Ncaa Chairman Proposes Plus-3 Bcs Playoff

mgsteve · January 8, 2008

NCAA executive committee chairman Michael Adams has sent a letter to NCAA president Dr. Myles Brand, proposing a plus-3 playoff system in college football in an effort to settle the issue of a national champion on the field.

Adams, who is president of the University of Georgia, proposes a four-team playoff at the conclusion of the four major Bowl Championship Series bowl games. Two games would be held the first Saturday that is at least one full week after the New Year's Day games, and then a final game would be held the following Saturday.

Effectively, the national championship would become an eight-team bracket with seven single-elimination games according to Adams' plan.

If applied to this year's calendar, the semifinal games would be Jan. 12 and the championship game Jan. 19.

Adams will discuss his proposal at a 2 p.m. press conference today.

Ohio State president Gordon Gee said Monday that he opposes a plus-one playoff system, but incoming BCS coordinator John Swofford said expanding the BCS system to include a plus-one format merits further consideration.

Adams told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the BCS system is "fundamentally flawed, given the bowl arrangements with the various conferences and all of those cross-currents. I think what I'm suggesting is the fairest way, first of all for the (players)." He wants the NCAA to run the football championship, as it does other sports.