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NCAA will get look at 8-team playoff proposal
Georgia president: BCS lacks integrity
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ATHENS, Ga. - The president of the University of Georgia proposed an eight-team playoff system to determine the NCAA's national football champion.
Michael Adams, chairman of the NCAA executive committee, has opposed a playoff for 20 years but said Tuesday the current BCS system is "undercutting the sportsmanship and integrity of the game."
Adams wants the NCAA to seed eight teams into the four bowls. If one of the major bowls declines to participate, then another bowl could fill the void.
"I believe the season is already too long and demands too much of athletes and the universities that serve them," Adams said at a news conference. "But this year's experience with the BCS forces me to the conclusion that the current system has lost public confidence and simply does not work."
Adams would like a special NCAA committee to work out the particulars, but the plan calls for the winners of the four major bowls — Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta — to play semifinals at least one week later, with the championship game the following week.
In a statement posted on the NCAA Web site Tuesday afternoon, Brand said he would take Adams' request to the Division I board of directors Monday at the NCAA convention in Nashville. Brand said the structure of postseason football for the Football Bowl Subdivision rests with the presidents.
"The BCS has produced some exciting games since it came into existence, but there may be a feeling among some presidents, though not all, that there is need for structural changes. This is an issue that will be decided through presidential leadership," Brand said.
Georgia was ranked fourth in the BCS entering the last week of the season, behind Missouri, West Virginia and Ohio State. When Missouri and West Virginia lost, Georgia did not rise to second behind Ohio State but dropped to fifth in the BCS. Southeastern Conference champion LSU vaulted from seventh to second.
LSU defeated Ohio State 38-24 Monday night to win the BCS title. Georgia routed previously undefeated Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl, 41-10.
Adams insisted he was prepared to advance the proposal even if Georgia had played in the title game.
"It is a matter of fairness and equity," he said.
Adams said he was influenced by players and coaches. He added that he would let Mark Richt speak for himself, but the Georgia coach had been "positive" in discussions about a playoff.
Adams is frustrated by the power of the television networks, particularly ESPN, and of the commissioners of the bowls and conferences.
"The television networks — particularly the one that controls the majority of regular season and postseason games — have grown powerful in deciding who plays and when they play, and, indeed, whom they hire to coach," Adams wrote in a letter to NCAA president Myles Brand.
"The Bowl Championship Series has become a beauty contest largely stage-managed by the networks, which in turn protect the interests of their own partner conferences."
He said the commissioners of the conferences and the bowls are guilty of "closed-circle decision-making based on traditional contract alliances. It is time to take the ultimate power out of their hands and give it to the student-athletes on the field."
"The most visible element of our most visible sport has almost no presidential involvement," Adams added.
Adams said he understood the consequences of an extended the season.
"This would involve only four schools, and only two into the second week," he said. "To answer concerns about the wear-and-tear on the student-athletes, I would consider returning the regular season to an 11-game schedule."
© 2008, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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Posted by Volfan1 on January 9, 2008 at 8:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It's too good to be true!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by labernathy448 on January 9, 2008 at 9:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It is great to hear a university president speaking out against network abuse of college football. If a championship is important, then it should have NCAA sanction!
My suggestion would be to have the the original round of games at college stadiums so students and alumni could at least afford to see one of the games.
Posted by Sauderman on January 9, 2008 at 10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Its about time. This is a no brainer. I like the set up.
Posted by britt on January 9, 2008 at 10:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Finally. If they think the season is too long we could go back to 11 game reg. season
Posted by vol4good on January 9, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Finally! I guess it took pissing off enough people for this to finally occur. Keep pushing the issue everyone. Mabye, we as fans could write emails and letters to our president, encouraging him to get behind this proposal.
Posted by doctorvol on January 9, 2008 at 10:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
wish this would happen, but......
Posted by KnoxVol_in_TX on January 9, 2008 at 11:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Too good to be true. As much as I (and many of you) would love to see this, the network heads and Bowl Commissioners (ahem Rose Bowl) will not likely budge, despite what pressure is applied.
I will no less pray that this becomes a reality, but I seriously doubt it flys.
Posted by sjt18 on January 9, 2008 at 11:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Still an unfair advantage to teams that don't have a championship game.
Posted by pdhuff on January 9, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It only took a perceived "dosing" by Ga to get bro Adams moving. But as sjt points out, many teams get an extra week off and don't have to play the other "best team" in their conference.
Until the overblown Rose Bowl comes on board, it will be tough to make changes, other than a little window dressing. Ga should have played SoCal in many minds, but Rose Bowl wanted Big 11.
Posted by skippy23 on January 9, 2008 at 11:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Let the rose bowl do their own thing and bring the cotton bowl back into the mix.
Posted by wewhite on January 9, 2008 at 11:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, in a perfect world, Iraq would be at peace, Palestinians and Jews would love each other, Irish Protestants and Catholics would be reconciled, Northerners and Southerners would put still-long-lingering ill feelings behind... and the BCS would have a playoff series.
If Adams is so frustrated with the TV networks, maybe he'll turn down the next Georgia game TV deal he receives. The only way THAT would happen is if we were living in the aforementioned perfect world.
It's all about the cheddar!
Posted by wp4ut on January 9, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
don't knock this option till you try it.
Posted by dfreeman on January 9, 2008 at 11:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
We really do need a playoff, however Georgia needs to quit crying about that freaking title game!! Win your division and then talk about postseason snubs!! They beat a Hawaii team that deserved to be in that sugar bowl as much as Morristown West Highschool!!
Posted by fishportion on January 9, 2008 at noon (Suggest removal)
I like it...maintains the lesser bowls as are as well as the big bowls and lets the 4 big winners play it out on the field
Posted by BluetickBlues on January 9, 2008 at 12:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
No one even cares about the rose bowl anyway. You have the semi-pro USC team playing a miserable wanna be like Illinois. That game was awful as were most of the BCS games. Ohio State should have declined their invitation to the championship to save themselves the embarrassment. UGA vs Hawaii? Nuff said. This playoff system is not hard to accomplish. All the NCAA has to do is grow some. They have the product and it will sell regardless of who carries the game.
Posted by utmdm on January 9, 2008 at 12:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I am for a playoff, but GA needs to get over it. The ranking jumps happen every year and if you do not make the championship game (does not matter how well you are playing at season end), this is what you get.
Posted by JohnyLobo34 on January 9, 2008 at 12:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Love the idea. But Georgia is overrated! We hammered them & they looked like world beaters against an out-manned Hawaii team that was totally intimidated by the surroundings of a BCS Bowl Game.
Posted by VOLstuckINky on January 9, 2008 at 12:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
totally for this .. but he's only saying this now becuase UglA got hosed for the MNC.
I have not simpathy for any of these rat ba#St!rd AD, presidents, and conf commisioners.
Posted by VOLstuckINky on January 9, 2008 at 12:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
totally for this .. but he's only saying this now becuase UglA got hosed for the MNC.
I have not simpathy for any of these rat ba#St!rd AD, presidents, and conf commisioners.
Posted by anthony on January 9, 2008 at 1:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I guess diversity, true diversity, just runs in the Adams family!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by majorjim1 on January 9, 2008 at 1:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
WE HAMMERED GEORGIA, THEY DIDN'T EVEN WIN THE EAST TITLE OR GO TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, AND THEY THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE NC GAME. FOLKS THIS IS A GEORGIA PROPOSAL. I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST A PLAYOFF, IT IS JUST WHO IS PROPOSING IT THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH.
Posted by ggriggs939 on January 9, 2008 at 2:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The theory is sound, but how will equity be determined in selecting the top eight teams? In theory and with everything else being equal,Hawaii should have been the best team since they were unbeaten. The big 10 usually sits at the top of the heap because of the source of the votes. The SEC gets knocked down because we have only a few votes and prejudices of certain organizations and the egos of some people that have been tweaked a bit.
Witness the prediction of just a few years ago when the voter said a QB from a certain team would win four heisman popularity contests.
Without some way to determine relative strength between teams, this proposal will wind up like the heisman debacle. i.e. Jim Brown finished 6th behind hornung in 1956; Hines Ward finished about the same behind woodson in 97. Dick Huffman a 1946 Volunteer was never even mentioned as a candidate, yet he has the best record in the pros ever recorded - Rookie of the Year and All Pro, then AllPro for the next four years until he went to Canada for more money. But that got him black-balled.
Posted by murrayvol on January 9, 2008 at 2:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
A show of hands please. If UGA had ponied up to #2 and had the opportunity to whack the crap out of OSU, how many think Adams would be rattling the NCAA cage. That's about what I thought.
Like the idea of rolling back to 11 games. A "playoff payoff"(w/distribution to member schools) should soften the financial blow to most institutions.
And hear this Dawgville. When you don't win your division, the conversation is over.
Posted by Colliervol on January 9, 2008 at 2:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'll believe it when I see it. Too many college presidents (and Mike Slive) are opposed to it.
There was an article in the Commercial Appeal that basically said Slive was pretty torqued about Adams' letter. Slive said he thought an extra game with the top two rated teams after the BCS games might be an interesting thought but even that won't solve the problem if there are three or four teams in the hunt. Somebody is still going to be upset.
Posted by mparker on January 9, 2008 at 2:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
you can almost bet your butts that if it gets done, that in a few years the number of teams will go up.
The BCS game itself was seen as a starting point to break the old system. There are still a lot of people who want the old system of voters, as that protects the big ten.
Anyway, now we'll move to the top 8. With all the parity, that will be increased to, say 10, then 12...
'course, I'll be dead before all that happens.
Posted by kmuschel on January 9, 2008 at 3:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Its good to hear, but the problem is the BIG 10 and the Rose Bowl. The Big 10 commissioner, has stated on several occasions that there is NO WAY that they will participate in a play-off. I say GOOD! Who needs them anyway! With the way Ohio State performs going against a SEC team, there is no way that the Big 10 will win anyway! It is funny how a couple years ago when Auburn got screwed out of a chance to participate, and they finished Undefeated, that there was no out cry, but Georgia, who lost to S. Carolina and got Blown out by UT gets all this attention, go figure!
Posted by stroker on January 9, 2008 at 3:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
sjt18 on January 9, 2008 at 11:07 a.m. Got it right:an unfair advantage to teams that don't have a championship game.
Posted by UTFutBalPhan on January 9, 2008 at 5:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dear Georgia,
To be the best team in the Nation you must be at least the best team in your Division. Stop crying about it.
Love,
Tennessee
Posted by TurboFan on January 9, 2008 at 7:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Kudos to Adams for having the balls to admit he was wrong before. Dirty looks to the Auburn prez that didn't.
Take this idea and expand to 16 teams. First Saturday in December - conference champ games, third Sat in Dec - 16 teams (made up of only CCG winners), New Years Day (week and a half to two weeks later) 8 teams in the four major bowls, etc.
Posted by Basketball_Jones on January 9, 2008 at 8:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I like this idea, the plus one would not have worked this year because #3 and #4 both lost their bowl games vs lower ranked teams. Georgia was #5 in the BCS and USC was #7, 3 and 4 were Va Tech and Oklahoma....This is all not going to happen because of the PAC 10 and Big 10. The Big 10 should not be allowed into the Championship game again if they have a team with one loss. The last 2 debacles have been horrible
Posted by byobbio on January 9, 2008 at 8:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
That guy's crazy if he thinks there will be a playoff. He's just trying to make a name for himself. the playoff idea is just a dream. A stupid one at that.
Posted by BigOrangeFan on January 9, 2008 at 9:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What do you want to bet that the Big 10 and ESPN/ABC are kicking themselves right now for not pushing for Hawaii to have gotten the 2nd slot so Ohio St. could have beaten them and been able to claim the BCS?
Posted by invisiblekid on January 9, 2008 at 10:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Adams insisted he was prepared to advance the proposal even if Georgia had played in the title game." Sure he was and there is a Saudi Arabian prince who wants to deposit 10 million into my bank account too.
I am all for the idea but when one of the principal parties, the Rose Bowl people, are vehemently against it, it makes it a tough row to hoe.
Posted by Grim1 on January 10, 2008 at 12:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hawaii would have beaten Ohio State....the big 10 sucks....none of the teams play anybody good...even when they play in their conference....The reason why Hawaii had to play so many div 1 AA teams is because Michigan and I think it was Texas, backed out of games with Hawaii because they were scared.
Hawaii did what they had to do..scramble at the last moment to get get some teams to play.
for the BCS to work right....they need to include ALL THE conferences....
1st it was Utah..then it was Boise ST. then Hawaii......this year..it will be BYU...mark my word...BYU will be the BCS Bowl Buster in 2008.
Posted by jawjavol on January 10, 2008 at 1:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Michael Adams: WAAAHHH WAAAAAAHHHHHH WAAAAHHHHHH WAAAAAAHHHHH WAAAAAAAHHHHH WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!
Georgia State Champs get a Sugar Bowl berth with two losses, one to a non bowl team. Where was missus Adams when Auburn got locked out of the title game?
If all the conferences adopt a title game then it makes it pretty easy to identify the top eight teams to field the playoff. Course then Notre Dame would get a bid every year for being the Catholic champs.
Win your conference or stay home. Think thats unfair? MLB has been working off that premise for over 110 years!
Anyway puppies suck. Lewis Grizzard is dead and Larry Munson can't be too far behind!!!!
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