The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) arrangement for major college football level programs may be in jeopardy. That is because the Justice Department has sent a letter to Utah Senator Orrin Grant Hatch explaining that it is considering exploring whether the BCS violates antitrust law.
When it comes to the BCS, will justice prevail?
Sen. Hatch has been serving as a US senator since 1977. He is considered to be one of the more influential members of the Senate, serving on various committees and subcommittees including those having to do with finance, taxation, and health.
Utah Utes
Last October, Hatch complained to the Obama administration about the BCS, a topic that President Obama addressed when he was running for the presidency and brought up from time to time since. Hatch is likely acting on behalf of his constituent’s Utah Utes who beat Alabama 31 to 17 in the Sugar Bowl.
Despite being the only team to finish the season undefeated, the Utes were not invited to play in the national championship because of playing in the Mountain West Conference which is not one of the six bowl championship conferences. Despite finishing 13-0, the Utes were never able to prove that they were the best team in the nation, something a playoff system would have given the team the chance to prove.
National Championship
The Justice Department acting on behalf of the president told Hatch that they are examining the BCS structure which currently limits post season play to one single bowl game. 68 teams can qualify to play in one of 34 bowls, but only five of the bowls include teams which are considered to be the top teams in the nation. Of those ten teams, only two are chosen to compete in an unofficial national championship game, with computer tabulations deciding who those teams will be.
One group who would like to see the Justice Department follow through on their review is Playoff PAC, a political action committee who advocates for the formation of a post season playoff system to replace the BCS.
Last fall, SayCampusLife reported the group’s formation whose members have been driving home several points including that the current arrangement is unfair to the players, fans, the schools, as well as to some of the conferences who lose millions of dollars in post season largesse due to the current arrangement.
BCS Bash
Will the Justice Department find success in going after the BCS? They might. And with the Obama administration needing to show some victories following the health care debate defeat, advancing a populist cause may benefit the president.
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