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 ...
If the NCAA was smart and wanted more revenue than they would explore and start a playoff system...more games, TV revenue, ect.....
LOL
ummm it doesn't exist? :)
with 15 teams, you could get all 11 D-1A conference champions involved in the process too....
Barton just has his knickers in a twist because UT is going to be playing for the championship this year! GO HORNS!!!
you're telling me here ...
never know, the system still has another weekend to sweat it out.
Having read the entire column, I fail to see where any socialism is suggested. Congress should have no say in this whatsoever, but the claim of socialism is reaching. We on the Right use that term so much that it's becoming meaningless.
The question is, why is Congress involved in this at all?
Hey, hispanarepublicana! It has been a minute. How've you been?
Maybe so, but it's still big-government crap from a supposed "Republican."
Oh, I've been good. Just been spending all Fall cheering my Red Raiders on to the Cotton Bowl. You?
That's correct. Four outliers will also have a shot in my proposed playoff system.
yep....
I like it, but I think that kind of system would have to have the heads of Fox Sports, ESPN and CBS to take part....
it would have to be more than one network...
This is from the House, they won't be doing the Alito hearings anyway....
Good point.
In that first photo, it looks like he's trying to return his thumb to its usual place, up his butt.
Maybe Congress should attack the NCAA's actions against teams with "hostile" native american mascots first.
Is there NOTHING too petty for our government to stick it's nose into?
Aren't there any citizens left using legal drugs to improve their ability to hit little balls long distances for the congresskids to harrass?
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