Playoff Proposal

Introduction

College football is a growing spectacle in American sporting culture. Along with baseball, America's Pastime, college football features some of the greatest traditions and longest rivalries in all of sports.

Ohio State vs. Michigan, voted by ESPN as the greatest college football rivalry of all-time, was played for the first time in 1897¹. The Oklahoma vs. Texas rivalry began in 1900. Every year they play in the Red River Shootout at the Texas State Fair in Dallas, which is exactly half way between the two schools. The Golden Hat trophy is awarded to the winner to hold at their school until the next meeting.

Tradition and history make college football different from any other sport. Rivalries and bowl games are the fabric upon which college football tradition is built; however, some NCAA practices have been questioned in recent years.

The Bowl Championship series is a selection system designed to pair the top two teams in college football against each other in the national championship game, with the winner crowned the BCS national champion³. The rankings are determined by three polls: The BCS computer-generated power rankings, the USA Today Coaches' Poll and the Harris International Poll. The three combine to determine the rankings that decide what two teams will play in the national championship game. The NCAA and BCS are currently under contract until 2010.

Problem statement

Controversy surrounds the Bowl Championship Series in college football. Some call for a playoff system to counter the subjectivity of computer rankings, others argue maintaining bowl tradition is the NCAA's primary concern.

Over the past decade, it has been suggested that more than two teams were worthy of appearing in the national championship game. In 2004, USC, Oklahoma and Auburn, all members of major BCS conferences, all finished undefeated. According to the BCS polls, Auburn was the No. 3 team in the country, so USC and Oklahoma played for the national title while Auburn played in the BCS Sugar Bowl, motivated by pride and preservation of their perfect season instead of a national championship.

Auburn won the Sugar Bowl and finished the season undefeated while UCS routed Oklahoma 55-19. There were two undefeated teams at season's end. Auburn and head coach Tommy Tuberville still wonder if they would have faired better than Oklahoma.

Auburn's situation, considered one of college football's all-time BCS snubs, is just one example of teams not given a fair shot at the title. The BCS standings determine the teams who play for the championship: something that should be decided on the field.

The debate regarding adopting a playoff format in college football arises ever year, and the decision is made by presidents of BCS colleges and universities. The main opposition comes from the presidents of schools in the Big Ten and Pac-10 conferences, who have a longstanding alliance with the Rose bowl. The champions of each of these conferences face-off in the Rose Bowl every year: a large part of college football's illustrious tradition. They fear that if a playoff system is adopted, this tradition would desist.

Thesis

The NCAA and BCS should adopt a Plus One playoff format, providing teams on the fringe of the national championship game a chance at the title while preserving the sacred traditions that make college football special.

Solution

In a Plus One format, the current BCS calculations remain the same, as does the current bowl system. The difference comes when the teams are selected for the postseason. Instead of the top two teams in the BCS rankings facing off in the championship game, the top four will have a shot at the title.

The five BCS Bowl games will stay the same, and one more bowl game will be added at the end of the season. Many anti-playoff sentiments argue that a playoff system makes the season longer, cutting into the students' classroom time. Adding just one game to the postseason does not infringe on the students' efforts to meet their ultimate collegiate goal: graduation.

The top four teams at the end of the season enter a playoff. No. 1 plays No. 4, and No. 2 plays No. 3, both in bowl games that rotate among the five major bowls, just as the championship game currently does. The winners of the two bowl games play in the additional game, the BCS National Championship after the conclusion of the BCS Bowl week. The longstanding tradition of the Rose Bowl and the other bowl games are not affected.

A further take on this solution

Major Obstacles/Challenges

Approval from the presidents of Big Ten and Pac-10 schools serve as the major obstacle in adoption of the proposed playoff system. With respect to their advocacy of tradition in college football, the playing field should be leveled to allow all deserving teams an equal shot at the national title.

With the Big Ten and Pac-10 exceptions, most of the other BCS colleges and universities are changing their minds about a playoff system.

Alternatives

Keep the current policy

An NFL-like of NCAA Basketball-like tournament

Pros and Cons of a college football playoff

Conclusion

College football, just like any other sport, is a business: a lucrative one at that. Big Ten and Pac-10 officials hve a longstanding agreement with the Rose Bowl, and all parties benefit immensely from the bond each season. Parity in college football is extending to the financial income of the institutions and conferences. BCS Bowl revenue distribution is leveling, and the Rose Bowl is no longer a revenue juggernaut. The Plus One format allows the Rose Bowl tradition to be preserved, while limiting controversy and giving each deserving team a shot at the national title. Schools and conferences can still generate revenue without robbing players of a once in a lifetime opportunity: a chance to be a national champion.

1. http://library.osu.edu/sites/archives/OSUvsMichigan/osuvsmichigan.htm

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_River_Shootout

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowl_Championship_Series

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