Is anyone REALLY suprised by the result of these meetings?

Sage wrote:

"The seeded model looked like a playoff, and we don't think a playoff is in the best interest of college football," he said.

Because it sure hasn't worked out for professional football... What he meant to say is it's not in the best interest of the conferences already making all the money, and winning all the championships. I think they look at wild-card teams winning the Super Bowl and have nightmares about Tulsa in the national title game.

The concern about a playoff among college football's leaders is that it would make football a two-semester sport and would lessen the importance of a regular season that now has a do-or-die feel to it from week to week.

I looked around at the 2009 schedule for BYU plus one school from each BCS conference (and ND). In 2009, BYU starts classes on the 5th of January. Ohio State starts on the 5th as well. USC doesn't start until the 12th. LSU starts on the 12th. West Virginia starts on the 12th. Notre Dame starts on the 13th. Texas doesn't start until the 20th(?!). Virginia Tech doesn't start until the 20th. Since 2006, the BCS Title game is ALWAYS on the 7th or 8th.

And they're complaining about a two-semester sport?!? A lot of schools don't start classes until after the title game anyway! And if any school felt like their football players should really be in class (or, in a lot of cases, at home on Christmas break) on that day, I would have no problem releasing them from their obligation to play in the title game.

Pure B_S.

Oh, and as for lessening the importance of the regular season, I guess it would do that for all the teams that can just coast through their schedule into the top 4 at the end of the year without really trying.

And I guess what they meant to say was it would lessen the importance of all but two weeks of the regular season. Go ahead and lose on a couple of weekends and they'll still let you in the title game (if they feel like it). In that case it's really a do-or-die-or-die-again-but-then-do situation.

frdbtr wrote:

Is anyone REALLY suprised by the result of these meetings?

Yes and No.

Yes, I'm surprised every time I watch college football and I'm reminded that nobody has shot down the bcs cartel that makes millions in the free market off of college athletes who are denied their share of the revenue and are limited by strict regulations meant to "protect" their college education.

No, I'm not surprised that the powers that run the Business of College Sports values money more than collegiate athletes.

Interesting to read the mission statement of the NCAA and compare it to this article:

Our MissionCore Ideology
The NCAA's core ideology consists of two notions: core purpose - the organization's reason for being - and core values - essential and enduring principles that guide an organization.
Core Purpose
Our purpose is to govern competition in a fair, safe, equitable and sportsmanlike manner, and to integrate intercollegiate athletics into higher education so that the educational experience of the student-athlete is paramount.
Core Values
The Association - through its member institutions, conferences and national office staff - shares a belief in and commitment to:

The collegiate model of athletics in which students participate as an avocation, balancing their academic, social and athletics experiences.

The highest levels of integrity and sportsmanship.

The pursuit of excellence in both academics and athletics.

The supporting role that intercollegiate athletics plays in the higher education mission and in enhancing the sense of community and strengthening the identity of member institutions.

An inclusive culture that fosters equitable participation for student-athletes and career opportunities for coaches and administrators from diverse backgrounds.

Respect for institutional autonomy and philosophical differences.

Presidential leadership of intercollegiate athletics at the campus, conference and national levels.

Sad that the NCAA has let college football fall into the hands of a private entity that couldn't care less about the purpose and values that the NCAA claims to uphold.