Mark Cuban exploring BCS Alternative

[Water Pony]

Interesting. What's his interest in this result?

DALLAS -- After two failed bids to buy a Major League Baseball team, billionaire Mark Cuban is seriously considering trying to use his money to create a playoff alternative to college football's Bowl Championship Series.

Cuban, the outspoken owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, told ESPNDallas.com on Wednesday that he is "actively interested but in the exploratory stage" of creating and funding a playoff system to crown a champion for major college football.

"The more I think about it, the more sense it makes as opposed to buying a baseball team," said Cuban, who tried to buy the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers within the last few years. "You can do something the whole country wants done."

Cuban said he has talked to two athletic directors from BCS conferences who were extremely enthusiastic about the idea. He intends to contact several school presidents and state senators in the coming weeks to determine whether the idea is worth pursuing.

Cuban said he envisions either a 12- or 16-team playoff field with the higher seeds getting homefield advantage. The homefield advantage, Cuban said, would ensure the college football regular-season games would not lose any importance.

The bowl games could still exist under Cuban's plan, but he said he would make it more profitable for programs to make the playoffs than a bowl.

"Put $500 million in the bank and go to all the schools and pay them money as an option," Cuban said. "Say, 'Look, I'm going to give you X amount every five years. In exchange, you say if you're picked for the playoff system, you'll go.' "

One way to push school presidents toward approving the idea would be to lobby major donors of college athletic programs, Cuban said. He suggested convincing the donors to cut off their donations until their presidents approved a playoff system.

Cuban, who is reading the book "Death to the BCS," said he thinks it would take about three or four years of planning before enacting the playoff system. He believes it's a better business opportunity than owning a baseball team, and he admits he's intrigued by the idea of revolutionizing a major sport.

"It's an inefficient business where there's obviously a better way of doing it," Cuban said. "The only thing that's kept them from doing it is a lack of capital, which I can deal with.

"The one thing every college football fan wants you can probably create for less than it takes to buy a baseball team."

Tim MacMahon covers the Mavericks for ESPNDallas.com.

[ThadFilms]

Easy. He's a sports fan with disposable income.

Look at us in the 1980s or Cam Newton today.

...

And this is a much better way to lose your money.

[Mountain Mustang]

Please oh please let this happen. I don't really care who gets it done, but it needs to get done. Might as well be Cuban.

[alyssa]

I can do this easy on paper. 16 conferences of 8 teams. Top 2 in each conference go to a 32 team playoff. 3rd and 4th place conference teams could make it to a bowl game. I think that equals 47 post season games.
This is just my basic idea that I like. Of course, I'm not spending time putting in the all details.

[Samurai Stang]

This will never take place. Not as long as it includes teams that the current ruling class deems unworthy. Those in power rarely abdicate willingly.

Any realistic hope for a playoff will result in the same type of discrimination that takes place today. That discrimination would simply take a different form.

[CalallenStang]

Interesting. What's his interest in this result?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Dr.7432]

Interesting. What's his interest in this result?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Cuban's hate for the way college athletics is run is on record.

[East Coast Mustang]

I doubt someone as abrasive and egotistical as Cuban will be the one to get all these college presidents to cave and institute a playoff system

[West Coast Johnny]

Good idea by Mark. But why would college football need him to stage a playoff? Its just a series of football games staged as a tournament. If college football goes to a playoff, is see them keeping all the money themselves and even cutting out the bowl committees.

[ponyboy]

The Ticket's website is blocked here at work, but google "norm hitzges ncaa football playoff blog"

[Pony_Law]

This will never take place. Not as long as it includes teams that the current ruling class deems unworthy. Those in power rarely abdicate willingly.

Any realistic hope for a playoff will result in the same type of discrimination that takes place today. That discrimination would simply take a different form.

In a 16 playoff formate you tacke each of the conference winners and 4 at larges. Hard to see how that is discrimination. If you want to play for a national championship win your conference, period they cannot keep you out (TCU would have a shot this year). The 4 at large would still be controversal (sort of) but that is why the 16 system is so attractive. Everyone who defends the BCS starts from the premisis that it is a good system because every regular season game is important. The 16 team system preserves it. Imagine arkansas and LSU this year battling it out to get that at large bid. Think of the pressure on Michigan State and Ohio State not to slip up again after their one loss. Boise could still get a shot. I'll concede that the at large system would likely produce schools from the big conferences but honestly how many small schools that don't win their conference should play for the national championship? Boise state is really the first time that case can be made. Now imagine teams that are on the bubble fans of South Carolina, LSU, Arkansas, Michigan State, and Stanford now have a reason to care if Nebraska or OSU only lose one game and vicce versa. The system wouldn't be perfect but no system could be but the 16 team format gives every school a hypothetical chance to win the National championship and every game in the regualr season remains the most important game of the year. Also you can still have the bowls the bowl eligable teams not in the playoff can still play their post season game.

[ponyboy]

Would have loved to see Utah get a chance to play in 2008.

[CalallenStang]

Interesting. What's his interest in this result?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Cuban's hate for the way college athletics is run is on record.

He still wouldn't be wanting to bankroll a playoff if he didn't stand to make $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ on the deal

[Pony_Law]

Wouldn't have been amazing if the winner of UCF v. SMU got to compete for a national championship instead of a trip to Memphis to play a mediocer SEC team? Imagine what this will do for small conferences. I dare say 40,000 people would be interested in seeing if SMU gets to qualify a playoff, its compelling. Now imagine what the scene would be like for say the MAC, MWC, or CUSA when it's champion pulls off the upset and defeats The big 12 winner. Small conferences always complain about a lack of exposure, but when these upsets happen (and they will) the entire country would be talking about SMU, or Hawaii, or Nevada. Will anyone outside of Orlando or Athens care who wins the Liberty Bowl? Will it be talked about at the Office on monday?

I'll take the 16 team playoff in a heart beat. Cuban's point is the BCS system is a cash cow for the major conferences, they won't go to a new system until it is demonstratively more profitable for them to do so, this is where the capital comes in. When he can say there is 500 millinon in trust for this system pating out 20-40 million to the perticipants the schools will jump. Right now the BCS is a bird in the hand, Take the playoff system out of the bush and they will get behind it.

[Beanman]

The Ticket's website is blocked here at work, but google "norm hitzges ncaa football playoff blog"

Norm, as usual, maket sense. Even keeps the precious bowl in tact. But the big boy lose power.