Bowl Championship Series Modifications

Modify the current BCS system so that all FBS members have a legitimate opportunity to contend for a national championship.

Strengthen the bowl system.Preserve and enhance the regular season.Dilute the influence that media interests have

in determining the national champion.

Regular Season/Conference Championships12-Team BCS Playoff/BowlsOther Bowls

14 weeks to play 12 regular season games and conference championship games

Final week of August through final Saturday in November

Teams in conferences with championship games would have 13 weeks to play 12 games and would have one bye.

Teams in conferences without championship games would have 14 weeks to play 12 games and would have 2 byes.

12 Teams selected the day following the final Saturday in November6 Champions from BCS conferences2 Champions from the highest rated non-BCS

conferences4 At-large bids

First priority – Remaining undefeated teamsSecond priority – Remaining highest ranked teams

in BCS standingsSeeding/Byes

Teams would be seeded 1-12 based on BCS standings

Seeds 1-4 would get a first round bye.

Round 1 – Held on campus of higher seed the first Saturday in DecemberGame 1: Seed 9 at Seed 8Game 2: Seed 10 at Seed 7Game 3: Seed 11 at Seed 6Game 4: Seed 12 at Seed 5

Round 2 – Held on campus of higher seed the second Saturday in DecemberGame 5: Winner Game 1 at Seed 1Game 6: Winner Game 2 at Seed 2Game 7: Winner Game 3 at Seed 3Game 8: Winner Game 4 at Seed 4

BCS Semifinals – Held Jan 1/Jan 2 in a rotation among the traditional BCS bowls (Rose, Sugar, Orange, Fiesta)Semifinal #1 – Winner Game 5 vs. Winner

Game 8Semifinal #2 – Winner Game 6 vs Winner

Game 7BCS Championship Game – Held 7 days after

the 2nd semifinal at the site of the BCS Bowl that had first selection of the available BCS semifinals.

6 Bowls involved (Rose, Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, TBD1, TBD2).

Two current non-BCS bowls would be elevated to BCS status.

The four traditional BCS bowls would rotate hosting BCS Semifinals.

In any given year, two traditional BCS bowls would host BCS Semifinals. The other four BCS bowls (two traditional, two newly elevated) would host games involving the eight teams not advancing to the BCS Semifinals.

The four traditional BCS bowls would rotate selection priority similar to the current system.

The traditional BCS bowls not hosting a BCS Semifinal would have partner conferences as now.

The bowls not hosting BCS Semifinals would rotate selection priority.

The Rose Bowl should maintain its traditional New Year’s Day time slot.

In years where the Rose Bowl hosts a BCS Semifinal, the other BCS Semifinal would be played immediately following the Rose Bowl.

In years where the Rose Bowl does not host a BCS Semifinal, the first semifinal would be played immediately following the Rose Bowl. The second semifinal would be played the next appropriate night

All non-BCS bowls would continue to co-exist.As bowl eligible teams are released from BCS

consideration, they would be free at that time to accept bowl bids from non-BCS bowls.

Every team in FBS would control its own destiny with regard to the ability to win a national championship. Never again would a team end a season with no losses, but yet be denied the title of national champion based on opinion polls.

The current bowl system is enhanced… The quality of play in the BCS Championship game will no

longer be hampered by month long layoffs. Due to hosting BCS Semifinals, the four traditional BCS

bowls are guaranteed a compelling game at least every other year. In the current system, it is common for even BCS bowls to be an afterthought to the BCS Championship game.

Two bowls will be elevated to BCS level and will thus increase in stature and visibility.

All other bowl games can continue to exist and reward teams with good seasons without being subject to criticism as the system preventing crowning a true champion.

The integrity and importance of the regular season is enhanced.More compelling intersectional matchups

would be scheduled since out of conference losses wouldn’t eliminate BCS conference teams from championship consideration.

A greater number of games would have bearing on the ultimate national champion due to the inclusion of non-BCS conferences.

An outstanding regular season is rewarded by providing a first round bye and a second round home game.

December playoff rounds…Provide on campus excitement.Would be attractive to television. Currently, there is a

noticeable void the second Saturday in December.Allow fans to see teams from schools they rarely play.

Benefits players….Puts the game in their hands.Potentially shortens the season by a week for all

teams not making the BCS.Provides the opportunity for players making the BCS

to get stipends for multiple games.Provides more national exposure to players in the

BCS.

The influence of media on selecting the national champion will be greatly diminished. Rankings, while still important, will not be determinative. That is critical as we enter an era of higher priced TV contracts where some individuals voting in the polls will have a vested interest in the rankings of teams they cover.

The winner of the BCS Championship Game would be unanimously recognized as the deserving national champion of college football and would not have its moment dampened by ongoing controversy and legitimate complaints by teams snubbed by the current system.