BCS conferences vote to expand pool to avoid problem

[Tricky_Falcon]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3119690

BCS conferences vote to expand pool to avoid problem

In an attempt to avoid a potential headache at the end of the regular season, the commissioners of the six BCS football conferences have voted to expand the pool of BCS at-large candidates from 14 to 18.

The new rule goes into effect only if there aren't enough teams among the top 14 of the final BCS standings to fill 10 slots in the BCS National Championship Game, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and Rose Bowl.

The new rule was approved by commissioners for the 2007 season and will be announced by the BCS on Tuesday.



"The commissioners voted that in a case where there wasn't enough teams in the at-large pool, they would expand it by four," said Charles Bloom, associate commissioner of the SEC and BCS media coordinator. "If there were enough teams to fill the BCS from the pool of 14, it wouldn't be expanded."


Under the current BCS rules, champions of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East, Pac-10 and SEC conferences receive automatic berths in the five BCS games. The top two teams in the final BCS standings will play in the Jan. 7 BCS National Championship Game at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.

Teams from the five non-BCS leagues (Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, Sun Belt and WAC) receive an automatic BCS berth only if they finish in the top 12 of the final BCS standings, or in the top 16 and ranked ahead of a champion from one of the six BCS conferences. No more than one such team from the non-BCS leagues can receive an automatic berth in one season.

The new rule doesn't change the qualification requirements for non-BCS teams, Bloom said.

If no team from a non-BCS league meets the criteria, then the four BCS at-large spots can be filled by teams that won at least nine games and finished in the top 14 of the final standings.

But here's the potential problem this season: Only two teams from one BCS league can play in BCS bowl games.

There are currently four Big 12 teams, three SEC teams and three Pac-10 teams ranked in the top 14 of the BCS standings. Two ACC teams and one team from both the Big Ten and Big East are among the top 14.

If the season ended now, there would be enough eligible teams to fill the 10 BCS spots.

But each of the ACC teams (No. 8 Virginia Tech and No. 14 Boston College) would be in danger of falling out of the top 14 if they lose again. The Hokies play No. 16 Virginia Saturday. The winner of that game faces the Eagles in the Dec. 1 ACC championship game in Jacksonville, Fla. Boston College finishes the regular season at home against Miami on Saturday.

Two teams from non-BCS leagues have a chance of reaching the top 12 in the final BCS standings. Hawaii, one of two unbeaten teams left in major college football, plays No. 19 Boise State at Aloha Stadium on Friday night. The No. 15 Warriors might move into the top 12 if they beat the Broncos and Washington on Dec. 1 and finish 12-0. But the Broncos, who would finish 11-1 by beating Hawaii, might not jump seven spots to No. 12 in the BCS standings, even after beating the unbeaten Warriors.

The teams which would figure to benefit most from the rules change include No. 17 Illinois, which finished its season with a 9-3 record, and No. 20 Connecticut, which would move up in the rankings if it upsets No. 3 West Virginia on Saturday. The loser of the ACC championship game also might be eligible for a BCS at-large berth under the new rule.

[MACMAN]

its real easy to fix...playoffs between all conference Champions vs the equal number of highest polled nonconference champs. Taking place between seasons end and ending on Jan 7 with a real National Championship. But oh crap that could mean some team other than a BCS could actually win and we can not have that. So lets add a measure that does nothing to a system that is designed so we control who plays who.
yet another adventure in to the land of brilliant!

[footballguy51]

Did anybody else notice that this might actually make it so more BCS schools can play in the BCS games?

One other thing...did anybody else know, before this post, that only one non-BCS school can be in a BCS bowl game per year?

[KeyWestParrot]

When a group conspires together to virtually eliminate any possibility of any other member with the same interests to achieve the same goal, doesn't that constitute as a monopoly??

It's all money, the BSCers will do anything to protect their money. They have developed a need to generate so much money because of what they fund that they can't afford to let their money supply end.

If the non-BCS conferences really wanted to be serious about being a part of a tournament type format, which I favor and isn't as difficult as the BCS president's, coaches, and AD's make it sound, then maybe it is time for a lawsuit to push the issue and resolve it.

At this point I have become so frustrated with the BCS conferences controlling everything that maybe, just maybe, and I hesitate to go this route, but maybe it is time for congress to step in and see if the BCS conferences have developed a monopoly of college football.

[Lord_Byron]

If the non-BCS conferences really wanted to be serious about being a part of a tournament type format, which I favor and isn't as difficult as the BCS president's, coaches, and AD's make it sound, then maybe it is time for a lawsuit to push the issue and resolve it.

The response from the BCS conferences would be: "There already is a D1 playoff and you choose not to participate in it. You are part of the "Bowl Division" by choice."

Plus, they throw just enough money at the non-BCS conferences to protect themselves.

[Falconfreak90]

F the BCS. Period.

GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KeyWestParrot]

God I hate the BCS.

[hammb]

Can we please save the bowls -vs- playoff argument for the offseason?

It's a good one, and we do it every year...I just prefer to wait until after the season is complete before we really start going at it again.

[BGorDeath]

Here's the solution to the BCS delima. Now this is just a rough draft with some finer points to be worked out:

Each BCS conference sends it's commissioner to Ceasar's in Vegas. In a ring in the parking lot, each commissioner is given an aluminum bat. Drawing names from a hat, two commissioners face off by hitting the other on the head with the bat. The commissioner that bleeds the least, gets a team into the BCS. This continues until two commissioners are left. Those two conferences are represented in the championship game. However, if there is a draw on the amount of blood, a non-BCS school automatically gets a bid.

Thoughts?

[mjmorefield]

Here's the solution to the BCS delima. Now this is just a rough draft with some finer points to be worked out:

Each BCS conference sends it's commissioner to Ceasar's in Vegas. In a ring in the parking lot, each commissioner is given an aluminum bat. Drawing names from a hat, two commissioners face off by hitting the other on the head with the bat. The commissioner that bleeds the least, gets a team into the BCS. This continues until two commissioners are left. Those two conferences are represented in the championship game. However, if there is a draw on the amount of blood, a non-BCS school automatically gets a bid.

Thoughts?

Make it a wooden bat and I'm in. What can I say? I'm old school.