18 million each, far more than the non-conference schools. Swofford is also commissioner of the ACC.
Craig Thompson, commissioner of the Mountain West Commission, which does not get an automatic bid, said in prepared testimony that the current system is patently unfair.
"Such economic disparities and anomalies cannot be justified and should not continue," he said. "Many have said the current BCS system ensures a permanent underclass. They are right."
The MWC has proposed a playoff system and hired a Washington firm to lobby Congress for changes to the BCS, which currently features a championship game between the two top teams in the BCS standings, based on two polls and six computer ratings.
The MWC proposes, among others things, scrapping the BCS standings and creating a 12-member committee to pick which teams receive at-large bids, and to select and seed the eight teams chosen for the playoff. The BCS has previously discussed, and dismissed, the idea of using a selection committee.
The four current BCS games _ the Sugar, Orange, Rose and Fiesta bowls _ would host the four first-round playoff games under the proposal. Thompson argued that a playoff system would be a boon for those bowls, because they would help determine the national champion.
Thompson said that under the current system, teams that don't come from a conference with a guaranteed bid have no realistic chance of winning a BCS championship.
Swofford argued that criticism that the BCS guarantees berths and money to only some conferences "states the situation exactly backward." Prior to the BCS, he said, the conferences that now have automatic bids were guaranteed an attractive bowl slot for its champion.
"If the BCS were to disappear tomorrow, each of those conferences would return to the marketplace and obtain a similarly attractive bowl slot on its own through individual negotiation, most likely in one of the current BCS games," he said. But there would no longer be guaranteed annual bowl game pairing the top two ranked teams.
Among those participating at Friday's hearing is Texas Rep. Joe Barton, the committee's top Republican, who has introduced legislation that would prevent the NCAA from labeling a game a "national championship" unless it culminates from a playoff system.
In an interview before the hearing, Barton called the BCS system "more about cartels and revenue sharing" than athletic performance. "It's big money," Barton said. "We're going to start looking into where the money goes."
The BCS is in its final season of a four-year deal with the Fox network. A new four-year deal with ESPN, worth $125 million per year, begins with the 2011 bowl games.
The BCS has come under attack from a range of politicians. Last November, as president-elect, Obama told "60 Minutes" he would prefer an eight-team playoff system.
"I don't know any serious fan of college football who has disagreed with me on this," he said. "So I'm going to throw my weight around a little bit."
In the Senate, Utah Republican Orrin Hatch has put the BCS on the agenda for the Judiciary's antitrust subcommittee this year, and Utah's attorney general, Mark Shurtleff, is investigating whether the BCS violates federal antitrust laws.
Fans were furious that Utah was bypassed for the national championship despite going undefeated in the regular season. The title game pitted No. 1 Florida (12-1) against No. 2 Oklahoma (12-1); Florida won 24-14 and claimed the title.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
0 users recommend
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: World
Driver in Dutch royal attack dies in hospitalAFP - 1 hour 47 minutes ago
Factory orders drop 0.9 percent in MarchAP - 1 hour 47 minutes ago
Officials: Arrest in Azerbaijan bloodbathAP - 1 hour 48 minutes ago
BCS warns playoff system threat to bowl gamesAP - 1 hour 34 minutes ago
AP NewsAlertAP - 1 hour 52 minutes ago
Most Popular – World
Viewed
Kenyan women to sex-starve men -- for politics
Chrysler files for bankruptcy, Fiat develop plan
Britney's ex-manager forced to stay away from star
Israel deems 'swine flu' kosher after all
Swine flu spreads economic shivers
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Community
- Intellectual Property Rights Policy
- Help
Other News on Friday, 1 May 2009 NATO expels 2 Russian envoys, raps pact on Georgia
| International
|
Gaza still waiting for pledged aid: U.N. official
| International
|
Death toll from twin Iraq car bombs rises to 51
| International
|
Freed Western aid workers to leave Khartoum Friday
| International
|
U.S. Navy hands over three dead Somali pirates
| International
|
Man found guilty of stalking Tyra Banks
| Entertainment
|
Could Adam Lambert be first gay American Idol?
| Entertainment
|
Hitler back in Berlin-on stage in Mel Brooks farce
| Entertainment
|
New film explores legacy of Hitler's top director
| Entertainment
|
Disney joins Hulu website, takes ownership stake
| Entertainment
|
U.N. council sees no need to punish Sri Lanka
| International
|
Iraq's civilian toll rises in April
U.S. wants Cuba to act like slave: Fidel Castro
| International
|
Iraq to kill 3 wild boars at zoo amid flu fears
U.S. says terrorist violence soared in Pakistan
| International
|
Clinton says jailed reporter on hunger strike
Watchdog gives World Bank mixed review on health
| International
|
US House votes credit card curbs
Jewish death camp boxer dead at 86
Chrysler forced into bankruptcy, sees salvation in Fiat
Car driven into Dutch royal parade, kills 5
| International
|
ExxonMobil profit plunges 58 percent
Fiji government to extend emergency laws
| International
|
U.N. extends peacekeepers' mandate in southern Sudan
| International
|
U.N. council favors informal talks on Western Sahara
| International
|
Stanford tries to surrender to federal authorities
Thief steals 2 wheels from California AG's car
Justice Souter leaves 'best job' in 'worst city'
SEC considering change to CEO pay disclosure rules
U.S. health data czar sees role for government hand
Source: Liberal-leaning Justice Souter retiring
Disney joins Hulu video site
Not scared of flu yet? Online exhibit may help
New cards explain NYC street stops by police
Oracle to expand Web-based software offerings: source
More schools close, swine flu cases pass 100
Windows 7 to make public debut May 5
Lawyer says $375M loan to ritzy Mont. club legal
Russia takes formal control of Georgia borders
Facebook fights "phishing" scam
Biographical information on David Souter
Press freedom declining around the world: study
Dutch royals escape attack as car slams into festival goers
Disney joins Hulu video site
| Technology
|
Recent vacancies on US Supreme Court
Spammers flood Internet with trick flu emails: security firm
Dutch royals escape 'attack' as car slams into festival goers
Oracle to expand Web-based software offerings: source
| Technology
|
Deep cuts in Baltimore Sun newsroom
Not scared of flu yet? Online exhibit may help
| Technology
|
Motorola rings up more losses
U.S. health data czar sees role for government hand
| Technology
|
Motorola rings up more losses
NKorea intensifies probe of detained SKorean
Jackie Chan, Yao Ming ambassadors: China
NZ minister self-quarantines amid swine flu scare
NKorea says detained SKorean slandered its system
Hatton and Pacquiao to fight for boxing history
Australia tries to placate China over navy expansion
SKorean ex-leader questioned in corruption probe
WWI Australian, British war dead to be exhumed
Hollywood eyes records as blockbuster season begins
Iranian, U.S. films win top Tribeca festival awards
| Entertainment
|
Sri Lanka president, rebels vow to fight on
Disney conjures up more Wizards
| Entertainment
|
Mexico's five-day shutdown to fight flu spread
Carrey eyed for lead in Beaver
| Entertainment
|
South Korea's April trade surplus hits record
Levinson heads home for Sixty-Six
| Entertainment
|
South Korea April exports add to economy hopes
SKorea: record trade surplus in April
Canadian actors and producers reach deal
| Entertainment
|
Breakdancing documentary spins into fiction
| Entertainment
|
Japanese unemployment hits four year high
Elizabeth Edwards: John's affair made me throw up
Three squeeze into Hot Tub
| Entertainment
|
Press freedom declining around the world: study
S.Korean Q1 investment plans abroad more than halve
Miss California appears in anti-gay marriage ad
| Entertainment
|
Japanese consumer prices first fall in 18 months
Iranian, U.S. films win top Tribeca festival awards
China has 'canceled US credit card': lawmaker
Miss California appears in anti-gay marriage ad
Taiwan Semiconductor's Q1 net profit tumbles 94.5%
NBC exec O'Brien, 42, dies on "Parenthood" set
Japan Tobacco to close 3 plants, net profit halves
Redmond O'Neal avoids jail, gets drug court program
Studios delay several big films in Mexico for flu
Disney joins Hulu video site, takes ownership stake
Spike Lee films a game-in-the-life of Kobe Bryant
Actress Julia Ormond returns to spotlight
US, Iraqis differ over deadly raid in Tikrit
Taliban battle Pakistan forces in valley, 60 killed
| International
|
First Israeli strike in 2 months hits Gaza tunnels
May Day turns violent in Turkey, Germany, Greece
| International
|
Sam Lutfi Challenges Restraining Order With Appeal Case
U.S. says troops will not face trial over Iraq raid
| International
|
Tyra Banks' Stalker, Brady Green, Found Guilty
Redmond O'Neal Avoids Jail Sentence Sent Back To Rehab
IDB Mexico loan to tackle swine flu, economy
WITNESS: A fleeting glimpse of Sri Lanka's hidden war zone
| International
|
Pregnant Kelis Files For Divorce From Rapper Nas
Dutch parade attacker dies as nation in shock
| International
|
Japanese Singer Cornelius, Rapper Young Jeezy Pull Out Of Concerts Due To Swine Flu Threat
First Israeli strike in 2 months hits Gaza tunnels
| International
|
Miami Rapper Rick Ross Earns Third #1 Debut On Billboard Albums Chart
Cyclone trauma haunts survivors in Myanmar
| International
|
Madonna's Adoption Appeal To Be Led By Malawi's Chief Justice
Man detained in Azerbaijan over college shootings
| International
|
Tyra Banks Takes Witness Stand Against Alleged Stalker
Indonesia says corruption chief a murder suspect
| International
|
Toni Braxton Suing Insurance Company Over Failure To Pay Canceled Concert
Redmond O'Neal Maintains Innocence In Jailhouse Drug Charge
Forest Service tries to halt spread of bat fungus
BCS warns playoff system threat to bowl games
34 charged in mob-linked gambling ring in NY, NJ
Pentagon uses Facebook, Twitter to spread message
Disney joins Hulu video site
| Technology
|
A look at potential Obama nominees to high court
Not scared of flu yet? Online exhibit may help
| Technology
|
Quicken helps budget-minded iPhone owners
Well-known US poet missing on Japanese island
Obama meets Friday with Cabinet
A glance at potential Obama nominees to high court
Hospitals, doctors deal with swine flu jitters
Driver in Dutch royals attack dies: official
May Day protests in Berlin
Hong Kong reports 1st confirmed swine flu in Asia
Special courts to try India's 2002 religious riots
China warns of domestic swine flu infections
Duffy named Britain's first female poet laureate
| Entertainment
|
At least 18 dead in severe heat wave in India
Pakistan 'kills up to 60 Taliban militants'
Mumbai attack fails to draw people to politics
Pakistan rejects cleric's plea to end offensive
Asian Development Bank set for Bali meeting
Hong Kong workers protest job cuts on Labor Day
Sri Lanka urges civilians to flee war zone
SMFG to buy chunk of Citigroup in Japan for $5.5 bln
Taiwanese protesters scuffle with police
Japan's jobless rate up, household spending down
Pakistan: 55 militants, 2 troops dead in northwest
S.Korean parliament passes tax incentive bill on bonds
Flu forces Bridgestone to idle plants in Mexico
GM says to talk to KDB on GM Daewoo stake
China says manufacturing expanding
Britain gets first woman official poet
Washboard Chaz to open blues tent at NO Jazz Fest
`About Elly,' `Racing Dreams' take Tribeca awards
Duffy named Britain's first female poet laureate
Hindsight: Can we get Fey to change water cooler?
"Angels & Demons" hits screens
Carrey eyed for lead in "Beaver"
Philippines' prized pork sizzles amid flu scare
Breakdancing documentary spins into fiction
Disney conjures up more "Wizards"
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights