Utah Attorney General Pushes Forward With BCS Investigation

Utah state Attorney General Mark Shurtleff is "pushing forward with his antitrust investigation" into college football's BCS, "preparing to send out investigative subpoenas and trying to gain political allies," according to a front-page piece by Ben Winslow of the DESERET NEWS. Shurtleff "chatted up the new U.S. attorney general [Eric Holder] at a meeting this week of the National Association of Attorneys General" in DC. Shurtleff "asked if President Obama's administration would work with him on an antitrust case over the BCS." Shurtleff jokingly said Holder's "immediate response was, 'As soon as the president hears what your question was, it'll be No. 1 on the cabinet meeting agenda.'" Shurtleff said that Holder "told him he was serious about looking into an antitrust action involving the BCS, but was waiting to see what would happen with the appointment of his new antitrust section chief." Shurtleff said that his office's investigation into the BCS is "still in the 'discovery stage.'" Shurtleff: "Most of the contracts are confidential and so the first step was to ask kindly and the answer was no. Now we're issuing subpoenas." While in DC, Shurtleff "also met behind closed doors with attorneys general from other states to get widespread support for an investigation." Shurtleff is "hoping to present his findings, and whether they should proceed with an antitrust lawsuit, by June." Winslow notes Shurtleff "could also ask the U.S. Justice Department to partner with them on an antitrust action, but acknowledged it could be nearly a year before any kind of decision on a lawsuit is made." Shurtleff still had "hope if Holder was willing to consider a probe" (DESERET NEWS, 3/4).