NCAA Football Tournament: An Imagined Solution to a Real Problem
by Kelly L. Martinez

The following scenario – born in my imagination – would resolve the current predicament NCAA Division I-A football finds itself in.  The current bowl system is not the best way to determine a true college football champion.  The only way to determine a true champion is on the field in a playoff format.  This article is intended to offer a potential solution to this problem. 

Reader: Be forewarned that the following is NOT actual news.  It is a fictitious story that contains one of several solutions to the ongoing dispute of how the NCAA Division I-A national champion football team is determined.  This solution takes the nitty-gritty of on field competition into consideration first and foremost.  Because I am not well-informed regarding the dollars and cents facet of college football, minimal consideration was given to this aspect.  However, an attempt is made to spread as much of the current wealth being made on college football around to the existing bowl games. 

So, sit back and enjoy my take on how a true college football national champion could be determined.

INDIANAPOLIS – The Executive Committee of the NCAA has appointed Utah resident, Kelly L. Martinez, to the position of Football Championship Commissioner in its Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet.   Martinez brings to the post extensive sports journalism and media relations experience and, above all else, a deep passion for the game of football.

“I’m honored by this appointment,” said Martinez to a crowd of reporters in the NCAA Headquarters’ media room.  “I would like to take this opportunity to announce an immediate change to the current method in which the NCAA Division I-A football champion is determined.  Beginning this season, we will implement a 31-game, 32-team, single-elimination tournament that will produce a single team champion while keeping 31 current bowl games involved.”

Under Martinez’ sweeping new plan, the 14 Division I-A conference and division winners would earn automatic playoff berths and be guaranteed a seeding in the top 14 of the 32-team tournament.  The remainder of the pool would include 18 at-large teams determined by the Bowl Championship Series’ rankings and overall records.

Seeding for the tournament will be based on the current BCS ranking system.  Conference champions that are not ranked in the BCS’ top-25 will fill out the top 14 seeded slots, based on overall records, behind the teams that are ranked.  At-large teams that do not rank in the BCS’ top-25 will also be seeded, based on overall records, behind teams that are ranked.

As a reward for top rankings, the BCS’ top four teams will host first round games while the remaining 27 games of the tournament will be played at established bowl venues.

The BCS bowls (Fiesta, Orange, Rose, and Sugar) are guaranteed to host a quarterfinal, semifinal or championship game each year on a rotational basis.  For instance, the Sugar Bowl will host the national championship during the first year.  The following year, the Rose Bowl, which hosts a semifinal game this year, will host the national championship while the Sugar Bowl rotates down to host a quarterfinal game.

The remainder of the 27 bowl games will be randomly selected and assigned a playoff game.  The annual tournament will begin on Thanksgiving Day and conclude on New Year’s Day.  “Bowls that are now in existence, but fold in the future, will be replaced as needed,” Martinez added.

Additionally, Martinez stated, teams will be limited to a 10-game regular season schedule that will begin no earlier than the first Saturday of September and end the third Saturday of November.  This new scheduling guideline allows for each team to schedule one bye week that cannot be taken on the third Saturday of November.

“I am confident that this tournament and the new guidelines will bring an end to the controversy associated with college football’s national championship while keeping the NCAA’s corporate sponsors satisfied,” concluded Martinez.

Implementing the Tournament
If the 2003 season ended on Saturday, Nov. 22, here is how the proposed tournament would look.  To prevent teams from the same conference from drawing each other in the opening round, slight adjustments were made to the seeding system.  Some liberties were taken as to which team is the actual conference or division champion.  Case in point: the Big East where there is currently a three-way tie with one game to go.  The University of Miami, Fla., was assumed to be the winner of that conference.

THE TEAMS:

(BCS rank) Conference/Division Champs
(#1) Oklahoma (Big 12-South) 12-0
(#2) USC (Pac-10) 10-1
(#3) LSU (Southeastern-West) 10-1
(#4) Michigan (Big-10) 10-2
(#9) Florida State (ACC) 9-2
(#10) Miami (FL) (Big East) 9-2
(#11) Florida (Southeastern-East) 8-3
(#13) Miami (OH) (Mid-American-East) 10-1
(#16) Kansas State (Big 12-North) 10-3
(#19) Boise State (Western Athletic) 10-1
(#20) Bowling Green (Mid-Amer-West) 9-2
(#22) Utah (Mountain West) 9-2
Southern Mississippi (Conf. USA) 8-3
North Texas (Sun Belt) 8-3

(BCS rank) At-Large Teams
(#5) Ohio State (Big-10) 10-2
(#6) Texas (Big 12-South) 9-2
(#7) Georgia (Southeastern-East) 9-2
(#8) Tennessee (Southeastern-East) 9-2
(#12) Iowa (Big-10) 9-3
(#14) Purdue (Big-10) 9-3
(#15) Washington State (Pac-10) 9-3
(#17) TCU (Conf. USA) 10-1
(#18) Mississippi (Southeastern-West) 8-3
(#21) Oklahoma State (Big 12-South) 9-3
(#23) Nebraska (Big 12-North) 8-3
(#24) Arkansas (Southeastern-West) 8-3
(#25) Pittsburgh (Big East) 8-3
Connecticut (Independent) 9-3
Minnesota (Big-10) 9-3
Virginia Tech (Big East) 8-3
Maryland (ACC) 8-3
Toledo (Mid-Amer-West) 8-3

SEEDINGS
#1 Oklahoma (12-0)
#2 USC (10-1)
#3 LSU (10-1)
#4 Michigan (10-2)
#5 Florida State (9-2)
#6 Miami, FL (9-2)
#7 Florida (8-3)
#8 Miami, OH (10-1)
#9 Kansas State (10-3)
#10 Boise State (10-1)
#11 Bowling Green (9-2)
#12 Utah (9-2)
#13 Southern Mississippi (8-3)
#14 North Texas (8-3)
#15 Ohio State (10-2)
#16 Texas (9-2)
#17 Georgia (9-2)
#18 Tennessee (9-2)
#19 Iowa (9-3)
#20 Purdue (9-3)
#21 Washington State (9-3)
#22 TCU (10-1)
#23 Mississippi (8-3)
#24 Oklahoma State (9-3)
#25 Nebraska (8-3)
#26 Arkansas (8-3)
#27 Pittsburgh (8-3)
#28 Connecticut (9-3)
#29 Minnesota (9-3)
#30 Virginia Tech (8-3)
#31 Maryland (8-3)
#32 Toledo (8-3)

Pairings by Brackets (# indicates seed)
Bracket One
#32 Toledo (8-3) at #1 Oklahoma (12-0)
#17 Georgia (9-2) vs. #16 Texas (9-2)
#24 (23) Mississippi (8-3) vs. #9 Kansas State (10-3)
#25 Nebraska (8-3) vs. #8 Miami, OH (10-1)

Bracket Two
#28 Connecticut (9-3) vs. #5 Florida State (9-2)
#21 Washington State (9-3) vs. #12 Utah (9-2)
#20 Purdue (9-3) vs. #13 Southern Mississippi (8-3)
#29 (30) Virginia Tech (8-3) at #4 Michigan (10-2)

Bracket Three
#31 Maryland (8-3) at #2 USC (10-1)
#18 Tennessee (9-2) vs. #15 Ohio State (10-2)
#23 (24) Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. #10 Boise State (10-1)
#26 (27) Pittsburgh (8-3) vs. #7 Florida (8-3)

Bracket Four
#30 (29) Minnesota (9-3) at #3 LSU (10-1)
#19 Iowa (9-3) vs. #14 North Texas (8-3)
#22 TCU (10-1) vs. #11 Bowling Green (9-2)
#27 (26) Arkansas (8-3) vs. #6 Miami, FL (9-2)

THE TOURNAMENT:
First Round-November 27-29, 2003
#32 Toledo (8-3) at #1 Oklahoma (12-0)
#31 Maryland (8-3) at #2 USC (10-1)
#30 (29) Minnesota (9-3) at #3 LSU (10-1)
#29 (30) Virginia Tech (8-3) at #4 Michigan (10-2)

GMAC Bowl (Mobile, Ala.)
#17 Georgia (9-2) vs. #16 Texas (9-2)

Tangerine Bowl (Orlando, Fla.)
#24 (23) Mississippi (8-3) vs. #9 Kansas State (10-3)

Fort Worth Bowl (Ft. Worth, Texas)
#25 Nebraska (8-3) vs. #8 Miami, OH (10-1)

Las Vegas Bowl
#28 Connecticut (9-3) vs. #5 Florida State (9-2)

Hawaii Bowl (Honolulu)
#21 Washington State (9-3) vs. #12 Utah (9-2)

Motor City Bowl (Pontiac, Mich.)
#20 Purdue (9-3) vs. #13 Southern Mississippi (8-3)

Alamo Bowl (San Antonio)
#18 Tennessee (9-2) vs. #15 Ohio State (10-2)

Houston Bowl (Houston, Texas)
#23 (24) Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. #10 Boise State (10-1)

Silicon Valley Classic (San Jose, Calif.)
#26 (27) Pittsburgh (8-3) vs. #7 Florida (8-3)

Music City Bowl (Nashville, Tenn.)
#19 Iowa (9-3) vs. #14 North Texas (8-3)

Humanitarian Bowl (Boise, Idaho)
#22 TCU (10-1) vs. #11 Bowling Green (9-2)

Liberty Bowl (Memphis, Tenn.)
#27 (26) Arkansas (8-3) vs. #6 Miami, FL (9-2)

Second Round-December 5-6, 2003
New Orleans Bowl
Insight Bowl (Phoenix)
Continental Tire Bowl (Charlotte, N.C.)
Sun Bowl (El Paso, Texas)
Independence Bowl (Shreveport, La.)
San Francisco Bowl
Outback Bowl (Tampa, Fla.)
Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Quarterfinals-December 12-13, 2003
Cotton Bowl (Dallas)
Peach Bowl (Atlanta)
Holiday Bowl (San Diego)
Fiesta Bowl (Tempe, Ariz.) BCS rotating

Semifinals-December 20, 2003
Rose Bowl (Pasadena) BCS rotating
Orange Bowl (Miami) BCS rotating

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP-January 1, 2004
Sugar Bowl (New Orleans) BCS rotating