BCS Bowls vs Playoff System

[Sunstroke]

I don't believe attendance would be an issue at all in regards to a playoff system in college football...too many people in those market areas who "aren't" fans of the teams that make it to the playoffs would buy up any tickets not sold to fans of the schools involved, and frankly...I can't imagine those fans letting the ticket opportunity for a playoff game slip through their fingers. You could also affiliate some of the non-championship bowls into the opening round games if you wanted, to keep the fringe sponsors happy.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

^^^^^

I'd stop short of using non BCS Bowl sites in the opening round because then there would be a little too much travel involved.  Remember, the players are in finals during the month of December when the playoffs would take place, so there needs to be as little travel as possible. 

Since everyone focuses on the BCS top ten, here is my proposition:

- Use the BCS Formula to determine the top ten teams at season's end, with winning (or losing)your conference championship game counting more heavily than it does.

-  Week 1 is the Wild Card Round immediately following the last week of the season.  #10 plays at #7 and #9 plays at #8 for the right to face #1 and #2 respectively. 

- Week 2 is the Quarterfinal Round.  7/10 winner plays at #1, 8/9 winner at #2, #6 at #3, and #5 at #4. 

- Now there are four teams left.  Here is where you use the BCS Bowl sites.  Two of them will be used for the Semifinal Round in Week 3.

- In Week 4, you use a third BCS bowl site for the semifinal losers in the "Third Place" or "Consolation" game.

- The following week you use the fourth BCS Bowl site for the championship.

- The BCS Bowl sites will rotate each year and will keep their bowl names and sponsors.

- All teams finishing outside the BCS top ten can play in a non-BCS Bowl Game, and the same bowl eligibility rules apply (six wins against Division 1-A opponents).

[Phishfan]

Let's do a little informal test Stroke. I know you are a BIG college football fan. How many bowl games have you attended since they play in Miami? I haven't gone to any and I have two in Orlando.

[Sunstroke]

I'm a big college football fan in general, but I'm not the best person for this informal test to give any accurate representation...as I rarely go to see games in person.  I've been to one Orange Bowl in my 11 years down here in FL (2002, Florida vs my alma mater, Maryland) ...and only 3 total bowl games in my life, with the other two being Fiesta Bowls.

[Sunstroke]

Note for above...I do not count games like the East-West game, Senior Bowl or that type of player showcase game as "bowl games" for my statement above. If Senior Bowls count, then add 2 more.

[Phishfan]

I actually think you make a pretty good representation for a poll such as this (provided the sampling universe was bigger then two people).

[BigDaddyFin]

Understand also that implied in this question is the massive reduction in bowl games. 

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Understand also that implied in this question is the massive reduction in bowl games. 

Wrong.  Read this little excerpt my post up above.  There would be no reduction in bowl games whatsoever.

All teams finishing outside the BCS top ten can play in a non-BCS Bowl Game, and the same bowl eligibility rules apply (six wins against Division 1-A opponents).

[bsmooth]

Tommy,
Most bowl games start after finals week and conclude before the next semester. At most a couple of teams might have to take a final or two a little early if you make it to a lesser bowl.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Tommy,
Most bowl games start after finals week and conclude before the next semester. At most a couple of teams might have to take a final or two a little early if you make it to a lesser bowl.

Most of the bowl games do, but if you start the playoffs immediately after the season's end (first weekend in December) then you'll have a situation where it will coincide with finals.

[BigDaddyFin]

I'd like to see them cut down the bowl games to 8.  Do we really need the Chicken Gizzards Backyard Bowl brought to you by WhoGivesAShit.Com?  This is kind of a separate issue though. 

In either case, I'd still like to see the BCS replaced with a 16 team playoff.