BCS Under Fire...Again

[KevinmH9]

I hope this isn't a d_b. If so, feel free to nuke, Mods.

A lawyer for a college athletic conference told Congress on Tuesday that it would be in the public's interest if the government investigated the system that determines college football's No. 1 team.

Barry Brett, who represents the Mountain West Conference, raised the possibility of antitrust violations in the Bowl Championship Series before a Senate Judiciary Committee subcommittee.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4311694

Thought I'd just post this one, too.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/ncaa/06/30/senate-bcs.ap/index.html

 

[Armchair_QB]

I'm not a big proponent of the "Doesn't Congress have more important things to do" line of thinking but doesn't Congress have more important things to do right now?

 

[poindexter]

This looks so serious, ESPN or Fox might sign another 10 year extension with the BCS.

 

[DanOregon]

TOSTITO'S FIESTA BOWL - Now with spicy election contribution violations!

Read it all the way through - it will make you sick. The violations are interesting - but hearing about all the ball washing it must take to run a BCS bowl game is nauseating.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2009-12-18-fiesta-bowl-probe_N.htm

 

[PopeDirkBenedict]

If Congress really wanted a playoff, they could force the NCAA into it with a one page bill that mandates a football playoff or all federal funds to the member universities are withheld. Anything else is just grandstanding.

 

[Crash]

If Congress really wanted a playoff, they could force the NCAA into it with a one page bill that mandates a football playoff or all federal funds to the member universities are withheld. Anything else is just grandstanding.

And they would get absolutely ripped for it in the court of public opinion. As much as people seem to want a playoff, I think Americans would be pretty pissed off right now if Congress was spending time talking college football instead of trying to get people back to work.

 

[DanOregon]

Playoffs would actually PUT MORE PEOPLE TO WORK!

 

[ucacm]

if you sue the bcs for antitrust violations, you're suing the mountain west conference, mr. brett.

 

[hpdrifter]

if you sue the bcs for antitrust violations, you're suing the mountain west conference, mr. brett.

am i missing something? the mountain west isn't in the bcs.

 

[ucacm]

if you sue the bcs for antitrust violations, you're suing the mountain west conference, mr. brett.

am i missing something? the mountain west isn't in the bcs.

yes they are. as are all 11 conferences in FBS.

 

[hpdrifter]

if you sue the bcs for antitrust violations, you're suing the mountain west conference, mr. brett.

am i missing something? the mountain west isn't in the bcs.

yes they are. as are all 11 conferences in FBS.

well, ok, the 11 conferences are bowl eligible to be in BCS bowls, but only six and notre dame have any consistent shot (usually one non-bcs school gets a spot, this year two) at the big bows with tie-ins. plus, you can sue your employer, so why not sue the bcs, which is controlled by the big conferences?

 

[deskslave]

If Congress really wanted a playoff, they could force the NCAA into it with a one page bill that mandates a football playoff or all federal funds to the member universities are withheld. Anything else is just grandstanding.

Legislation directed at one organization or entity is unconstitutional, as the ACORN fiasco proved.

 

[PopeDirkBenedict]

It would be no different than tying highway funds to having a .08 drinking limit or 21 year old drinkin age. Congress can put qualifiers on its funds.

 

[deskslave]

It would be no different than tying highway funds to having a .08 drinking limit or 21 year old drinkin age. Congress can put qualifiers on its funds.

But if Louisiana says it doesn't want to have a drinking age of 21, it's easy to withhold funds. LSU can't agree on its own to have a playoff. That has to come through the NCAA, and that's one organization.

 

[PopeDirkBenedict]

You're not defunding the NCAA itself. You are putting on the qualifier that no federal funds shall go to a college/university that has a football team and is part of an athletic association that does not select a champion through a seeded playoff. And if LSU doesn't like it, it can drop football or join the NAIA. It would be constitutional and is not a bill of attainder.

 

[deskslave]

Even if that were the case, and I'm still not sure it is, you're going to withhold federal funding for research and education over FOOTBALL?

 

[PopeDirkBenedict]

My point wasn't that it was a good idea. If Congress wants to do something other than grandstanding, then write the bill. The fact that Congress hasn't proposed anything other than the false advertising bill shows how serious they are about this.

 

[ucacm]

if you sue the bcs for antitrust violations, you're suing the mountain west conference, mr. brett.

am i missing something? the mountain west isn't in the bcs.

yes they are. as are all 11 conferences in FBS.

well, ok, the 11 conferences are bowl eligible to be in BCS bowls, but only six and notre dame have any consistent shot (usually one non-bcs school gets a spot, this year two) at the big bows with tie-ins. plus, you can sue your employer, so why not sue the bcs, which is controlled by the big conferences?

don't take my word for it

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4030992

 

[Armchair_QB]

You're not defunding the NCAA itself. You are putting on the qualifier that no federal funds shall go to a college/university that has a football team and is part of an athletic association that does not select a champion through a seeded playoff. And if LSU doesn't like it, it can drop football or join the NAIA. It would be constitutional and is not a bill of attainder.

Well, that's going to hit Division III schools as well since the NCAA sets up that level's playoffs based on travel restrictions, not seeds.

For that matter, Division II is broken into four regions before the pairings are decided, also due to travel restrictions.

And I don't think the FCS playoff teams are seeded 1-16 either.

Try again.

 

[D-3 Fan]

FWIW, if the NCAA, MLN' or whoever isn't going to make changes in their sport, then **** yeah I want Congress to step in and go forward with legislation or squeeze the ever living **** out of them.

Only on one condition: get the Congressmen who knows and follow sports to handle the committee stuff. Maxine Waters wouldn't know what the **** the Missouri Valley Conference and their teams if you gave her a map.