"KEEPING THE BCS: YES OR NO" | USMA07's Blog

Why does the NCAA BCS continue to exist despite the growing outcry against the inherent problems of its ranking criteria? Whether it’s University of Washington in 2000 or even Georgia in 2007, there’s always “that” team with an unblemished record that is deprived of their chance at the title.

Why not a classic bracketed playoff scheme like March Madness? Why not a new subcommittee independent of biases from vote casters who participate in the AP Poll? The never-ending debate about new systems is as useless as the counter argument for keeping it.

There is always the classic rationale for keeping the BCS system. Most notably, a playoff would take too long. The injuries are higher in football than any other sport and prolonging the season would only add unneeded risk. The list could go on and on. This debate could continue forever because both sides have valid claims, however, both sides are missing the actual reason the system remains. The answer is far more primal than most like or would care to admit.

The answer is simple. One must only follow the same advice Bob Woodward received in “All the President’s Men”—“Follow the Money.”

According to a recent study done by Forbes, a business and financial news company, the Rose Bowl alone makes $88 million in a single game. A CBS report estimates total profit gained by schools and conferences in the NCAA for bowl games to be somewhere close to $222 million! That figure appears considerably large and it is.

To put it in perspective, total bowl game revenue ranks second in all sporting events only to the Super Bowl who earns $379 million. The next closest sporting event is the Summer Olympic Games which earns a meager $176 million. Completely unrelated, but an interesting note is that even the lucrative MLB and NBA only earn a total of $56 and $47 million respectively for their championship series if they go the distance.

Another important detail concerning the sheer amount taken home by the NCAA is that their revenue is tax-exempt. USATODAY estimates total NCAA Football and Basketball revenue to be approximately $563 million for the 2006-2007 season. Only a small fraction of that actually makes it to the college and universities fielding these teams. This is why Congress is rethinking the exemption given the NCAA and why in late 2006 they started an investigation into the financial gains taking place behind closed doors.

In short, the BCS system is not about equity in the system or doing what’s right for the players. It is about money, plain and simple. Only when the cash flow runs dry will change ever happen. Only then will a better system develop to both maintain the importance of every game and give every team a chance no matter the relative ability of the conference in which they play.

Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/2007/01/30/sports-brands-superbowl-biz-cz_ps_0131mvse.html

CBS: http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/10806774/rss

USATODAY: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/2006-10-04-ncaa-tax-status_x.htm