The BCS system to remain the same until 2014?

[USFan]

I was reading this article this morning and came across a few interesting items.  I have not seen this until today and did not see in the pen yet.

Is this news?

There has been some good news for the bowls. The BCS this week negotiated a reported $125 million annual rights fee with ESPN that begins in January 2011 (the last deal, with Fox, which owns FOXSports.com, was worth $82.5 million annually).

Over the long term, the major threat to the bowls may be the chorus of critics demanding a playoff to determine who's No. 1. The BCS has rejected the idea and its new TV contract makes it unlikely until after 2014.

Does this mean that a conference shakeup may not happen until 2014, at the earliest?  If so, this can't be great news to the tinmen.  Where's K_L?

http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/8848884?MSNHPHCP&gt1=39002

[Cow Pie]

Not necessarily because most of the non-BCS bowls will be renegotiated well before 2014 rolls around. For example both the Gator Bowl and Sun Bowl will be up for renewal in a few years as well as the Meinike, Pizza, and Motor City Bowls.

We may or may not expand before 2014... I guess it all depends on if we start loosing non-BCS bowl games as a result of having a smaller conference.

I would imagine that the big Conferences (SEC, ACC, BIG 12, PAC 10, etc.) would love to see the Big East's BCS game removed so that they could get another bowl game.

[Mag Pie]

I thought that for there to be a BCS system, the BCS conferences had to have the majority of schools.  Or something like that.  So IF the BE were to be replaced (which is not), they'd have to fill that in with another conference.

I don't see the BE expanding at all.  Too many things are at stake.  The basketball contract is HUGE, if we add only one team the bball conference wouldn't be manageable, which means the non football would have to split...  Too complicated.

And I don't really even see a football only member for a while, unless it was a school that would bring in more than just another game.

[Guest]

1) There is nothing that says anything about "a majority of schools" -- the BCS is a private contractual arrangement between conferences and bowl games.  Now, the mid-major schools caused a ruckus a few years ago, threatening legal action and almost prompting Congressional investigation... but the parties to the previous BCS contract agreed to provide access to the BCS bowls to one mid-major team per year, and give a chunk of cash to the five mid-major conferences.

2) Non-BCS bowl agreements are up after the 2009 season (the 2009-2010 bowls).  The next contracts would probably run four years from 2010-2014 -- which would mean all bowl contracts would be up at the same time.

That said, a plus one system could be put in place before 2014... if all conferences wanted it and ESPN could fund it.  It would remove the current national championship game, meaning another bowl (Cotton? Gator? Outback?) would need to be the "fifth" BCS bowl.

But we're still some time from any major changes in college football.

[bull2saintleo]

That said, a plus one system could be put in place before 2014... if all conferences wanted it and ESPN could fund it.  It would remove the current national championship game, meaning another bowl (Cotton? Gator? Outback?) would need to be the "fifth" BCS bowl.

But we're still some time from any major changes in college football.

If a Plus-1 system is implemented (and I really think it should), the Cotton Bowl would have the inside track to get in, as they'll be playing in the brand new Cowboys Stadium.  Anyways, wasn't the Cotton Bowl originally set for the BCS, but their stadium lacked amenities which led the BCS to go with the Fiesta Bowl instead?