Chicago, IL – A four-team playoff that would decide the champion in the Football Bowl Subdivision is just a vote away from being approved, starting for the 2014 season.
The BCS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick reached a consensus on a model for a four-team, seeded playoff system. The agreement, reached Wednesday, needs approval from the BCS presidential oversight committee next week to become official.
"The [playoff] model we have come away with is a consensus...I am delighted," SEC commissioner Mike Silve said.
The current BCS system, in place since 1998, pits the top two teams in a convoluted formula that averages the percentage totals of the Harris Interactive poll, USA Today poll and computer rankings.
Many discussions in the past have centered around a lengthy playoff, similar to the one used in the Football Championship Subdivision. There had also been talk of a plus-one system, where the top two teams after the bowl games meet for the championship.
"We are excited to be on the threshold of creating a new postseason structure for college football that builds on the great popularity of our sport," the BCS commissioners and Swarbrick said in a joint statement. "We take our responsibility to our universities, our presidents, and to student-athletes seriously and we're determined to make this great sport even more popular.
"We have developed a consensus behind a four-team, seeded playoff, while recognizing that the presidents will certainly present their views, including a discussion of a Plus-One. We also discussed various selection methods and look forward to having these discussions with the presidents.
"We are getting very close and we look forward to next week's meeting. We have already had extensive discussions with our presidents and it remains important to note that all final decisions will be made by the presidents, either at next week's meeting or at whatever date is appropriate."
A four-team playoff could include the major bowl games on a rotational basis, with semifinals among the Rose, Fiesta, Sugar and Orange Bowls. The championship game site would be held following a bid, similar to the Super Bowl in the NFL.
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