BaltimoreTerp
04-22-2008, 05:38 PM
(...and since we know where in the body of the NCAA the BCS comes from, hopefully it will be painful ;))
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/ncaa/04/17/Congress.BCS.ap/index.html
[quote]WASHINGTON (AP) -- Forget government corruption or corporate fraud. Three members of Congress want the Justice Department to investigate whether college football's Bowl Championship Series is an illegal enterprise.
Reps. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., and Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, are introducing a resolution rejecting the oft-criticized bowl system as an illegal restriction on trade because only the largest universities compete in most of the major bowl games. The resolution would require Justice's antitrust division to investigate whether the system violates federal law.
...
Abercrombie said the matter is worthy of federal review because college football is big business with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake.
"It's money. That's what this is all about," he said.
...
In a statement, ACC Commissioner and current BCS Coordinator John Swofford said the BCS allows all qualified teams to participate and is beneficial for student athletes, universities and fans.
"This issue has been looked at before," Swofford said. "We're confident that it complies with the law."[quote]
Although I just wanted to list a couple quotes, it should be pointed out that the three representatives involved represent Hawaii, Idaho and Georgia, each with a school with recent issues over their status in the BCS.
Before we get the requisite, "Why can't Congress focus on important issues," remember that these schools all get federal funding of some kind, all have to follow federal guidelines (Title IX, etc.), and have created a billion-dollar industry out of football.
It might not be up there with Iraq or health care, but it is something that could be an issue for someone to study, and if it takes Congress to do something, so be it.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/ncaa/04/17/Congress.BCS.ap/index.html
[quote]WASHINGTON (AP) -- Forget government corruption or corporate fraud. Three members of Congress want the Justice Department to investigate whether college football's Bowl Championship Series is an illegal enterprise.
Reps. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., and Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, are introducing a resolution rejecting the oft-criticized bowl system as an illegal restriction on trade because only the largest universities compete in most of the major bowl games. The resolution would require Justice's antitrust division to investigate whether the system violates federal law.
...
Abercrombie said the matter is worthy of federal review because college football is big business with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake.
"It's money. That's what this is all about," he said.
...
In a statement, ACC Commissioner and current BCS Coordinator John Swofford said the BCS allows all qualified teams to participate and is beneficial for student athletes, universities and fans.
"This issue has been looked at before," Swofford said. "We're confident that it complies with the law."[quote]
Although I just wanted to list a couple quotes, it should be pointed out that the three representatives involved represent Hawaii, Idaho and Georgia, each with a school with recent issues over their status in the BCS.
Before we get the requisite, "Why can't Congress focus on important issues," remember that these schools all get federal funding of some kind, all have to follow federal guidelines (Title IX, etc.), and have created a billion-dollar industry out of football.
It might not be up there with Iraq or health care, but it is something that could be an issue for someone to study, and if it takes Congress to do something, so be it.