MWC COMMISH PITCHES 8-TEAM PLAYOFF TO BCS COMMISSIONERS

Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson pitched an 8-team playoff during a 90-minute presentation during the annual BCS meetings in Pasadena.BCS coordinator John Swofford, the commissioner of the ACC, was quoted after the presentation as saying, “It would be inappropriate to dismiss it out of hand. Out of respect to the colleagues within the room, and to the various conferences, it should not be dismissed out of hand."Then he closed the door and got a big laugh with the rest of his BCS cronies.(I can’t confirm that happened, but certainly wouldn’t doubt it.)Kudos to Thompson for trying, but there is little chance that anything will change with the BCS, and unless something comes of Senator Orrin Hatch’s senate committee, the BCS will continue to put Band-Aids on the gun-shot wound that is the BCS system.Thompson himself knew his chances of making change were slim."Our board feels there are fundamental flaws in the system,” he said. “At what stop-and-go point do you put something on the table? I don’t necessarily disagree that it’s an uphill challenge. Again, our position is, ‘Let’s start talking.’ Change isn’t going to come quickly."Especially when the new $500 million contract with ESPN goes into effect in 2010.