Rumors started circulating yesterday, based on a
New York Post report, that the NCAA is considering a Plus-1 format for college football. The report suggests that although the concept is not being discussed there is growing support among AD’s, conference exec’s and the networks.
This rumored format change would not take place until 2011. They would continue to use the BCS bowl games and computer system, only seed 1-4 and make the Orange, Sugar, Fiesta and Rose bowls rotating semifinal games and add an additional bowl that would pit the winners of those games against each other for the national title. This would eliminate having two undefeated teams at the end of the season with a legitimate claim on the national title (think USC and LSU 2004).
Under this system you will still have some “non-BCS” school that occasionally gets shafted (sorry Boise State) which is a shame but this Plus-1 system is clearly better than what we have now.
So why wait until 2011?
Well the BCS just signed a deal with Fox that runs through 2010. Further complicating matters the Rose Bowl signed its own deal with ABC that runs through 2014.
There is another sticking point with the Rose Bowl. They don’t want to give up their traditional Big Ten versus Pac-10 match up. To get the Rose Bowl to throw their lot in with the BCS several concessions were made including allowing the Rose Bowl to keep its traditional match up in years that the Grand Daddy doesn’t host the national championship game as long as neither conference champ is ranked No. 1 or No. 2.
This new format would make that difficult to impossible being that it is not uncommon for the Big Ten and/or the Pac-10 champ to finish in the top four heading into post season play.
My heart sides with the Rose Bowl here. I am on record as saying that if we can’t have a playoff I’d like things put back the way they were and have tradition restored. However, the Rose Bowl gave up the right to balk at this type of change when they cast their lot in with the BCS in the first place. Had they held their ground and not participated in this merry-go-round title game circuit then they wouldn’t be in this position. But they compromised years ago and therefore cannot stand in the way now, when all those involved have found a way to improve the system.
This system is not perfect either but a team finishing the regular season No. 5 in the polls and getting left out of the national title picture has far less to gripe about than a team who finished No. 3 (Auburn 2003). So here’s hoping this rumor is true and everyone (that means you Rose Bowl) gets on board.