Post by cviller on Jan 10, 2008 16:49:59 GMT -5
January 10th, 2008 by John
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If the Bowl Championship Series has become a destructive presence, the SEC is the Dr. Frankenstein back there behind the laboratory curtain. Adams conveniently places the blame for postseason turmoil on the television industry, which of late is the Fox network. But if TV has become too powerful, it’s only because the SEC wheelers and dealers of a few years back devised the BCS format, rounded up support from other top-tier conferences and then auctioned off the monster for countless millions to the highest network bidder.
But the essence of Adams’ proposal for two more weekends of playoff games after four primary BCS games is that the plan would create another tidal wave of TV income and the possibility of more interference from the network partner.
That’s exactly why Adams’ scheme could come to fruition, too. The more money on the table, the more likely college leaders are to make changes. In this case, that could mean the BCS conferences might have to fork over control of the postseason to the NCAA. But if that change would include the guarantee of enough additional loot for the most powerful leagues and their teams, it all will unfold faster than a third-down quick kick.
Look at it this way: If Fox is willing to pay about $80 million annually to televise the Fiesta, Orange, Sugar and BCS championship games, what might the network (or some other) be willing to pay for those games, plus an additional three games. A rough guess is $150 million annually.