Why plus-one BCS plan failed

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Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive put his "plus-one" model on the table at the Bowl Championship Series commissioners' meetings in South Florida and watched it die a lonely death. What went wrong? Slive went for a triple when he needed a bunt single. His plan involved the word "seeding" and that scared swing-vote commissioners Mike Tranghese (Big East) and Dan Beebe (Big 12), whose conferences might have eventually been swayed by more subtle, incremental change. There were two "plus-one" models out there, and Slive opted for the more aggressive one. His plan would have taken the top four schools in the final BCS standings and formed a mini-tournament, with No. 1 playing No. 4 and No. 2 meeting No. 3 and the winners meeting for the national title. The problem, Tranghese said, was that people wouldn't be satisfied with four teams. There would soon be a push for eight, and then you're heading down that slippery slope toward an NFL-style playoff that might have a negative impact on college football's unparalleled regular season. Slive's impassioned and well-intended playoff play may have inadvertently set back the playoff cause years.

Los Angeles Times

BCS, Getty Images BCS, Getty Images
May 2, 2008  07:23 AM ET

Let's all say it together..... it's all about the money.... did you notice that they decided to add two more bowl games this year?? Does that sound like change is coming soon..... actually with the new contract expiring and the offset to the Rose Bowl contract, we're looking at 10 years before they have their next chance to fix this abortion......

May 2, 2008  07:41 AM ET

There are 4 people to blame for not having a playoff in college football. The Big 10 conference, Pac 10 Conference, The Rose Bowl and these college presidents. All four are standing in the way of a playoff. Also these college presidents are a bunch of phonys. They **** and moan about why they don't want a playoff, yet they steal money for the NCAA Basketball Tournament. There afraid that if they have a playoff it will diminish the regular season, but at the same time,they will be stealing money as well. Bottom line is these college presidents are stealing monry from the NCAA Basketball Tournament, and being cheap with the BCS.

May 2, 2008  07:50 AM ET

So why didn't they just vote for the second plan?

May 2, 2008  08:19 AM ET

Isn't a plus one just a 4 team playoff anyways? Why would they be scared of the obvious?

Maybe a plus one is just one more game for the championship after all of the bowl games are played. A plus one like that would be even more confusing to decide who gets to go to the championship game b/c any team in a BCS game that blew out their BCS opponenent would have a case. EVen some non-BCS teams would have case too.

I think an 8 team playoff wouldn't corrupt the sanctity of the regular season.

May 2, 2008  08:49 AM ET

"Why plus-one BCS plan failed"... b/c of Urban Meyer!!!!

May 2, 2008  09:14 AM ET

YDT: As I recall from the full story, there were only two votes FOR adopting a Plus 1. The "What's in it for me" just didn't add up....

May 2, 2008  09:28 AM ET

I don't know what the need for 2 extra bowls, but this is even worst. A 4 team playoff?
I can remember the time when Rose Bowl was the granddaddy of bowls, way before there were a BCS champion game.

May 2, 2008  09:45 AM ET

YDT8523 did you read the article, the swing votes didnt include the big ten...

May 2, 2008  09:57 AM ET

LiveStrong: Went to the Rose Bowl last year.... it's still got it! 100K fans packed into that 100 year old **** hole. .... and yet, as long as you don't pee your pants waiting in line, or get smashed between two fat Bit 10 fans in the bleachers, it's a great experience

May 2, 2008  09:58 AM ET

That would be "Big" 10....typo

May 2, 2008  10:05 AM ET

The plus one failed because most conferences and more importantly, their University presidents, know that a plus one or playoff is not in the best interest of college football, at least one hundred of the 120 or so D1 schools, the fans of these teams (you know, the ones who matter) and most importantly, the student athletes who play football. Those who want a playoff either do not understand the issue, do not care about the well being of the game, and/or are casual fans who needs cannot be considered ahead of the needs of those invested in the game. This is a non-issue except for the sheep who blindly follow ESPN's lead and wish to do harm to the game.

May 2, 2008  10:20 AM ET

The college football model is the most relentless pursuit of perfection in sports. Nothing less will do, most years.

That is awesome.

May 2, 2008  10:25 AM ET

The college football model is the most relentless pursuit of perfection in sports. Nothing less will do, most years.

That is awesome.

Fredd | 05/02/08, 10:20 AM
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Great way to put it, I agree with you.

May 2, 2008  10:37 AM ET

It failed because of money. And as long as Ohio State could sneak in the BCS Championship games and get blown out, the Big 10(+1) doesn't care. And don't forget, Oklahoma likes that big payday when they get in and get blown out as well.

May 2, 2008  10:43 AM ET

what a crock. take a look at the schedule every september (outside of ESPN/ABC saturday night games) and that relentless pursuit of perfection is a joke. playing weak sister schools and lower division schools is a joke that is used to play the BCS system.

May 2, 2008  10:45 AM ET

There is only one team that can be blamed and it's OSU. And that's not my opinion. It's SPorts illustrated's opinion because everyone thinks OSU is one of the biggest **** of a team in all of sports! read for yourself here. HAHAHAHAHAHAH

By Lang Whitaker, SI.com

What's fun about rooting for sports teams isn't just rooting for the teams we like, but cheering against the teams we don't like. I'm an Atlanta Braves fan, but would being a Braves fan be as satisfying and gratifying without the existence of the New York Mets to provide the yin to the Braves' yang? It's nothing personal -- I have many Mets fans I consider friends. I just don't like your collection of athletes because they're you're collection of athletes. Here are the five most fun sports franchises to hate...

1. Any Major Team From Boston: The Red Sox, Celts and Patriots currently occupy that number one slot. Not so much because they all have more money than the treasury and have basically managed to assemble All-Star teams, but because they all win, all the time, and their fans love nothing more than to make sure everyone else knows about this. And nobody loves a winner who rubs it in.

2. New York Yankees: Run by a family of husky men with bad haircuts, the Yanks win and win and win and then remain competitive by throwing money at their issues.

3. Los Angeles Lakers: Lakers fans seem to have some sort of "us against them" mentality, and believe that if people aren't Lakers fans, they must hate anything and everything to do with the Lakers and/or Kobe Bryant. They may be correct.

4. THE Ohio State University: Buckeye fans have had the legs for their argument for dominance knocked out from under them lately, what with the way they keep losing in championship games. But you'd never know State can't win the big one by listening to them Buckeyes. (By the way, we get it: You're THE Ohio State University. Nice sweater vests.)

5. Chelsea: After a few years of mediocrity, the Blues were purchased by a billionaire, bought every great player in Europe, installed a coach who called himself "the special one" and spent a few years dominating everyone. The Special One is gone, but that sense of entitlement from their fans remains.

Which team do you most love to hate? Let us know below...

Lang Whitaker is the executive editor of SLAM magazine and writes daily at SLAMonline.com

May 2, 2008  10:53 AM ET

The BCS sucks and awards a fake national champ every year...corruption in division one college football is the only reason that a playoff system has not been instituted yet!

May 2, 2008  11:03 AM ET

Further proof Lang Whitaker needs to stick to playground basketball....

May 2, 2008  11:04 AM ET

Warden, I agree with what you're saying, but Dude, put it on your blog or save it for your next book......

 
May 2, 2008  11:24 AM ET

The BCS should required teams that win their conference to get into the National championship game. That to me is a rule that needs to be put in, bur its no going to happen because the BCS had no guts to put in that rule. You watch , over the next 10 years you will see a team that doesn't win their conference play for the title, just like Nebraska did in 2001 and Oklahoma did in 2003.

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