Although the BCS has continued to modify its formula, the debate on a tiebreaker still continues. And it really amazes me that the powers that be in the NCAA and the conferences keep talking about everything but the one thing that really prevents moving into a playoff system for Division I football (sorry, now they call it the FBS series).
They talk about extending the season is not good, they talk about affecting the players’ academy, missing too many classes, but you know I haven’t really heard a serious and reasonable argument against a playoff system coming from the NCAA system. itself. And that’s because, in my opinion, it’s about one thing … money.
College football still likes to think of itself as a purely amateur sport. But it has become big business, and unfortunately, in many cases, that’s not a big deal. But when you look specifically at the current structure of BCS soccer bowls, it seems that there is too much money at stake to start a serious discussion about a playoff system.
The four big bowls that are part of the current BCS system just won’t give up control and the big bucks that come with those games. I’ve heard the argument that in a playoff system you can rotate who gets the final games. But the problem with that is that when you got to the last four games, you’d still be at least 2 weeks into championship week and that would probably take it too far from when people would travel and spend money like they do. do it now at the end of the year during the last week of December and the first week of January. That equates to a huge loss of income.
It’s hard for me to believe that if Division I basketball can have such an exciting tournament and all the remaining divisions of college football make it work, why can’t it work for the top schools in the NCAA? All other major sports, college and professional, let the championship be decided through a process of last man standing victories.
And I think that’s something sports people love. That kind of format gives more of the losers a chance to win it all. Do you remember the movie “Hoosiers”? What a great story! People love the homeless. And every year at the NCAA Basketball Tournament there are big surprises. And every now and then, some loser who shouldn’t have made it into the tournament. And the fans get excited. And people believe that anything is possible.
And for me, that is missing from the current BCS football formula. The final weeks of the soccer season, the discussion is limited to a handful of soccer teams that have a chance to make it to the championship game. I would really love to see all the powers that be in college football seriously take a playoff system down. It may never happen, but I love watching those underdogs upset the big boys and try to win it all.
