Congressman Joe Barton (R-Arlington/Ennis) issued the following statement after introducing a bill to eliminate the Bowl Championship Series:

"The Energy and Commerce Committee is vested with the responsibility for overseeing sports, and that includes the current process for determining a national college football champion: the BCS system.  College football is more than an exhilarating sport, it’s a billion-dollar business.  I’m introducing legislation today because despite every effort to fix the problems of BCS, college seasons still end in sniping and controversy, rather than clear winners and losers determined on the field.

“The BCS system was created to identify a broadly accepted national champion, but 50 percent of the time it has failed to do so. Most coaches who lose half their games would also lose their jobs. Yet that's what we settle for in determining a champion today.

“The BCS system of determining America's top collegiate team was established in 1998 and has been plagued by controversy almost ever since. In some years the sport's national championship winner was left unsettled, and at least one school was left out of the many millions of dollars in revenue that accompany the title. Despite repeated efforts to improve the system, the controversy rages on.

“In the 2003 season, the University of Oklahoma and Louisiana State University were selected to play in the title game, even though the University of Southern California arguably had an equal claim. LSU beat Oklahoma and USC also won its bowl game, leaving both schools claiming be national champions and further chafing millions of college football fans, especially USC alumni. As a direct result of LSU's selection by BCS, the school's merchandise sales in both 2003 and 2004 were more than double previous levels, producing millions of dollars in additional revenue for the school.

“In the 2004 season, again three equally qualified and, in this case, undefeated teams -- Auburn, Oklahoma and USC -- fought for the two slots in the title game, which once again produced an uneven outcome as USC defeated Oklahoma handily. Auburn won its game, but had no opportunity to play for a national championship and the millions of dollars that accompany it.

“This year, we again have two teams with one loss each playing for the ‘championship’ while two undefeated teams and four additional teams with only one loss will play in bowl games, but none can become ‘champion.’

"The distinction of being the best brings millions of dollars in revenue, but the BCS method of determining who is number one consistently misfires.  When we held our first hearing on BCS in 2005, I didn't have legislation in mind, and I hoped none would be necessary.  Simply exposing the flaws and subjecting them to discussion, however, hasn’t led to improvement by those who run the system.”

“The legislation I am introducing along with Congressmen Bobby Rush and Michael McCaul recognizes the flaws of this system. Consumers, whether the millions who watch the game on TV or the lucky few who pay for a ticket to the computer-designated ‘championship’ game, are being deceived.  The BCS championship game is not a championship game under any sensible interpretation of the manner in which sports champions are determined.

“The legislation we are introducing today will prohibit the marketing, promotion, and advertising of a post-season game as a ‘national championship’ football game, unless it is the result of a playoff system. Violations of the prohibition will be treated as violations of the Federal Trade Commission Act as an unfair or deceptive act or practice, and provides the FTC with civil penalty authority.

“The legislation does not specify the details of the playoff system, rather only that all Division I, Football Bowl Subdivision, teams should be initially eligible at the start of every season. The existing bowl structure could easily be incorporated into or as the basis for such a playoff system.

“We’re never going to abolish all controversy, and who’d really want to be rid of it, anyway?  People will argue about who should be in and out of playoffs, too, but I am confident when more of the most deserving teams can compete, a true national champion is much likelier to emerge.”