Efforts to Reform Bcs Face Tall Order In Congress
Peering down from the podium, the Republican said in his Texas twang that unless the officials took action toward a playoff system in two months, Congress would likely move on his legislation aimed at forcing their hand.
More than three months have passed, and Bartons bill hasnt moved. Such is the way with college football and Congress.
For years, lawmakers have railed against the Bowl Championship Series, calling it an unfair way to select a national champion. A lot of righteous thundering, however, has not yielded anything on the legislative front.
President Barack Obama joined the fray last year, saying shortly after his election that there should be a playoff system.
“Im going to throw my weight around a little bit,” he said. “I think its the right thing to do.”
But now that hes in office, the recession, two wars and health care reform have taken him away from football, at least so far.
It seems unlikely Congress will take the initiative. To figure out why, just look at a map of the United States.
The current college bowl system features a championship game between the two top teams in the BCS standings, based on two polls and six computer rankings. After the title game, eight other schools fill in the remaining slots for Orange, Sugar, Fiesta and Rose bowls.
Under the BCS, six conferences get automatic bids – the ACC, Big East, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-10 and SEC, in states from Massachusetts to Florida to California to Washington to Illinois. Those conferences receive far more money than the conferences that dont get automatic bids.
“There are just too many senators and congressmen who represent districts where major BCS schools have a very dominant influence,” said Gary Roberts, dean of the Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis and an expert on sports law.
“So youre not going to get any senators from Louisiana or Alabama or Florida or Georgia or Tennessee or Ohio – those are all states with major state universities that are major BCS powerhouses.”
Theres been no bill introduced in the Senate this year to revamp the BCS, although GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah said hes looking into it. Mountain West Conference champion Utah was bypassed for last seasons national championship despite going undefeated.
California Republican Gary Miller has three co-sponsors for his bill that would deny federal funds to schools in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision unless the championship resulted from a playoff system. And Neil Abercrombie, a Democrat from Hawaii, has a nonbinding resolution calling for a playoff system and for a Justice Department investigation. Hes got five co-sponsors.
Roberts says its not enough.
“Sure, youve got Orrin Hatch from Utah whos unhappy,” he said. “There are a handful of congressmen and senators from districts or states that feel like the BCS disadvantages them and their constituents, but theyre a small minority of the overall Congress.”
If theres a silent majority of lawmakers on the other side, “its only silent as long as the issue is just a bunch of noise,” Roberts said. “If a bill actually got some traction, you can bet that (Texas coach) Mack Brown would call the Texas senators, and (Alabama coach) Nick Saban would call the Alabama senators. Theres no traction in Congress for doing anything about the BCS.”
Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, for example, told The Associated Press that while he supports a playoff system, “the one caveat is I have (a New York school) Syracuse, which benefits from the funding situation because the Big East gets in. Youd have to preserve that.”