BCS Playoff Proposal Memo

The following memo is leaked to USA Today on April 5, 2012, detailing the competing proposals for a new college football postseason format:

Status, April 4, 2012

Making College Football Better and Even More Popular: The deliberative process began last summer. Since then, the commissioners have reviewed many options. Generally the options fall into two categories: (1) Deciding the national champion and (2) enhancing the bowl experience by including other games. While no options have been officially “taken off the table,” the group is focusing on these options, in no particular order:


Deciding the National Champion.

1. BCS With Adjustments. Basically continue the current arrangement whereby no teams play more than one post-season game, with the following enhancements: (a) change or eliminate annual automatic qualification except for contracts negotiated between conferences and bowls, (b) eliminate the limit on the number of participants from each conference, (c) play the games nearer to January 1, (d) create a format that would accommodate different conference champions participating in different bowl games.
   
   
   
2. Original “Plus One.” After the bowl games are played, select two teams for the championship game.
   
   
   
3. Four-team event, with seeded semi-finals and a championship game. Options:
   
   1. All three games in bowls;
      
   2. All three games at neutral sites which would be selected through a bid process if the
      negotiation period with the current bowl organizations that is provided for under our current contract does not conclude successfully. No neutral site games would be branded as bowl games even if bowl organizations host the games; or,
      
   3. Semifinal games in bowls, championship-game site selected through a bid process if the negotiation period with the current bowl organizations that is provided for under our current contract does not conclude successfully. The championship game would not be branded as a bowl game even if a bowl organization serves as host.
      
   4. Semifinal games at campus sites, championship-game site selected through a bid process if the negotiation period with the current bowl organizations that is provided for under our current contract does not conclude successfully. The championship game would not be branded as a bowl game even if a bowl organization serves as host.
      
      
      
4. Four Teams Plus. The four highest-ranked teams meet in two games except that the Big Ten and Pac-12 champions will always play in the Rose Bowl. If the Big Ten champion, the Pac- 12 champion, or both are in the top four, that team (or those two teams) would play in the Rose Bowl and the other two games would be filled by the other four highest-ranked teams. Select two teams for the championship game after those three games have been played.
   
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Enhancing the Bowl Experience With Additional Adjustments to the Post-Season. Separate and apart from deciding the national champion, the commissioners are considering ways to enhance the bowl experience for student athletes and fans and to improve the post-season generally. Included in those discussions are the following options:

1. 10- or 12-Team Event. If No. 2, 3 or 4 above is adopted, create bowl opportunities for six or eight other teams in addition to the four in the semifinals. Matchups would be determined by committee with the aim of providing the most evenly matched and attractive games that make geographic sense for the participants. All participating bowls would also be required to adhere to the standards of responsible governance applied to the current BCS bowls.
   
   
   
2. 20-Team Event. If No. 2, 3 or 4 above is adopted, create bowl opportunities for 16 other teams in addition to the four in the semifinals. Again, matchups would be determined by committee with the aim of providing the most evenly matched and attractive contests that make geographic sense for the participants. All participating bowls would also be required to adhere to the standards for responsible governance applied to the current BCS bowls.
   
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Dates of Games – The commissioners are working within the bowl-game calendar outlined by the NCAA task force. If a four-team event is created, an exemption may be necessary in one or two years over the next decade, because of vagaries in the calendar and the NFL schedule.

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Management – Generally the commissioners lean toward continuing the current management arrangement.

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Revenue Distribution – The commissioners have appointed a small sub-group to consider the appropriate distribution of revenue and report back to the full group.

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