Univ. Of Georgia President Advocates Eight-Team Football Playoff
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Adams Calling For Playoff
System For College Football |
Univ. of Georgia President Michael Adams has written a letter to NCAA President Myles Brand advocating a “seven-game, single elimination tournament run by the NCAA” in which the Fiesta, Orange, Rose and Sugar bowls would be quarterfinal games, according to Mark Bradley of the ATLANTA CONSTITUTION. Adams said that many university presidents “are ready to support it after years of rejecting a playoff, and believes chances are ‘at least 50-50’ it will pass.” Adams: “I do think I’m in a position where I can get a formal conversation started at the point where it needs to take place, and that’s at the NCAA Division I (level).” Adams’ goal “is to have a playoff system adopted within ‘a year or two.’” The four quarterfinals would be played in the four BCS bowls on New Year’s Day, with the semifinals the following week at to-be-determined sites and the championship game the subsequent week. Non-BCS bowls “would remain unaffected.” Adams said the mood of the presidents “was shifting before (the day of the BCS selections). I think some of the shifting has been going on for some time. I think this year has impacted a lot of people.” Adams: “I think we’re closer to (a playoff) than we’ve ever been.” However, Univ. of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer said, “There is no substantial sentiment among university presidents and chancellors to move to a playoff system” (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 1/8).
GEE SAYS PLAYOFF WILL NOT HAPPEN: Ohio State Univ. (OSU) President Gordon Gee said a playoff system “is never going to happen. Judging the landscape right now, it’s more likely (university presidents) would step back to the traditional bowl system.” Univ. of Florida President Bernie Machen lobbied for a playoff last year at a meeting of SEC presidents, and Gee said, “If the 12 presidents of the [SEC] -- the cathedral of college football -- will not vote for a playoff system there’s no chance in hell it will happen” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/8). OSU football coach Jim Tressel said, “I’m not one that’s been a real, quote, playoff advocate.” Tressel: “The bowls are extraordinary. … I just think it’s a little bit difficult to go much beyond what we’re doing” (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 1/8).
PLUS-ONE TO BE DISCUSSED: SEC Commissioner and outgoing BCS Chair Mike Slive and ACC Commissioner John Swofford, the incoming BCS Chair, yesterday said that the SEC, ACC, Big East and Big 12 “are open to discussing the ‘plus-one’ [postseason] format.” The Big Ten and Pac-10, however, both remain against the idea. Swofford: “In our conference, there’s much more open-mindedness about the plus-one than there was two years ago. There’s an interest in it … and a willingness to discuss it in full.” Swofford added that “‘logistics’ and multiple television agreements will take efforts to work through for the possible format to become a reality” (Schad & Maisel, ESPN.com, 1/7). In N.Y., Pete Thamel notes conference commissioners will hold their annual BCS meeting in Miami in April, which Slive called a "‘checkpoint of sorts’ in terms of finding out whether there will be change.” The commissioners will take the information from the meeting back to the college presidents (N.Y. TIMES, 1/8).
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Ohio State's Gee Says He Opposes
Playoff, "Plus One" Formats |
BIG TEN, PAC-10 OPPOSED TO IDEA: Gee said that he also is not in favor of the plus-one model and that “such a concept would continue to be a hard sell” to the Big Ten, Pac-10 and the Rose Bowl. He added that he would “not be in favor of any model that jeopardizes the Big Ten-Pacific-10 tie-in to the Rose Bowl or that could diminish the existing bowl structure.” Gee: “People might say the Big Ten, the Pacific-10 and the Rose Bowl are being greedy. No, there would be more money to be made. But it’s not about money, it’s about preserving history”(USA TODAY, 1/8). Pac-10 Commission Tom Hansen said a plus-one format that seeded the top four teams “knocks the Pac-10 and Big Ten out of automatically playing each other in the Rose Bowl, and we’re not in favor if that.” Hansen: “Even more fundamentally than that, we don’t want our teams playing two postseason games.” He added that he does not see “changing anything until at least 2014,” when ABC/ESPN’s contract with the Rose Bowl expires (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 1/8).
FOX TO NEGOTIATE BCS EXTENSION: In New Orleans, Ted Lewis reports Fox’ exclusive negotiating period to hold onto its four BCS games through the 2013 season begins in September, and Fox Sports President Ed Goren said that the net “intends to renew its contract.” He added that the net “prefers at least a plus-one.” Meanwhile, ABC/ESPN Exec VP/Collegiate Sports Chuck Gerber said that if negotiations go beyond Fox’ exclusive window, the net “would be more than ready to talk to the BCS about reclaiming the entire package” beginning with the 2010 season. Gerber: “If the Rose Bowl wanted to do it in the next cycle, we’d find a way to make that work for them.” Lewis notes ABC walked away in ’03 because the BCS “was not ready to adopt a plus-one system” (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 1/8).
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