BCS Proposes RADICAL Changes--

[ponyscott]

Wow!.....crazy stuff going on here and with it the Big East would no longer receive Automatic BCS Qualifier Status and either would the other major Conferences, which would leave them free to negotiate their own deals:

Updated: November 18, 2011, 7:24 AM ET
Sources: BCS proposes radical changes

http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... m=referral

By Gene Wojciechowski
ESPN.com
Archive

Among a handful of suggested format changes being considered by Bowl Championship Series members is an informal proposal that would radically change the structure of the BCS and significantly alter the major bowl selection process.

According to sources with direct knowledge of meetings held in San Francisco earlier this week, the suggested change calls for the BCS to sever its direct ties with the so-called BCS bowls -- the Allstate Sugar Bowl, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Discover Orange Bowl and Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio -- and concentrate solely on arranging a No. 1 vs. No. 2 national championship matchup.

In addition, the BCS title game could potentially be bidded out to nontraditional sites, such as Jerry Jones' Cowboys Stadium.

Ryan Broyles
Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesA proposed change to the existing BCS system could eliminate lopsided matchups like the 2011 Fiesta Bowl between Oklahoma and UConn.

The proposal also would eliminate automatic BCS bowl qualifying status currently given to the six major conferences. All conferences would be free to make their own deals with the 34 other existing bowls.

The reconfigured BCS would undergo significant change relative to its present revenue sharing system, too.

"There's a lot of stuff being thrown at the wall," said one official who attended the meetings. "I think the people in the room really want to get it right. They're tired of getting beat up. So you'll probably see us go slow on this one."

The most radical of those ideas is also the least complicated: the BCS would be responsible only for creating a national championship between the two top teams in the country.

Under this format, the champions of the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12, Big East and Big 12 conferences would no longer receive automatic entry into the bowls that currently make up the BCS rotation: Rose, Sugar, Fiesta and Orange. That's because the BCS would no longer be required to provide teams for those four games.

Instead, all 11 FBS conferences and their members, as well as football independents, would begin, in theory, each season with an equal chance of reaching the national championship game. And by eliminating the automatic qualifying clause, BCS officials hope that conference realignment and expansion -- in some cases, done in hopes of securing AQ status -- would subside.

Equally intriguing in the proposed model is the possibility of opening bidding for the BCS Championship location and the absence of a two-team-per-conference limit in those major bowls. In other words, a world where SEC West rivals LSU, Alabama and Arkansas could find themselves, depending on rankings and record, in what are now referred to as BCS bowls.

"I think it was an idea that was thrown out on the table," said a person who attended the meetings. "To run with it and say there was support for it, that that's the way we're going, is way premature ... I would be amazed if that's where we ended up."

Said another conference official: "I would respectfully disagree. I think it has a chance. It really does. It truly does. I was very encouraged."

It is not known how the proposed model would affect football independent Notre Dame, which now receives preferred revenue sharing and access to BCS bowls. Nor is it known if the BCS would continue using the existing BCS standings as the way to determine the No. 1 vs. No. 2 national title matchup.

But if eventually recommended by the conference commissioners and approved by the BCS presidential oversight committee, the model would have a profound effect on the postseason, on the way the BCS does business, on TV and bowl partnerships, and on conferences themselves.

"Why a 1-vs.-2-only is being introduced is to eliminate some of the issues and create a simpler, more straightforward format," said another conference official. "And then you forget about the rest of it."

The "rest of it" being the present system, which is criticized for not providing equal access to non-AQ conferences such as the Mountain West Conference, Conference USA or the Western Athletic Conference. The BCS also has been ridiculed for BCS bowl matchups that were the product of conference automatic berths, such as last season's Fiesta Bowl: No. 7 Oklahoma of the Big 12 vs. unranked Connecticut of the Big East (final score: OU 48, UConn 20) and No. 4 Stanford of the Pac-12 vs. No. 13 Virginia Tech of the ACC (final score: Stanford 40, Virginia Tech 14).

"There was a situation last year where arguably the Capital One Bowl had a better matchup (No. 16 Alabama vs. No. 9 Michigan State) than some of the BCS bowls," said an athletic director from a Top 25 program.

Conferences such as the Big East, which are in danger of losing their AQ status, are trying to recruit successful football programs -- Boise State, for example -- to improve their standing. But according to a conference official familiar with the content of the BCS meetings, the Big East would be affected by any model that forces the league to forfeit its AQ standing.

"It would hurt (it)," said the official. "They don't have the tradition and ticket sales reputation -- at least, a lot of their schools don't have -- to the major bowls."

Also debatable is the affect such a format would have on programs from programs presently in non-AQ conferences, such as Boise State and Houston. Would those programs have more or fewer opportunities to play in a national championship game or a BCS bowl-level game?

"If you have a highly-ranked team -- a Boise, a TCU, a Hawaii, a Utah -- I think in that kind of system there are probably ways those type of seasons would be recognized," said the BCS conference athletic director.

But a conference official who also attended the BCS meetings said: "I think the bottom line is that Boise State-Oklahoma, Utah-Alabama, TCU-Wisconsin, Utah-Alabama, that those (bowl) games won't materialize in the future. I think it would clearly change the bowl lineup and the opportunity for a team like Boise State, or a MWC or C-USA team to play on the big stage."

According to those who were involved in the meetings, this was just one of several format ideas discussed by the 11 conference commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick. A pure playoff model was presented, as was the familiar Plus-One model.

There also were discussions that centered on keeping the core of the BCS system, but with additional tweaks. One such tweak would be to simply eliminate AQ status.

Another idea called for the seeding of the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the national championship game, and then creating an at-large and conference champion seeding. The BCS bowls, in a predetermined order, would then have the opportunity to choose a team based on traditional conference tie-ins (SEC and Sugar Bowl, for example) or go outside of those tie-ins. A second round of picks would allow the bowls to fill their remaining openings.

Another possibility, if not likelihood: the BCS running the championship game itself, rather than piggybacking with an existing BCS bowl. This season, the Sugar Bowl will oversee both its bowl and the BCS Championship.

"People are thinking out loud," said a conference commissioner.

The more they think, the more it appears that BCS change is imminent after the present BCS cycle ends at the conclusion of the 2013 season. Another meeting of the commissioners and members of the BCS hierarchy is scheduled in early January in New Orleans. The commissioners are expected to make their final model recommendation to the presidents in June.

"I think what we're doing is a natural progression," said a conference commissioner. "I think this is one of those milestones to start tinkering with (the BCS) again."

Gene Wojciechowski is the senior national columnist for ESPN.com. You can contact him at [email protected]. Hear Gene's podcasts and ESPN Radio appearances by clicking here. And don't forget to follow him on Twitter @GenoEspn.

[Kynd Tulsa Phan]

This would be a god send for College Football and the little guys that put a great team on the field year in and year out.

If this happens I dont understand why Cougar and Pony would be pressured to join a conference that is marginally better than Conference America.

The Superfriend Championships game will get two of the best teams from the mids a BCS enhancing game to get them to that game.

Go Tulsa
Go Pony

Beat Cougar High!

[2ndandlong]

If this happens I dont understand why Cougar and Pony would be pressured to join a conference that is marginally better than Conference America.

Better basketball and more money for regular season football.

[huskerpony]

This would be a god send for College Football and the little guys that put a great team on the field year in and year out.

? This would completely block out the little guys from ever getting any decent bowl game.

The goal of this is to block out the Big East and non-AQ's so the bowls don't have to pick schools that don't travel or make a good bowl match-up.

[StangCP]

This would be a god send for College Football and the little guys that put a great team on the field year in and year out.

? This would completely block out the little guys from ever getting any decent bowl game.

The goal of this is to block out the Big East and non-AQ's so the bowls don't have to pick schools that don't travel or make a good bowl match-up.

Exactly, HP

[ponyscott]

I agree its NOT good for smaller private schools...IMHO. And Kynd please get off your wagon on the Conference realignment...you come off as being very whiney about this because Tulsa is left out. If you still don't see how this improves SMU's status Nationwide both academically and athletically, then you are really lost in the wilderness. Tulsa is a great school but is in a smaller market in Oklahoma and is being left out. We are sorry but that's the facts.

[SMU_Alumni11]

Exactly like the latter was saying, you are buying into its ad campaign for diversity and giving teams a chance. Once AQs lose their spots, they will take every single bowl thats meaningful. BCS does suck in some ways, but just completely removing creates anarchy. I wish there was a way to have a regular season and then a huge playoff with all the football schools, but like they say the injuries would be immense from lack of rest. I have heard and read though that they arent going to get rid of the AQ in BE, because of various factors. They said that since the BE is adding two military academies that by removing it could look bad in the whole US. The BE has great connections with law firms and D.C. and I believe they said that the BCS doesnt have rules or authority to remove an AQ.... I dont know about the last part but I swore I remember hearing that.

Yes well all pity Tulsa, and it will always be the little sister of big OU and OSU. But the superconference is [deleted] and is probably one of the only things I agree with ESPN on.

[SMUer]

Is this the reason for the BE wait?

[huskerpony]

Is this the reason for the BE wait?

No. TV contract issues.

[ponyscott]

Is this the reason for the BE wait?

No. TV contract issues.

That's right and looks like it won't be announced until after Thanksgiving sometime. Its so damn complicated with so many schools, so many conferences and existing TV contracts that have to be re-negotiated, not to mention re-scheduling and lawsuits.

[MustangSTATS]

This would be a god send for College Football and the little guys that put a great team on the field year in and year out....

How is that??? This means bigger bowls will be free to new make contracts with conferences of their choice and completely lock out less popular teams/conferences. More reason to leave CUSA. At least BE would have a slim chance of tying into a premier bowl.

[BRStang]

This would be a god send for College Football and the little guys that put a great team on the field year in and year out.

If this happens I dont understand why Cougar and Pony would be pressured to join a conference that is marginally better than Conference America.

The Superfriend Championships game will get two of the best teams from the mids a BCS enhancing game to get them to that game.

Go Tulsa
Go Pony

Beat Cougar High!

WRONG! Did you see this?

But a conference official who also attended the BCS meetings said: "I think the bottom line is that Boise State-Oklahoma, Utah-Alabama, TCU-Wisconsin, Utah-Alabama, that those (bowl) games won't materialize in the future. I think it would clearly change the bowl lineup and the opportunity for a team like Boise State, or a MWC or C-USA team to play on the big stage."

They are trying to screw the little guy....

[Comet]

Yeah there is nothing "god-send" about this for the little guy. Major conferences are going to have a much easier time negotiating with the big name bowls. C-USA and MWC will be in the same position they are now, if anything, maybe even worse. Only a playoff system that includes all conference championships would ever allow for a C-USA/MWC/MAC/SBC team to play in a major bowl game.

[maize'n'blue]

I dunno the only thing I've ever really wanted to "AQ" for was the Rose Bowl against the Pac 12 champions. The rest of it never mattered to me. Not even their "Championship Game". There's a lot of Silliness going on it doesn't seem like I should turn on The Orange bowl and see a half full stadium with Cincinatti playing Virginia Tech. The Orange Bowl Should be Oklahoma vs Southern power like maybe Georgia. Like it used to be. The Cotton Bowl is IMO still a Major bowl (hoping for Arkansas vs Notre Dame in that one) game and so is the Citrus (Capitol one) Bowl (no idea who's going to this one) Georgia vs Michigan maybe?.

By the way the move to the Big East is because you all DON'T WANT To be the little guy Isn't it? You guys went all in for the Big12 last summer. Look at the MAC they are the little guy but they market correctly and put their teams on National TV almost every night. None of the MAC teams ever are in BCS buster contention because they typically open with Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio State and maybe an SEC or Big 12 school looking for a tune up game. I remember CMU vs Florida some years ago I think it went 72-12 or something like that. But they are getting exposure for their programs and universities, almost daily.

[Nacho]

read death to the bcs.
i know their plan will never be adopted but at least it is fair to all.