Ugh.

[Spearhead]

I don't want a playoff in college football but I think the number of bowls should be pared back significantly.

[Mac the Knife]

I've said it many times before, and I'll say it once more here: The bowl system cannot coexist with any sort of on-field national-championship format. The BC$ has shown that compromising by trying to shoehorn one into the other only makes them both suffer - the bowls by loss of traditional matchups, the championship by a very limited number of teams you can let in (unless you want a month or more of playoffs) and the resulting endless controversies over who "deserved" it, which can't be good for its legitimacy.

Something's gotta give. The NCAA should make a clean break one way or the other: either scrap the bowls and do a straight playoff, or keep the bowls, scrap the BC$ and go back to letting the post-bowl polls (try saying that several times fast) decide the national champion. That's no more controversial than what we have now. The real trouble here is that the NCAA has become too attached to both the bowls and to the idea of crowning a national champion (however nominal) on the field to let either one go.

They can co-exist, but only by having a national playoff after the bowls are concluded, or alternately having the bowls serve as the first round elimination games. I'd propose an 8-team playoff, using the BCS to determine seeding. Bowl games go on, with the caveat that none can be played after the Saturday following January 1st. The quarter-finals would be held on the second Saturday in January. Semi-finals the following weekend, with a National Championship Game being held on the Saturday or Sunday between the AFC/NFC Championship Games and the Super Bowl each year. Award sites based on whoever bids the most money to host the game, award television rights to whoever bids the most money, and split the revenues: 50% split among the 8 participating teams, with percentages determined by where each team finishes, and 50% split among all other Division I schools.

The bowls, though less important, remain intact. A playoff system which fans can understand and grow to love is in place. The schools make an insane amount of money over-and-above what they make now (networks would pony up a quarter BILLION a year to have rights to the playoffs, easy). A win-win across the board.

[Brian in Boston]

They can co-exist, but only by having a national playoff after the bowls are concluded, or alternately having the bowls serve as the first round elimination games.

Or, theoretically, by having 8-to-16 teams compete in a Division 1-A (oops... "Footbowl Bowl Subdivision") playoff, with the rest of the .500 or better D1-A/FBS schools eligible to accept bowl bids.

What the individual bowl committees worry about in any of these scenarios is that the importance of the bowls is diminished any way you cut it. The bowls themselves will become secondary to the on-field contesting of a national D1-A/FBS playoff and the crowning of a true D1-A/FBS championship team.

Similarly, many D1-A/FBS college presidents know that the minute a true 8-to-16-team playoff structure is instituted at their level of college football and - by extension - the bowls become secondary, the cache of trumpeting to alumni and boosters about capturing a bowl bid is similarly diminished.

Frankly, I don't care about either of those scenarios coming to pass. The bowl system is, in the case of the vast majority of the games being contested each year, a bloated, self-congratulatory suck-fest.

Further, the trumped-up argument that D1-A/FBS football players would have their standing as "scholar-athletes" jeopardized by the impact that a playoff would have on academics is complete and utter tripe. Given that every other level of NCAA college football engages in a full playoff system, we must conclude one of two things:

*The NCAA heirarchy is saying that they don't care about the academic standing of Football Championship Subdivision, Division II and Division III football players as much as that of Football Bowl Subdivision athletes.

* The so-called "scholar-athletes" playing at Football Bowl Subdivision institutions aren't as intelligent as their counterparts at FBS, D2 and D3 schools, therefore they're incapable of handling both academic responsibilities and a playoff, so FCS administrators are "protecting" them. If this is indeed the case, it begs the question of whether the "scholar-athletes" in question should be focusing on anything besides their academic load to begin with.

Bottom line? Every other level of NCAA football determines its national championship with an on-field playoff. So should the D1-A/FBS level of competition.

[rmackman]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)?The NCAA has approved applications for 34 football bowl games for 2008, including 32 existing bowls and two new games in Washington, D.C., and St. Petersburg, Fla.

The NCAA Postseason Football Licensing Subcommittee on Wednesday also turned down a request for a proposed Rocky Mountain Bowl in Salt Lake City.

The new bowl games for next season will be the Congressional Bowl in the nation's capital and the St. Petersburg Bowl.

Licenses were renewed for the Allstate Sugar, AT&T Cotton, AutoZone Liberty, BCS National Championship, Bell Helicopter Armed Forces, Brut Sun, Capital One, Champs Sports, Chick-fil-A, Emerald, Fed Ex Orange, Gaylord Hotels Music City, GMAC, Roady's Humanitarian, Insight, International, Konica Minolta Gator, Meineke Car Care, Motor City, New Mexico, Outback, Pacific Life Holiday, Papajohns.com, PetroSun Independence, Pioneer Las Vegas, R+L Carriers New Orleans, Rose, San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia, Sheraton Hawaii, Texas, Tostitos Fiesta and Valero Alamo bowls.

The subcommittee, meeting in Weston, Fla., also reported about 1.6 million fans attended last season's bowl games, and about $222 million in revenue from those games was distributed to the participating teams and conferences.

So a total of 68 NCAA teams will go to a bowl game this coming season. Wow. Not that I dislike the idea of kids going to a bowl game, but this is just too much. Interesting that we now have the "Roady's Humanitarian Bowl" and the "Konica Minolta Gator" Bowls to look forward to, along with the all-important "Sheraton Hawaii" Bowl. I might be wrong but there are apparently a few new sponsorship deals in place.

D

At this rate, one day I can have my own bowl game. The BgMack27 Bowl. Maybe I'll put Duke vs. North Texas in it. Woohoo, now that's excitement!

[DEAD!]

At this rate, one day I can have my own bowl game. The BgMack27 Bowl. Maybe I'll put Duke vs. North Texas in it. Woohoo, now that's excitement!

Wait in line... the CCSLC Bowl Classic is next on the agenda

[Drew22]

Lets see, in about 2 years they will give away bowl games, and we will all pitch in a dollar and get the CCSLC Bowl Classic. Then we can move it from site to site yearly. Everyone who put in the dollar gets free tickets to every game.

[Ben5]

It's nice to know that with 68 teams there's a fighting chance the Golden Gophers will once more be playing in front of mom, dad and 358 other fans in the Meineke Car Care Bowl or worse.

I've been the Meineke Car Care Bowl, and I had a great time. Can't say the same for UConn...

[HedleyLamarr]

The only feasible, realistic scenario of a playoff coming to fruition is if it's limited to 4 teams. If the field is any bigger than that, not only do you increase the pool of playoff-worthy teams, you start to tread on controversies involving the necessity of having each BCS conference represented. For those clamoring for a playoff, do you want a playoff that's played amongst the four best teams (regardless of conference affiliation), or a playoff system of eight teams that include mostly conference champions and will likely snub a team or two that is more worthy than one of the conference champions?

Logistically speaking, a prolonged playoff will disrupt the broadcasting agreements that the NFL and NCAA have. The NFL stays away from scheduling games on Saturdays during the regular season until the college season has finished, and in return, the NCAA generally avoids playing their bowl games on the weekends in December and January, as the NFL's playoff races are climaxing, as well as the playoff games being played on both Saturday and Sunday in January. There is a reason why the BCS National Championship game is played on a weeknight.

As for the playoff format, it would be limited to these four bowls: Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, and Orange. Two of these bowls would serve as the semifinals, and one would serve as the championship game. The one bowl not getting any playoff games would get to pick any two teams to play in their game as compensation. Of course, as it does with the BCS, the semifinal and championship games rotate on a yearly basis. The rest of the bowl games keep their conference affiliations.

[oddball]

The BCS should be ditched and they should go back to the bowl system the way it was before all this crap. What do we have today? We have a mythical champion and a plethora of .500 teams that are rewarded. If you want to clean up this mess, then only reward teams that are in the top half of their conference and at least two games above .500. That's the way you allow more smaller teams into bowl games/the playoffs, not by adding a bowl game someplace freezing. Nothing against Toronto, Detroit, etc., but I don't care if my alma matter is playing in your bowl game, you ain't getting my money, because I ain't going to freeze my butt off!

[rams80]

The BCS should be ditched and they should go back to the bowl system the way it was before all this crap. What do we have today? We have a mythical champion and a plethora of .500 teams that are rewarded. If you want to clean up this mess, then only reward teams that are in the top half of their conference and at least two games above .500. That's the way you allow more smaller teams into bowl games/the playoffs, not by adding a bowl game someplace freezing. Nothing against Toronto, Detroit, etc., but I don't care if my alma matter is playing in your bowl game, you ain't getting my money, because I ain't going to freeze my butt off!

Here's the thing...the minor bowls are not going away with or without the abolition of the BCS. It's not really about rewarding the teams. It's not really about giving the schools cash$money. It's not really about being able to tell an angry alumni base "hey, we got to a postseason game." It's more about the extra month of practice your team gets so they can compete in the bowl, as well as the television coverage for recruiting purposes. From a competitive standpoint, that is worth far more to a program than some financial rewards, because that helps you out for next season.

With that in mind, turning back the clock to the "good ol'days" of postseason football is even less likely than a playoff.

[-kj]

The only feasible, realistic scenario of a playoff coming to fruition is if it's limited to 4 teams. If the field is any bigger than that, not only do you increase the pool of playoff-worthy teams, you start to tread on controversies involving the necessity of having each BCS conference represented.

Not only should every BCS conference be represented, but I believe that every conference in the division should receive a berth. If I remember right from past conversations, that's eleven.

Screw this "these conferences are more important" crap. They're all Div I-A conferences. End of story.

(See also: NCAA Div I basketball tournament. Shut your piehole, Bilas.)

[BaltimoreFan]

I think its pretty obvious that the NCAA will lose money if they do a playoff system. Otherwise they'd just approve one. Since its not a possibility I say just fix the system they have. Don't start the ranking system until mid-October at the earliest. The preseason rankings are inaccurate and carry too much weight. I'd like to see a +1 system in which the BCS bowls return to their classic matchups. Then a week after those a Championship game is played between the best 2. I think that's about the most realistic "playoff" we'll ever get.

[rainmaker17]

Where's the Poulan Weed-Eater Independence Bowl?!? Outrageous.

[HedleyLamarr]

The only feasible, realistic scenario of a playoff coming to fruition is if it's limited to 4 teams. If the field is any bigger than that, not only do you increase the pool of playoff-worthy teams, you start to tread on controversies involving the necessity of having each BCS conference represented.

Not only should every BCS conference be represented, but I believe that every conference in the division should receive a berth. If I remember right from past conversations, that's eleven.

Screw this "these conferences are more important" crap. They're all Div I-A conferences. End of story.

(See also: NCAA Div I basketball tournament. Shut your piehole, Bilas.)

When conferences such as Conference USA and the Mountain West make as much money as the BCS conferences, then they'll be treated as equals.

[Luigi74]

I think its pretty obvious that the NCAA will lose money if they do a playoff system. Otherwise they'd just approve one. Since its not a possibility I say just fix the system they have. Don't start the ranking system until mid-October at the earliest. The preseason rankings are inaccurate and carry too much weight. I'd like to see a +1 system in which the BCS bowls return to their classic matchups. Then a week after those a Championship game is played between the best 2. I think that's about the most realistic "playoff" we'll ever get.

The NCAA would make a bundle if they had a Div. 1a football playoff, the problem is the BCS schools would not make more than they already do with the BCS and it would boost up the standing of non-BCS schools since they would get a nice cut of the playoff money and would be on equal standing when it comes to the post-season(the BCS schools don't want that).

[TBGKon]

I think its pretty obvious that the NCAA will lose money if they do a playoff system. Otherwise they'd just approve one. Since its not a possibility I say just fix the system they have. Don't start the ranking system until mid-October at the earliest. The preseason rankings are inaccurate and carry too much weight. I'd like to see a +1 system in which the BCS bowls return to their classic matchups. Then a week after those a Championship game is played between the best 2. I think that's about the most realistic "playoff" we'll ever get.

Agreed, it would be no different than what we have now (schedule-wise), and you'd be able to appease traditionalists and playoff-proponents in one decision. Also, the championship game could also be hosted by a venue outside the current BCS games, as well as the Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, and Orange locales.

[oddball]

The only feasible, realistic scenario of a playoff coming to fruition is if it's limited to 4 teams. If the field is any bigger than that, not only do you increase the pool of playoff-worthy teams, you start to tread on controversies involving the necessity of having each BCS conference represented.

Not only should every BCS conference be represented, but I believe that every conference in the division should receive a berth. If I remember right from past conversations, that's eleven.

Screw this "these conferences are more important" crap. They're all Div I-A conferences. End of story.

(See also: NCAA Div I basketball tournament. Shut your piehole, Bilas.)

When conferences such as Conference USA and the Mountain West make as much money as the BCS conferences, then they'll be treated as equals.

Actually, when Conference USA, the Mountain West, and the Big West, draw and travel more than they do, then they'll be treated as equals. Actually, when those schools start going to the big boys and beat them on a regular basis at the big boy's home, then they'll be treated as equals. I'm talking to you Hawai'i, get off your lazy butt and schedule more road games than home games and schedule your non-conference opponents better that Bemidji State.

[-kj]

When conferences such as Conference USA and the Mountain West make as much money as the BCS conferences, then they'll be treated as equals.

Do schools/conferences revenue share with the NCAA? If so, fine. If not, this holds no water.

[HedleyLamarr]

When conferences such as Conference USA and the Mountain West make as much money as the BCS conferences, then they'll be treated as equals.

Actually, when Conference USA, the Mountain West, and the Big West, draw and travel more than they do, then they'll be treated as equals. Actually, when those schools start going to the big boys and beat them on a regular basis at the big boy's home, then they'll be treated as equals. I'm talking to you Hawai'i, get off your lazy butt and schedule more road games than home games and schedule your non-conference opponents better that Bemidji State.

Well, you get your wish for Hawaii this year, they open at Florida. I'm willing to give them a slight pass, though.....they have a travelling expense that no team in the nation even comes close to.

[Mac the Knife]

I think its pretty obvious that the NCAA will lose money if they do a playoff system. Otherwise they'd just approve one. Since its not a possibility I say just fix the system they have. Don't start the ranking system until mid-October at the earliest. The preseason rankings are inaccurate and carry too much weight. I'd like to see a +1 system in which the BCS bowls return to their classic matchups. Then a week after those a Championship game is played between the best 2. I think that's about the most realistic "playoff" we'll ever get.

Agreed, it would be no different than what we have now (schedule-wise), and you'd be able to appease traditionalists and playoff-proponents in one decision. Also, the championship game could also be hosted by a venue outside the current BCS games, as well as the Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, and Orange locales.

No offense, but you guys are insane. You don't think a television network would make an offer to televise a national playoff arrangement that would DWARF what's currently being paid out for the bowl games? C'mon. Fox would probably cough up a quarter billion dollars a year for the rights to an 8-team, 7-game playoff - more than the current TV deals for all the bowls combined, then doubled.