UF President to Push for Playoffs, FSU Supports

[Jim Johnson]

Machen wants football playoff

With Gator football fans smarting that the University of Florida likely will be left out of the national championship game this season, UF President Bernie Machen says he'll push fellow presidents in the Southeastern Conference to support a playoff system for college football.

Machen has asked to be on the agenda at the next SEC presidents' meeting this spring, where he says he'll lobby other SEC chiefs to get behind a playoff system. The meeting will likely happen in March or June, he said.

Frustrated with the current Bowl Championship Series (BCS) system, Machen says he'll ask fellow presidents if they, too, have a problem with the present structure.

"(I'll ask), Do you see what I see? The SEC conference schools could be shut out of the national championship," Machen said Wednesday. "Look what happened to Auburn (University) ... They were 13-0 (in 2004) and got shut out of the national championship. In a playoff system, they would've had a chance to play into the thing.' "

The topic of a playoff has real resonance for UF fans, players and coaches this year. Even if the one-loss Gators win the SEC Championship in Atlanta Saturday, most sports pundits believe one-loss USC will play Ohio State in the championship, unless USC were to lose this weekend to UCLA. And, even then, the consensus of opinion appears to be that one-loss University of Michigan would get a rematch with Ohio State in the big game.

Machen confirmed Wednesday that he's spoken with T.K. Wetherell, president of Florida State University, about pushing for changes to the BCS. Wetherell, a former FSU football player, told The Sun Saturday that he'd like to see the 12th game eliminated in college football and the bowl system incorporated into an eight-team playoff.

Machen has asked that Wetherell send him his playoff plan, but the UF president said he thought it was too early for anyone to be talking in specifics. The starting point will be a discussion with fellow SEC presidents, most of whom have not historically been in favor of a playoff.

"It's not something that T.K. and I can decide," Machen said. "I told him that I'm going to take it to my conference for discussion; he ought to take it to his conference."

Machen is a self-described "incrementalist" when it comes to changing the system, but his partnership with Wetherell has already created a wave of discussion in the sports world. Since Wetherell's comments were published in The Sun Saturday, Machen says he's been flooded with suggested playoff proposals.

"You tell your buddies (in the sports department) thanks for putting that article in there," Machen said with a laugh. "I have had a dozen or more people send me their model of the playoff system. In fact, we just got a fax this morning."

There are significant roadblocks to moving toward a playoff, Machen conceded. Firstly, there are plenty of supporters of the current BCS system, particularly schools that benefit financially from the present structure. If one SEC school gets into a BCS bowl, all the other schools in the conference get a share of the revenue. Schools that don't historically get into BCS bowls but still get a cut of the money have little incentive to change, Machen said

"Why do you want to change that system (if your school doesn't compete in the bowls)? All of our BCS money will go into a pot and the league will split it 12 ways," Machen said. "We'll get one-twelfth of the pot. You would be nervous about changing it to a playoff model that would maybe reward the schools (that play)."

Some college presidents also contend that a playoff would extend the football season, creating greater travel expense and interfering with academics. Wetherell dismisses that notion, pointing out that a standard college baseball season and the NCAA Basketball Tournament already force athletes to miss more classes than a football playoff would.

This would not be the first time Machen has moved to shake up the BCS. As president of University of Utah, he was part of a discussion group that ultimately expanded the BCS from eight teams to 10. This will be the first year 10 teams have been in BCS bowls, in part due to Machen's prior lobbying efforts.

If Gator fans are chomping at the bit for a postseason change, Machen says they shouldn't expect overnight overhauls of the BCS.

"This is years off," Machen said. "We have contracts with the bowls that go several years out anyway, so unless you do it with the bowls at the table you're going to have to do it over a period of time."

Jack Stripling can be reached at 374-5064 or Jack.Stripling@gvillesun.com

http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061130/LOCAL/211300359/-1/news

[smazza]

they needed to push for this years ago

because sec gets aced out every year by usc  is not the reason for a playoff

a 32  5 week playoff is the only way to go

unfortunately neither fsu or usf wouldnt have made it this year

[BULLheaded]

poor poor sec  :'(

while I think a playoff system would be best it just cracks me up all these arogant schools that have hoarded all the big $$ over the years and each time one of them has to suffer because of their own greed they cry about it.

Get over it UF!

[TampaTower]

If UF was in USC spot we would not here a **** thing about playoffs.

What a bunch of sore losers!

[Mag Pie]

Blah blah blah.  They sound like a bunch of babies.  They might not make a BCS bowl and are crying about it.

"There are significant roadblocks to moving toward a playoff, Machen conceded. Firstly, there are plenty of supporters of the current BCS system, particularly schools that benefit financially from the present structure. If one SEC school gets into a BCS bowl, all the other schools in the conference get a share of the revenue. Schools that don't historically get into BCS bowls but still get a cut of the money have little incentive to change, Machen said...

-He's making it sounds like UF is a small school that never makes the big games.

[Kyle]

So if there is bickering about who gets to go to the BCS as it is...whos to say there wont be the same amount of bickering for the last two playoff spots? I think the playoff will only work if there are a significant number of teams involved (read: more than 8).

[Drewski]

C'mon guys, I have a feeling that if we were in that same situation, we'd be singing the same tune. In fact, we may very well be in that situation in the near future, as people tend to discount the BE for their own reasons. I'd rather the system be fixed now, rather than when we're possibly the ones getting screwed.

And I'm not saying that I think UF is getting screwed or deserves to play for the NC, but there has been instances with other teams in the past where what you do on the field is not enough any more. i.e. the 13-0 Auburn.

[Drewski]

So if there is bickering about who gets to go to the BCS as it is...whos to say there wont be the same amount of bickering for the last two playoff spots? I think the playoff will only work if there are a significant number of teams involved (read: more than 8).

I agree with this one hundred percent...That's why I'm not so sure a playoff would work the way they're proposing it. The BCS system is flawed, we all know that, but it may actually be the lesser of all of the evils.

[Joe]

Jimminey Crickets, You guys are freaking crazy.

A school with CLOUT is pushing for a playoff and your complaining how they're whining? THANK YOU UF. We've been waiting for someone be it Texas, Michigan, LSU, Oklahoma, etc. just SOMEONE with some freaking say in college football's money pool to start this up.

This is awesome for 2 reasons:

a) It's a University President. The past few years the biggest excuse is the University presidents don't want the playoff because it would hurt the studnets.

UF and Ohio State are the two richest athletic departments in the country (they go back and forth taking the #1 spot). To have a school with the financial success of UF backing the playoff goes against conventional wisdom that schools will lose moeny from the playoff.

I've seen countless threads about the BCS suck, etc. over the last few months and how unfair it was to (WVU/Louisville/Rutgers) and how college football needed a playoff. Well this is probably the biggest shot the ass it will get.

Hate UF all you want, this might be the best thing for the game.

As for the 4th spot. There will always be an argument for it fact fo life. But at least your taking less of a risk leaving someone behind who should possibly be there.

[sdgukhsdgl]

Agree with Joe, as much as it pains me to say this... we should thank UF.  When UF and FSU presidents "combine powers" to push for a playoff, people are going to listen.