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Powwow over BCS inconclusive
By The Associated Press
CHICAGO — Saying they made
"significant progress" but reached no agreements, BCS representatives
met with presidents from the five football conferences who feel they
have been shut out of the system.
The two sides met for four hours on Monday in a conference room near
O'Hare International Airport to discuss possible changes to the
postseason format.
They emerged from the closed-door session optimistic that a resolution
could be reached in the coming months, but declined to offer any
specifics.
Recently, presidents from the five Division I-A conferences not
represented by the BCS have called for an overhaul to the system.
They say it's unfair to smaller schools — who have little chance at
reaching the national championship game — and severely limits their
opportunities at playing in a big-money bowl game.
Tulane president Scott Cowen, one of the most vocal critics of the
current format, said BCS representatives seemed willing to at least
consider proposed changes to the postseason system.
"I think they're very open to possible change, I really do," Cowen said.
"Have they made commitments today? No. And I wouldn't if I were on their
side. But that willingness is there."
The BCS was created in 1998 by the six largest football conferences --
the Pacific-10, Big 12, Big Ten, Atlantic Coast, Southeastern and Big
East. It guarantees the champions of those conferences will play in one
of the four most lucrative postseason bowl games, leaving two at-large
berths for schools like Tulane.
Money, exposure and a shot at the national championship are the biggest
issues. The BCS bowls generate more than $100 million a year for the big
conferences. The BCS gives about $8 million a year to the schools from
the other five conferences.
"If we can make some marginal improvements that will help them a little
bit, I think we're interested in doing that," Nebraska-Lincoln
Chancellor Harvey Perlman said. "I think everyone is realistic that
there isn't anything we can do ... that is going to solve all the
problems of the world. I think they are realistic about that as we are."
One possibility is adding a championship game after the four BCS games,
and adding another game to the system to give schools from smaller
conferences a better chance to get into major bowls.
The sides meet again on Nov. 16 in New Orleans.
"We didn't get all the way there today," said Oregon president David
Frohnmayer, a committee member. "We'll see this play out when we
actually try to move from the level of exalted principles and important
values, which is a process we need to go through, down to saying, 'Now
how do the pieces really move?'
"And we're not there yet."
To back up his claim that change is needed, Cowen points out that Tulane
went 11-0 during the 1998 season but failed to qualify for any of the
BCS bowls. Tulane played in the Liberty Bowl, where it received millions
less than it might have in a BCS bowl.
In addition to Tulane's Conference USA, the other leagues represented at
the meeting were the Mountain West, Mid-American, Sun Belt and Western
Athletic.
Frohnmayer said presidents on both sides are fully aware that whatever
shape the postseason format takes, it most certainly will be influenced
by what fans and TV networks want.
"I don't think any of us are flying under false colors," Frohnmayer
said. "If the market reacts positively to something that we think has
value, that's a win for everybody. If a market rejects certain avenues,
they won't fly."
The current BCS contract expires after the 2005 season.
02/23/2007 10:36 AM
Copyright 2003
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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