MWC Unveils Proposal For New BCS Committee, Playoff System

MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson  Understands BCS Proposal Is Work In Progress

The Mountain West Conference (MWC) yesterday unveiled a proposal that would "leave the fate of the BCS rankings in the hands of a 12-member committee and would implement a playoff system for the top eight teams," according to Lya Wodraska of the SALT LAKE TRIBUNE. MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson "acknowledged that the details of how a system would work, what the next step is or what the financial impact of the new system might be haven't been addressed." After the 12-member committee -- "consisting of a representative of each of the 11 [FBS] conferences and one from Notre Dame -- ranks the top 25 teams at the end of the season, the committee would then rank the BCS bowl teams from 1 to 10." Then the "lowest-ranked teams would play in a new, fifth BCS bowl." The other eight teams "would play in the Rose, Fiesta, Orange and Sugar Bowls, with the winners playing in semifinal games and the winners of the semifinals advancing to a national championship game." The MWC "wanted to get its proposal in public because ESPN has a TV agreement for another 4-year cycle under the current BCS system that is supposed to go into effect in April 2010." The MWC has not "signed the agreement in hopes change to the system could come first" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 3/5). USA TODAY's Reid Cherner notes the six conferences that are currently in the BCS "would still get their automatic berths." The MWC "would also get a berth in the new system, and three more slots would be filled by Notre Dame and at-large schools from the current BCS conferences and non-BCS conferences" (USA TODAY, 3/5). Thompson: "We believe this proposal has great merit on several levels. We also understand, however, that there likely will be other ideas as to how the structure could be modified. ... Our hope is trying to get a dialogue. Certainly, it's a work in progress. We want to be perfectly clear, that we would hope that all FBS members engage" (DESERET NEWS, 3/5).

UNCERTAIN FUTURE: Thompson said, "I don't know what the reaction is going to be." ACC Commissioner and BCS Coordinator John Swofford said, "Some of these ideas or similar ones have been addressed before in BCS meetings. We will make sure that the proposal has a full airing by the commissioners and presidents, and we will respond to the Mountain West at the conclusion of those discussions." Commissioners who oversee the BCS are scheduled to meet April 20-22 in Pasadena, California (USA TODAY, 3/5). SPORTINGNEWS.com's Matt Hayes wrote if it "wasn't so comical, it would be shameful that the MWC really thinks this proposal for change will gain even a smidge of traction at the BCS meetings in April." U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner "has a better plan than these guys" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 3/4).