Posted on 12/02/2005 5:44:10 PM PST by scott says
HOUSTON -- Calling the Bowl Championship Series "deeply flawed," the chairman of a congressional committee has called a hearing on the controversial system used to determine college football's national champion.
A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee, charged with regulating America's sports industry, announced Friday it will conduct a hearing on the BCS next week, after this season's bowl matchups are determined.
"College football is not just an exhilarating sport, but a billion-dollar business that Congress cannot ignore," said committee Chairman Joe Barton, a Texas Republican. Barton's panel is separate from the House Government Reform panel that tackled steroids in baseball.
The committee announcement called the hearing, scheduled for next Wednesday, a "comprehensive review" of the BCS and postseason college football.
"Too often college football ends in sniping and controversy, rather than winners and losers," Barton said. "The current system of determining who's No. 1 appears deeply flawed."
Barton said he does not have legislation in mind to force a change, but said he hopes congressional hearings will spur discussion and improvements. It won't be the first time Congress has looked at the BCS. In 2003, the Senate probed whether the system was unfairly tilted against smaller schools.
NCAA Division I-A football does not have a playoff. The Bowl Championship Series was established in 1998 to determine a national champion using the traditional bowl system and a mix of computer and human polls to set up a championship game.
Because of the controversy surrounding the bowl selection process last season, The Associated Press told BCS officials to stop using its writers polls in its formula.
The committee invited testimony from Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg, the current chairman of the BCS.
"If members of the subcommittee have ideas on how the college football postseason can be improved, we welcome that input,"
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.espn.go.com ...
PING
Any knowledgeable people out there able to tell me what would happen if the Congressional committee tasked to regulate our sports industry didn't exist?
jeez not ANOTHER thing the Government has no right to get into......
The BCS sucks, but that isn't for Congress to get into.
Well when I say my prayers tonight I will thank God that congress has done such a great job of taking care of the big problems in this world that now congress can focus on the BCS.
I agree, politics have no place in sports. Also, see my tagline.
Joe Barton is an Aggie......what concern about the BCS do the Aggies have?
yeah....
that's just wrong
LOL
I have an idea. Why doesn't Congress finish this year's defense budget first. We are in the middle of a war and Congress can't get the budget done. If BCS is screwed up let the teams take the NCAA to court.
Every game should be played at a neutral site.
After round one, the seven remaining teams will be joined with the #1 team which had the bye. So that leaves 8 teams. Four games in round two, two in round three, then the championship game. All of this should take place beginning the weekend after Thanksgiving. Every game should be played by the end of the semester, except for the championship. Have that game after the new year.
So now where's the problem?
The system is already messed up enough...just what it needs,"congressional oversight", LOL.
I guess the interstate commerce concerns "warrant" congress getting involved.....this should be interesting to watch.
More big government and socialism...and this guy calls himself a Republican?
I'm ambivalent about this. College football has undoubtedly the worst system of any sport, college or pro, and I'd love to see it changed. But I don't like Congress sticking their nose where it doesn't belong.
Hi, R. It's been awhile.
It figures that Congress would go nosing around the BcS in the one year that it appears it will actually work as it was intended. Where were they in 2001,when Nebraska backed into the title game despite getting blown out by Colorado and failing to even win their own division in the Big XII, 2003, when USC got robbed and Oklahoma backed in, or last year when Auburn got jobbed?
Maybe John Kerry should lead this Congressional investigation, especially since the video review of referee calls came into play in college ball. You know....."I called it a touchdown before I didn't call it a touchdown."
Good grief...I thought this was Scrappleface. Texas is drowning in criminal illegals, and Joe Barton wants hearings on the BCS bowls, proving once again that Congress is clueless. I really don't think we should allow congress to have a thing to do with sports. It's the only thing they haven't managed to screw up.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.