BCS System Could Use a Playoff, but It’s Still Lucrative

BCS System: Does It Need a Revamp?

After an exciting and unpredictable season, College football conferences have raked in $170 million from this year’s BCS games. Under the Bowl Championship Series system, the six “power” conferences get automatic bids to play in the top-tier bowl games such as the Rose bowl and Sugar Bowl. The conference also receives a bonus from the BCS based on how many teams receive a bid. The Big Ten, SEC, and Pac-10 all had two teams playing in BCS bowls and will receive $27.2 million each while the ACC, Big East, and Big 12 will receive about $21.2 million.

The five conferences that do not receive automatic BCS bids will also receive $24.7 million as a reward for Texas Christian University’s automatic bowl berth, granted after a stellar season. BCS supporters see this as a major boost in college football. For the second year in a row, the conferences that don’t receive automatic bids will get a record take. Surely staunch supporters look to next year with hopes of even more surprise BCS berths with smaller programs like Boise State, Nevada, and UCF all finishing in the AP Top 25. A brighter season for non-BCS up-and comers looks likely, especially after we saw Boise State headed for a collision course with the National Championship until they were defeated by fellow little giant Nevada.

Many fans still prefer the NFL only because they find the playoff system more fair than the convoluted BCS system. Matthew Sanderson, founder of Playoff Pac, a political action committee said “Only the BCS would try to pitch anti-competitive behavior as benevolence”. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas considers the system unfair and continues to push legislation for a switch to a playoff system, but the BSC still supports their approach. Bill Hancock, the BCS director, noted that the numbers demonstrate the “strength and fairness of the current system.” The fact is that all of Division I football is better off because of the BCS, financially and otherwise. While the future of College footballs bowl layout is unclear the only guarantee is that no matter the system, the Nations best football programs will fight for the crown.