U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) is urging the House Judiciary Committee to "hold hearings on antitrust and other issues in college sports, including the recent series of conference realignments," according to Frederic Frommer of the AP. Conyers wrote in a letter to the panel that he is "concerned about the impact that conference realignment would have on lower-profile sports teams and smaller and independent universities -- especially historically black colleges and universities." The NCAA did "not immediately return email and telephone messages Thursday." Conyers also wants to "look into due process for athletes, the NCAA's use of athletes' images in video games without compensation, limitations of athletic scholarships, and the costs to players from injuries sustained during games among other issues" (AP, 10/20).
ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT A PLAYOFF: ESPN's Michael Wilbon noted the Mountain West Conference is proposing a 16-team playoff system “that would generate $700 million annually for college football, several ticks more than the $180 million" the BCS generated last season. Wilbon asked, "Don’t you think this proposal has some merit?” ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser said, “The Mountain West isn’t looking for a bigger piece of the pie. The Mountain West is looking for a piece of the pie. That’s why they’re going for 16 teams, because 16 teams they know they’re going to get in.” Kornheiser said the non-BCS conferences "are really scrambling around because they see the future as four big 16-team conferences” (“PTI,” ESPN, 10/20).
