New BCS format

http://www.bcsfootball.org/index2.cfm?page=structure



Future BCS Structure

The 2005 regular season marks the eighth and final year of ABC Sport's exclusive rights to telecast the four BCS bowls. Beginning with the post-season following the 2006 campaign, FOX Sports will telecast the FedEx Orange, Nokia Sugar and Tostitos Fiesta Bowls. Fox will also telecast the National Championship games in January 2007, January 2008, and January 2009.

ABC will continue to telecast the Rose Bowl through January 2014. It will also telecast the National Championship game when it is played in Pasadena in January 2010. The BCS will use a "double hosting" format beginning with the games played after the 2006 regular season. Under this model there will be five (5) BCS games annually, including the National Championship game. The four BCS bowl games (Orange, Fiesta, Sugar, Rose) will be held annually, in addition to a National Championship game that will rotate among those four bowl sites each year. Once every four years, one of the aforementioned bowls will host two BCS games: its traditional bowl game and the National Championship game.

Under the double hosting format, the champions of the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pacific-10 and Southeastern Conferences will continue to play annually in one of the BCS bowls through the post-season following the 2007 regular season. In addition, one conference champion from among Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, Sun Belt, and Western Athletic Conferences will automatically qualify to play in a BCS bowl if it is: (1) ranked among the top 12 teams in the final BCS Standings; or (2) ranked among the top 16 teams in the final BCS Standings and ranked higher than the champion of one of the conferences whose champion has an annual automatic berth in a BCS bowl.

Under the new BCS arrangement Notre Dame will be guaranteed one of the at-large slots in a BCS bowl if it is ranked No. 8 or better in the final BCS Standings. It is also guaranteed annual payment for its participation in the BCS. In those seasons in which the Irish play in a BCS game, the school will receive $4.5 million (an amount equivalent that received by a conference that places a second team in a BCS bowl). In those seasons in which Notre Dame does not play in a BCS game, it is projected to be paid $1.3 million for its participation in the BCS arrangement.

As in the current BCS arrangement, no more than two teams from the same conference may play in the BCS bowls in any particular year.

After the 2007 season, automatic qualification standards will be applied to all 11 Division I-A conferences to determine the number of conferences whose champion will automatically qualify for a BCS game for the next two seasons ('08 and '09). Each conference will be evaluated on each of the previous four seasons ('04, '05, '06, '07), based on membership during the '07 season. The champions of no fewer than five conferences and no more than seven conferences will have annual automatic berths in the BCS bowl games played following the 2008 and 2009 regular season.

It is anticipated that payments to those conferences whose champions have an annual automatic berth in a BCS bowl game will be approximately $17 million following the 2006 regular season and increase to $18.5 million for the BCS bowl games played following the 2009 regular season. Any conference placing a second team in one of the BCS bowls will continue to receive a payment of $4.5 million for such team.

Future BCS Schedules

Following 2006 Regular Season:
Jan. 1, 2007 - Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 1, 2007 - Rose Bowl
Jan. 2, 2007 - Orange Bowl
Jan. 3, 2007 - Sugar Bowl
Jan. 8, 2007 - National Championship Game (Glendale, Ariz.)

Following 2007 Regular Season:
Jan. 1, 2008: Sugar Bowl
Jan. 1, 2008: Rose Bowl
Jan. 2, 2008: Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 3, 2008: Orange Bowl
Jan. 8, 2008: National Championship Game (New Orleans)

Following 2008 Regular Season:
Jan. 1, 2009: Orange Bowl
Jan. 1, 2009: Rose Bowl
Jan. 2, 2009: Sugar Bowl
Jan. 5, 2009: Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 8, 2009: National Championship Game (Miami)

Following 2009 Regular Season:
Jan. 1, 2010: Sugar Bowl
Jan. 1, 2010: Rose Bowl
Jan. 4, 2010: Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 5, 2010: Orange Bowl
Jan. 8, 2010: National Championship Game (Pasadena)

This will really kill travel for fans of those teams competing in the title game. As if its not already expensive to go to one game. With possibly as few as 3 days to travel and prepare for a national title game? This is crazy. Its also going to drive the price of tickets for the title games sky high.