BaltimoreTerp
09-18-2010, 12:59 AM
http://www.arentfox.com/email/media-alert/pdf/bcs-docs20100915.pdf
Moreover, as the attached chart shows, last year under the BCS scheme only 26 of the 120 FBS teams played in any games that impacted that team’s chances to win the national title. Therefore, 94 of the 120 teams – close to 80% of the FBS teams -- played in no games that impacted that team’s chances of winning the national title last season.
...
The BCS likes to tout that the regular season is one big playoff. As described above, that simply isn’t accurate. In fact, if the BCS was correct, then who was Boise State University’s playoff game against last year when they were again denied an opportunity to compete for the national title despite being undefeated? Or who was the University of Utah’s playoff game against the
prior year when they suffered from the same fate? The list goes on and on, and what never stops is how the BCS deprives these Non-Automatic Qualifying Conference teams and their fans of any real opportunity to win the national title.
...
The BCS nevertheless claims that a college football playoff would diminish the value of the regular season because (i) every game counts under its system according to the BCS; (ii) the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament, in the BCS’ view, diminishes the value of the regular season in college basketball; and (iii) the BCS claims that the bowl system would end if a playoff was established. As to the “every game counts” slogan and argument, this statement and the attached chart completely undermine the BCS’ assertion. With respect to the comparison to college basketball, the BCS’ argument doesn’t pass the straight face test. Even a cursory analysis would tell you that a college football playoff would not be similar to the college basketball tournament with respect to impact on the regular season. The difficulty of qualifying for a 16 team college football playoff (where there are only five at-large berths) would be far greater than qualifying for the college basketball tournament, as only a few second place teams would even make the playoffs in college football. In contrast, in college basketball, where more than 30 at-large teams qualify, 6th and 7th place teams from a conference can make the playoffs, and 2nd, 3rd and 4th place teams from a number of conferences are almost always a lock for the tournament.
The BCS’ claim that the bowl system would end if a playoff was established also is without any merit. First, for bowls to exist you need teams that want to play in them, bowls that want to hold the events, television networks that want to show the games, and advertisers that want to sponsor the games. All of those conditions would still exist if a playoff was established for the top teams. Second, even though there are far more teams in the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament, other postseason play continues to exist in basketball, and, in fact, additional postseason tournaments recently have been added. Third, many of the bowl games are, in effect, subsidized by the universities who play in them (because the universities are compelled to buy a tremendous number of tickets to such games, regardless of whether they are sold). With these universities receiving far more revenue under a playoff (as they generally will share the revenues earned by other teams from their conference who reach the playoffs), they will have even more money to ensure that they can continue to, in effect, subsidize such bowls.
Now a disclaimer. Arent Fox is a DC-based law firm/lobbying group, so chances are they were brought it by BCS opponents. Just the way that reads, you can tell it was made to persuade (the "not eliminated by a team, but by a scheme" is a nice Cochran-esque touch :laughlol:)
But those numbers seem to pass the smell test. I don't know how anyone can sit with a straight face and say that the present system in any way enhances the regular season. Any system where a bona fide member of the association can start a season with no chance to win the association's championship is truly dysfunctional, especially when the basic argument ("Every week is a playoff game!") only counts for certain schools.
Anyone else have any thoughts?
Moreover, as the attached chart shows, last year under the BCS scheme only 26 of the 120 FBS teams played in any games that impacted that team’s chances to win the national title. Therefore, 94 of the 120 teams – close to 80% of the FBS teams -- played in no games that impacted that team’s chances of winning the national title last season.
...
The BCS likes to tout that the regular season is one big playoff. As described above, that simply isn’t accurate. In fact, if the BCS was correct, then who was Boise State University’s playoff game against last year when they were again denied an opportunity to compete for the national title despite being undefeated? Or who was the University of Utah’s playoff game against the
prior year when they suffered from the same fate? The list goes on and on, and what never stops is how the BCS deprives these Non-Automatic Qualifying Conference teams and their fans of any real opportunity to win the national title.
...
The BCS nevertheless claims that a college football playoff would diminish the value of the regular season because (i) every game counts under its system according to the BCS; (ii) the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament, in the BCS’ view, diminishes the value of the regular season in college basketball; and (iii) the BCS claims that the bowl system would end if a playoff was established. As to the “every game counts” slogan and argument, this statement and the attached chart completely undermine the BCS’ assertion. With respect to the comparison to college basketball, the BCS’ argument doesn’t pass the straight face test. Even a cursory analysis would tell you that a college football playoff would not be similar to the college basketball tournament with respect to impact on the regular season. The difficulty of qualifying for a 16 team college football playoff (where there are only five at-large berths) would be far greater than qualifying for the college basketball tournament, as only a few second place teams would even make the playoffs in college football. In contrast, in college basketball, where more than 30 at-large teams qualify, 6th and 7th place teams from a conference can make the playoffs, and 2nd, 3rd and 4th place teams from a number of conferences are almost always a lock for the tournament.
The BCS’ claim that the bowl system would end if a playoff was established also is without any merit. First, for bowls to exist you need teams that want to play in them, bowls that want to hold the events, television networks that want to show the games, and advertisers that want to sponsor the games. All of those conditions would still exist if a playoff was established for the top teams. Second, even though there are far more teams in the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament, other postseason play continues to exist in basketball, and, in fact, additional postseason tournaments recently have been added. Third, many of the bowl games are, in effect, subsidized by the universities who play in them (because the universities are compelled to buy a tremendous number of tickets to such games, regardless of whether they are sold). With these universities receiving far more revenue under a playoff (as they generally will share the revenues earned by other teams from their conference who reach the playoffs), they will have even more money to ensure that they can continue to, in effect, subsidize such bowls.
Now a disclaimer. Arent Fox is a DC-based law firm/lobbying group, so chances are they were brought it by BCS opponents. Just the way that reads, you can tell it was made to persuade (the "not eliminated by a team, but by a scheme" is a nice Cochran-esque touch :laughlol:)
But those numbers seem to pass the smell test. I don't know how anyone can sit with a straight face and say that the present system in any way enhances the regular season. Any system where a bona fide member of the association can start a season with no chance to win the association's championship is truly dysfunctional, especially when the basic argument ("Every week is a playoff game!") only counts for certain schools.
Anyone else have any thoughts?