Making College Football's Postseason Fair, Legal and Ethical While Preserving Its Unique Traditions

Flanagan, Kelly E., The Sport Journal

The Every Bowl Counts (EBC 1-2-3) Plan

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recognizes an official national champion and national championship event in every sport at every level except football in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of Division One, which is the association's marquis product, made up of 120 Division One athletic programs.

Bowl games are a college tradition dating back to 1902, ending college football's regular season long before the National Football League (NFL) existed. In fact, the NFL played its first 12 seasons before having a championship game.

However, in today's sport culture, fans expect to recognize a champion. An official national champion is recognized in all other levels of college football and every other NCAA sport.

But what has transpired in major college football is a tradition the brings exposure to various communities around the country, allows 34 teams to finish the season with a victory and allows coaches to take 3-4 extra weeks of practice to develop their younger players.

The fact that there is a national champion, albeit unofficial, is touted by those who defend the status quo. "Every week is a playoff," University of Georgia Head Football Coach Mark Richt once said. Defenders of the status quo say that college football's regular season is the most exciting in all of sports.

The popular demand for a national championship game was used as justification for the creation of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), which would allow the teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 to play each other in a bowl game at the end of the season. The rankings system was based on a combination of the …

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Publication information: Article title: Making College Football's Postseason Fair, Legal and Ethical While Preserving Its Unique Traditions. Contributors: Flanagan, Kelly E. - Author. Journal title: The Sport Journal. Volume: 13. Issue: 1 Publication date: Winter 2010. Page number: Not available. © 2007 United States Sports Academy. COPYRIGHT 2010 Gale Group.

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