February 23, 2009

Mountain West to push BCS for guaranteed mid-major berth

I'm not sure if this is going to be the silver bullet, or just the most recent proposed change in the BCS, but it appears that the Mountain West Conference will propose an automatic berth in the BCS for the best mid-major school from the Conference USA, Sun Belt, WAC, MAC and Mountain West conferences.

According to Dennis Dodd, the MWC -- which has been pushing the BCS for automatic qualifier status -- is attempting to broaden its request in hopes that a guaranteed slot would benefit it's member schools.

The Mountain West has even hired a Washington, DC lobbying firm to plead its case to Congress.

MWC commissioner Craig Thompson held a call with reporters to announce that the conference will submit "a proposal for change" to the BCS commissioners in the coming weeks.

But not all of the mid-major conferences support Thompson's efforts. Sun Belt commissioner Wright Waters hopes Thompson fails, as a seventh automatic qualifier spot (for the MWC or mid-majors in aggregate) would reduce the number of available at-large berths by 25%.

"In my mind, if you are what you say you are, why do you need an automatic qualifier?" Waters said. "If you are as good as you say you are then you don't need the protection of an automatic qualifier. Let's put the best 10 teams in there. If that makes someone nervous that we're going down the playoff road, I'm sorry. But what are we trying to do? I think that's where the BCS historically has said its just trying to match No. 1 and 2 and everything else is just for fun. But the automatic qualifier piece just has a lot of pinnacles to it."

...

"I don't know what [the Mountain West's] plan is and any time you take on a project of this magnitude, you better have a really good exit strategy because at the end of the day, the BCS is still a voluntary organization. Our leagues volunteer to be part of it. I think when you join a club, you also subscribe to the club's rules."

Waters believes that an AQ position for the mid-majors would ensure that only one mid-major team would play annually in the BCS, with the other three slots going directly to BCS conference teams.

The MWC commissioner also told Dodd that the Mountain West has yet to renew its agreement with the BCS. While the ten other signatory conferences -- including the six BCS conferences -- have already signed or are in the process of signing the new BCS contract, the MWC is holding it for further review.

OK, MWC. We get the point. You want to be in the BCS, but this grandstanding is really not helping your case. Even Ben Prather says the Mountain West need to simmer down and keep performing on the field.

After all, BYU, New Mexico, San Diego State and Wyoming have never beaten a ranked opponent outside of conference play since joining the Mountain West Conference. Think about that - nearly half of the MWC has never suited up and beaten a top twenty-five team that wasn't from inside the MWC's own little biosphere.

Four things can come from this MWC grandstanding:

1) The MWC can chillax and try to earn Automatic Qualifier status by continued performance on the field. As long-term strategies go, this is **by far** the best way to accomplish the MWC agenda. The Mountain West keeps earning its guaranteed BCS money and earning respect for the strength of its team rather than the loophole diving efforts of its attorneys.

2) The MWC can go nuclear - withdraw from the BCS altogether. It can take its ball and try to string together some post-season games that will rake in something in the neighborhood of the current MWC distribution from the BCS. I don't believe the Mountain West can make more than the guaranteed $2 million the conference receives... just because - without even playing in a BCS game. Good luck with all that. And if you think the BCS conferences aren't giving you recognition now, just wait until you're on that island by yourself. It wouldn't surprise me to see all of the MWC blackballed by the remainder of the BCS member conferences. This would likely lead to the destruction of the Mountain West Conference.

3) The BCS can undertake some reform to include a seventh AQ - either the MWC or a permanent mid-major slot. Either way you look at this resolution, most of the mid-majors are going to be upset and probably push for more congressional involvement. That would likely lead to the end of the BCS, and I just don't see the commissioners killing the golden goose.

4) The BCS - either through congressional involvement or the threat of lawsuits - could disband completely. The immediate aftermath would be a bevy of lawsuits which would ultimately have to be paid for by *all* of the participating conferences, including the Mountain West. After all, ESPN is going to let that revenue just go down the drain without a fight. The short-term result would be a return to the pre-1988 bowl system, with conferences free to negotiate in their own separate best interests, without regard to a national championship game. For those that are old enough to remember, this would be the same system that ultimately kept even Joe Paterno out of the national championship three times. You can just imagine how friendly that system would be to a conference who's largest MSA considers TCU the sixth or seventh best television option.

Ultimately the Mountain West must end this charade. It's a stunt, plain and simple, to get more attention for the conference. And given the amount of effort that the MWC has put behind this campaign, it's starting to look more and more like an act of desperation by a conference that is on the cusp of a great decline, rather than the actions of division that is on the rise.

The MWC would have you believe that their actions - while self-serving - are an attempt to improve the college football landscape; however, at the end of the day the best interests of college football are served by the MWC sitting down and ceasing to rock the boat.

Say what you will about the BCS being "unfair", the reality is that the MWC's request is equally "unfair" to the WAC, C-USA, Sun Belt, and MAC conferences. The actions being undertaken by the Mountain West could ultimately reduce the revenues of the other conferences by millions of dollars per year. As I'm sure the WAC will point out, the MWC isn't the only team that's been to the BCS and won.

The fact of the matter remains that it is a participatory organization owned SOLELY by the conferences themselves. The MWC has agreed to play ball up to this point. If they don't want to be involved with the BCS, no one is forcing them to do so.

So... enough grandstanding. Sack up, sign the damn thing, and go prove your point on the field.

Comments:

Mountain West to push BCS for guaranteed mid-major berth
I'm not sure if this is going to be the silver bullet, or just the most recent proposed change in the BCS, but it appears that the Mountain West Conference will propose an automatic berth in the BCS for the best mid-major school from the Conference USA, Sun Belt, WAC, MAC and Mountain West conferences. According to Dennis Dodd, the MWC -- which has been pushing the BCS for automatic qualifier status -- is attempting to broaden its request in hopes that a guaranteed slot would benefit it's member schools. The Mountain West has even hired a Washington, DC lobbying firm to plead its case to Congress. MWC commissioner Craig Thompson held a call with reporters to announce that the conference will submit "a proposal for change" to the BCS commissioners in the coming weeks. But not all of the mid-major conferences support Thompson's efforts. Sun Belt commissioner Wright Waters hopes Thompson fails, as a seventh automatic qualifier spot (for the MWC or mid-majors in aggregate) would reduce the number of available at-large berths by 25%.
"In my mind, if you are what you say you are, why do you need an automatic qualifier?" Waters said. "If you are as good as you say you are then you don't need the protection of an automatic qualifier. Let's put the best 10 teams in there. If that makes someone nervous that we're going down the playoff road, I'm sorry. But what are we trying to do? I think that's where the BCS historically has said its just trying to match No. 1 and 2 and everything else is just for fun. But the automatic qualifier piece just has a lot of pinnacles to it." ... "I don't know what [the Mountain West's] plan is and any time you take on a project of this magnitude, you better have a really good exit strategy because at the end of the day, the BCS is still a voluntary organization. Our leagues volunteer to be part of it. I think when you join a club, you also subscribe to the club's rules."
Waters believes that an AQ position for the mid-majors would ensure that only one mid-major team would play annually in the BCS, with the other three slots going directly to BCS conference teams. The MWC commissioner also told Dodd that the Mountain West has yet to renew its agreement with the BCS. While the ten other signatory conferences -- including the six BCS conferences -- have already signed or are in the process of signing the new BCS contract, the MWC is holding it for further review. OK, MWC. We get the point. You want to be in the BCS, but this grandstanding is really not helping your case. Even Ben Prather says the Mountain West need to simmer down and keep performing on the field. After all, BYU, New Mexico, San Diego State and Wyoming have never beaten a ranked opponent outside of conference play since joining the Mountain West Conference. Think about that - nearly half of the MWC has never suited up and beaten a top twenty-five team that wasn't from inside the MWC's own little biosphere. Four things can come from this MWC grandstanding: 1) The MWC can chillax and try to earn Automatic Qualifier status by continued performance on the field. As long-term strategies go, this is **by far** the best way to accomplish the MWC agenda. The Mountain West keeps earning its guaranteed BCS money and earning respect for the strength of its team rather than the loophole diving efforts of its attorneys. 2) The MWC can go nuclear - withdraw from the BCS altogether. It can take its ball and try to string together some post-season games that will rake in something in the neighborhood of the current MWC distribution from the BCS. I don't believe the Mountain West can make more than the guaranteed $2 million the conference receives... just because - without even playing in a BCS game. Good luck with all that. And if you think the BCS conferences aren't giving you recognition now, just wait until you're on that island by yourself. It wouldn't surprise me to see all of the MWC blackballed by the remainder of the BCS member conferences. This would likely lead to the destruction of the Mountain West Conference. 3) The BCS can undertake some reform to include a seventh AQ - either the MWC or a permanent mid-major slot. Either way you look at this resolution, most of the mid-majors are going to be upset and probably push for more congressional involvement. That would likely lead to the end of the BCS, and I just don't see the commissioners killing the golden goose. 4) The BCS - either through congressional involvement or the threat of lawsuits - could disband completely. The immediate aftermath would be a bevy of lawsuits which would ultimately have to be paid for by *all* of the participating conferences, including the Mountain West. After all, ESPN is going to let that revenue just go down the drain without a fight. The short-term result would be a return to the pre-1988 bowl system, with conferences free to negotiate in their own separate best interests, without regard to a national championship game. For those that are old enough to remember, this would be the same system that ultimately kept even Joe Paterno out of the national championship three times. You can just imagine how friendly that system would be to a conference who's largest MSA considers TCU the sixth or seventh best television option. Ultimately the Mountain West must end this charade. It's a stunt, plain and simple, to get more attention for the conference. And given the amount of effort that the MWC has put behind this campaign, it's starting to look more and more like an act of desperation by a conference that is on the cusp of a great decline, rather than the actions of division that is on the rise. The MWC would have you believe that their actions - while self-serving - are an attempt to improve the college football landscape; however, at the end of the day the best interests of college football are served by the MWC sitting down and ceasing to rock the boat. Say what you will about the BCS being "unfair", the reality is that the MWC's request is equally "unfair" to the WAC, C-USA, Sun Belt, and MAC conferences. The actions being undertaken by the Mountain West could ultimately reduce the revenues of the other conferences by millions of dollars per year. As I'm sure the WAC will point out, the MWC isn't the only team that's been to the BCS and won. The fact of the matter remains that it is a participatory organization owned SOLELY by the conferences themselves. The MWC has agreed to play ball up to this point. If they don't want to be involved with the BCS, no one is forcing them to do so. So... enough grandstanding. Sack up, sign the damn thing, and go prove your point on the field.