|
Tranghese contends inclusiveness is BCS goal
By RALPH D. RUSSO
AP Sports Writer
BOSTON — Bowl Championship
Series officials say they are working on a new standard for guaranteed
inclusion available to all Division I-A conferences.
Currently, only the Atlantic
Coast Conference, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and Southeastern
Conference have automatic qualification in the BCS.
Under BCS guidelines, a
league's champions over a four-year period must have an average final
ranking in the BCS standings of 12 or better to keep its automatic
qualification with no questions asked. If the average falls below 12, the
league's automatic qualification comes under review.
Big East commissioner Mike
Tranghese said Tuesday that BCS officials want to change that system.
"What we're talking about now
is something more expansive," said Tranghese, the outgoing BCS coordinator.
"Something that will be applied to all the conferences."
The new standard will be more
involved and is a long way from done.
"It's going to be a series of
things," Tranghese said. "What we're supposed to do is put a report together
and bring it back to our presidents. We've done a lot of work on it, but we
haven't arrived at a conclusion. The only conclusion that we've arrived at
is that it will be different from what we have now and it will be more
substantial."
The BCS has already taken
steps to give schools in the other five Division I-A conferences more access
to the big-ticket bowls by adding a fifth game. Starting in the 2006 season,
the BCS will include 10 teams instead of eight, doubling the wild-card spots
to four.
"The changes really are
critical to our conference," Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky
said. "The idea that our conferences have an opportunity to participate in
the highest level of postseason play in any sport is bedrock."
Western Athletic Conference
commissioner Karl Benson said BCS bowl games will be more attainable for
teams in non-BCS leagues.
"People expect there will be a
team from one of the non-automatic conferences playing in one of those games
beginning in '06," he said. "We expect to be part of the system. I don't
think any of this has been token."
Mid-American Conference
commissioner Rick Chryst said big-time college football is becoming more
unified.
"There's a lot of work to be
done on it," he said. "This process has forced people to talk. It's
encouraged people to talk. I think there's going to be some strong bonds
coming out of it."
Copyright 2004
The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
02/23/2007 10:40:26 AM
|
