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Comments July 31, 2003 The BCS will be transformed by Academic reforms if: 1. Graduation rates for football players are set at 70% for a TEAM to qualify for post season play; 2. A minimum number of scholarships, fifty, are guaranteed but the current 85 scholarships are reduced by one for every percentage point difference between 85 and the school's graduation rate; 3. President Cowen should shame the football factories for their abysmal graduation rates; 4. If graduation rates are tied to eligibility and scholarships then even BCS schools like Duke and Wake and others within BCS conferences would improve their chances at a BCS bowl; 5. There would then be competition to enroll not mere athletes but true student/athletes. 6. It would spell the end of the 'factories'. ***** Dr. Cowen, I congratulate you on your initiative to go after the schools that monopolize the BCS. The BCS continues to stack up the chips on their side and it goes mostly unnoticed by their fans who, in their enthusiasm for their schools, turn a blind eye to the inequities. I keep hearing arguments about how the non-BCS schools don‚t get quality wins. How many of the BCS schools would be consistent winners if they had to play all the BCS schools away? Ridiculous? That‚s exactly the case for most non-BCS schools. I live in Boise, ID and am a BYU grad. You think that Notre Dame is going to play Boise St. in Boise? Fat chance. Boise St. has played Arkansas twice in the last two years at Arkansas. The first time they came to within 1 yard of winning before time ran out and got creamed last year. Boise St. had to go to Arkansas because Arkansas won‚t travel to Boise. Had Boise St. not agreed to that arrangement Arkansas would not have played them at all. Thus the non-BCS schools must go hat-in-hand begging for a chance to beat long odds by those that have all the seats at the table. This just for the chance that the non-BCS school will have the right combination of good players, good schedule and good luck at beating the BCS school at their home. Even when all the planets are aligned correctly and they beat the BCS schools, the lack of strength of schedule in their other games all but guarantees that they won‚t be ranked high enough to actually get into a BCS bowl. This is not an indictment of Arkansas. Not many BCS teams will travel to non-BCS stadiums. Why is that? Those teams that travel to a non-BCS school take a chance. I saw a 1990 (?) BYU team dismantle a #1 or #2 ranked Miami team in Provo. I also saw Penn State suffer one of the worst defeats in its history in Provo a couple of years later after Penn State had dominated BYU at State College the year before. Big schools traveling to the smaller schools are the exception, not the rule. It makes it next to impossible for the non-BCS schools to get quality wins. This little looked at circumstance is every bit as responsible for the BCS monopolists keeping power as is the bowl structure. I‚d like to see how well the current national champions Ohio St. would do if every year they had to play in Ann Arbor, State College, Iowa City, Ames, Minneapolis, Bloomington, Madison, East Lansing, Evanston, Champaign, and Lafayette. Not too many Big 10 championships for them with that schedule. That is exactly what they ask of the non-BCS schools. The most irritating thing is the bravado displayed by the BCS apologists. If your team is so terrific come on out and play in Provo, Salt Lake City, Colorado Springs, Boise, Fresno, Honolulu (no brainer!), Louisville or New Orleans. Yet they won‚t because they know that these teams can be very tough in their own stadiums and it puts too much at risk. Please continue your good work. I hope it bears fruit but I suspect that only a lawsuit will finally settle things. Boise, ID ***** To Dr. Scott Cowen: Sir, The Comissioner does NOT SPEAK for the fans of the MWC. We share your view and your objectives. We too would like a level playing field where all is decided on the field of play. On behalf of fans who do not support this comissioner, please accept our deepest apologies and keep up the good fight. Sincerely, New Mexico Lobo Fan ***** To whom it may concern I am a 29 year old Staff Seargent in the United States Air Force. I totally agree with what your president is trying to do. I think that college football with all it's pagentry and tradition, denying 52 of it's 117 Division 1A members the right to play for a national championship is a travesty. I am probably the biggest college football fan in the world and to see the national champion crowned due to a poll is sacrilege. It is blatantly obvious that the BCS doesn't work and it caters to the schools with the most money. The national championship game seems to be nothing more than a popularity contest. In 1998 a undefeated Tulane team was denied the right to play for the national championship simply because they were not as popular as Florida State. I think what makes college basketball and the NCAA tournament so exciting, is the fact of the upset. College football is so driven by money that even if Idaho could beat Ohio State and finish the season undefeated, they would not be allowed to play for the national championship and that's not fair. I gues that's the reason why I tend to pay attention to the 1AA playoffs instead of bowl games in the post season. My full support is behind you. July 30, 2003 Good morning. I got your email off of the website, and thought I would write voicing some thoughts. As an alumnus of West Virginia University, we have benefited from BCS inclusion. However I have always thought the system unfair. I applaud the efforts of Tulane in organizing the non-BCS schools in an effort to bring equity to this situation, both financially, and competitively. My biggest concern lies in the financial equity goals in place here. The non-BCS schools have shown a tendency to accept the financial "bones" the BCS schools have thrown them in the past. It is my belief, that the BCS schools will again try to appease the discontent through token financial offers, and a "meaningless" place at the competitive table via adding another BCS bowl game to the mix. Your coalition has the opportunity to bring about true change in this system. I hope the presidents realize this, exhaust all legal opportunities and refuse to accept any solution that is simply a financial stop gap to the already corrupted system. In accepting such a financial compromise, not only will this coalition stop short of true reform, it will also lose credibility in the effort of making this effort pure in achieving the goals of real reform. Do NOT allow the BCS schools to derail this effort through token financial offerings. Please stop short of nothing less than full acceptance of ALL conference champions participating in an equitable effort towards a true National Championship in football. We all know this is possible within the confines of academic concerns, and talk otherwise is nothing more than a rationalization of specific selfish goals. If this inclusive goal is kept in the forefront, the financial equity that everyone seeks will follow. Thanks for your time in allowing me to forward my thoughts. I am certain I am not alone in this mindset. Sincerely, Point Pleasant, WV ***** July 29, 2003 Dear Sirs: I am a die-hard Florida State Fan, but I support the views mentioned on your web. I feel schools like Tulane, Marshall and WAC schools have been left out of the National Championship for the 32 years I have been watching College football. In fact I would go so far as to say the only Bowl's I watch anymore are the ones on Christmas, New Years (if I think it's a good match up), the Orange Bowl (as when I lived in Florida I had yearly tickets to that event and the championship game. A playoff would draw my attention back to CFB for all of December and I think it would allow the BEST Teams and most deserving to compete for the championship, not just those "Ordained" by the BCS to take place. Thank you for this opportunity to sound off! ***** I think Tulane and President Scott Cowen are doing a great job in trying to reform collegiate athletics. Certainly, the issue is complex but if some of the finest college administrators can't figure it out then we are in real trouble. Athletics should be about student athletes. Both as students and athletes. Additionally, going to athletic events and getting involved that way is a wonderful part of the college tradition. I went to the US Naval Academy and it would not have been the same if we didn't march onto the field every Saturday in the fall prior to urging our team on to (rare) victory. It was even more exciting when it was Notre Dame or Penn State even though we always got clobbered. We had twenty four or so varsity mens sports. Almost everyone who wanted to be a varisty athlete could be one if he really set his mind and body to it. Now it is less. Try to find a way to have more varsity sports rather than less. One possible way is to try to reduce the costs of the "majors" and have more minors. This increases the chances of producing a competive program in a minor sport, increases school pride and refocuses the issue from being a "football" or a "basketball" school to being a university which encourages and recognizes excellence, sacrifice, perseverence and focus on all aspects of life. Keep up the good work. GO GREEN WAVE (except when you play Navy) ***** President Cowen and fellow coalition members: Thank you for having the courage to fight against the worst example of greed and illegitimacy in college athletics. The BCS has one sole purpose: To fill the pockets of the university athletics departments in the six BCS conferences. I have said to myself, if I had the resources I would have sued the pants off this organization a long time ago. I now have hope restored that the BCS just might crumble primarily because of you and your newly-founded organization. In the name of equity and right, please keep the pressure on!! You are the best hope we have to dismantle this corrupt system and replace it with a sixteen team playoff which, ironically enough, would pay the current BCS money grabbers even more money, but would allow access to a national championship to every D1 football program and substantially increase the money flowing into the current non-BCS universities. The playing field MUST be leveled. Good luck to you. The majority of true college football fans are on your side. Regards, Pleasant Grove, UT ***** July 28, 2003 While I am an avid Florida Gator fan, I think the best thing for the 44 schools represented in the Coalition for Athletics Reform is to cancel all games with the teams in the BCS. Starting next year in fact. Just pull out and make them play each other. That way there would not be enough teams to cover the bowls they have aligned themselves with. There would be less undefeated and one loss teams. More teams from your coalition would be available to fill those spots. That would also mean more money for the schools in your coalition. Soon there would not be enough teams to fill the BCS, while there would be quite a few teams with either no or one loss in your coalition to fill those spots. Just an idea and something to maybe start with. I would love to see teams that are considered "second tier" teams competing for the National Championship. first it is only fair and second, some of those teams will more than likely win it all. I don't know if what I had to say is helpful (I hope it is), but I think you just have to get mean! Sincerely, Orlando, Florida ***** Consider this. They want to keep The Big East for a while in the BCS or they have agreed to at least, even though the MWC is almost as good or better than the newly revised Big East. What if their was a league of the best of the non--BCS? How would it stack up against the other BCS conferences, where would it fall? 12 Teams of the best of the rest. Surely this would be worthy of an automatic berth: BYU Louisville This may or may not be the best lineup, but it is what i know for now, without looking up all the teams. I wonder where it would fall in terms of a conference. Would it be better than the old Big East? Better than the Pac-10? Who knows. Sure would be fun and we'd rack up a lot of wins. I would think that that conference would be worthy of a spot somewhere. How bout we all just conspire and send the best recruits from all the other best of the rest schools to one school and sneak in? LOL Then there is Tulane with their perfect season in 99. And they haven't even been historically that great, from what i know--could be wrong. The point is--if Tulane can do it and not even have that many close calls---well one for sure(the 99 snub), then it shows that many college teams who are non--BCS are capable in a given year of outstanding things. I hope Tulane, the Coalition and Cowen can bring forth some progress, whether it's assigning one extra BCS bowl for the best of the rest or hopeully--what everyone really wants is a playoff. My gracious--imagine the money generated!! It would blow the NCAA b-ball tournament to smithereens! And it would be more fair. Even just an 8-team playoff--so long as it wasn't hoarded by the BCS teams. Good luck and pray for some miracles while your'e at it! The BCS is ruining college athletics by creating such a disparity in money. We might as well just drop everyone else almost to Div--1AA or whatever. But there is hope. Sincerely, ***** Thank you for standing up to the BCS ! Thought it would be a good idea to start a nationwide petition supporting this action against the BCS. You could get of course the the 44 University presidents to sign this and keep going with Federal and State government leaders, Business leaders, local leaders, ADs, coaches from the NFL to Pop Warner as well as plain old college football fans like me. 44 is a small number but a petition with hundreds of thousands if not millions of names would be impressive. The majority of people are in favor of playoff. This petition would turn some heads! Lets see who is on our side! Let me know what you think of this idea. I will be glad to collect names here in Raleigh, NC Best Regards, July 27, 2003 Hello, Friends of College Football Reform: Dr. Scott Cowen, President of Tulane University, is to be lauded for his heroic effort to provide much needed leadership in major intercollegiate football. I have been following this great game for over forty seasons. Dr. Cowen's intervention on behalf of non-BCS schools and conferences is absolutely essential to the integrity and future security of the game. I suggest the following, with teams being re-seeded after the first three rounds. ROUND ONE: Saturday after college conference championships(teams losing conference championship games will not be adversely affected in final, pre-tournament seeding). The eight highest ranked conference champions receive home field advantage, to host the remaining eight highest ranked teams, in reverse order. The highest ranked major independent is treated the same as a conference champion, thus allowing an independent to compete for home field advantage. ROUND TWO: Four major New Year's bowls. The four highest ranked advancing teams host the other four advancing teams, in reverse order. Pairings--one-vs.-eight, two-vs.-seven, three-vs.-six, four-vs.-five--rotate yearly among the Sugar, Orange, Rose, and Fiesta Bowls. Round one non-advancing teams are available for other, non-tournament bowls. ROUND THREE: Mid-January, rotated among the Cotton, Peach, and Holiday Bowls. Numbers one and two host three and four, in reverse order. Odd bowl out hosts the two highest ranked non-advancing teams from round one on usual date. ROUND FOUR: NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP--Late January, rotated among the Sugar, Orange, Rose, and Fiesta bowl venues. Host team is the higher seed. Dr. Charles E. Young, UCLA Chancellor Emeritus, was correct in stating, while in office at UCLA, that the schools and conferences of NCAA Division IA were leaving far too much money on the table season after season by not having a play-off system. A plan that is open and fair to all will be overwhelmingly approved and accepted by football fans and media alike nationwide. Time between rounds allows student-athletes to maintain academic requirements, if classes are in session, and better enables fans to make travel plans. Sincerest regards, Riverside, California ***** I am a Virginia Tech fan, but first and foremost, I am a supporter of higher education. I think it brings out the best of our society and I think that big money athletics have had an adverse effect on the integrity, vision and mission of our universities. As you pursue your ends, please count me among your backers. Sincerely, Richmond, VA ***** It amazes me that the BCS formula is designed to get the #1 & #2 teams in the country to play each other and you have such a problem with it. When are you going to realize that if schools such as Tulane were national draws for television viewership then it would make sense to include your schools in the BCS formula. However, your assorted conferences never even come close to the top rankings and probably never will. You simply are not on the same level as the most popular football colleges. Tulane is so off the radar of most college football fans that 9 out of 10 don't even know you are called the "Green Wave". Leave football alone before you ruin it!! ***** Greetings, Each year the MAC winner in football should play the Big Ten winner for an automatic BCS berth. Same for the PAC-10 and WAC winners meeting for one automatic berth. Conference USA could meet the ACC winner for one automatic berth and so on through the country. All the Division 1 teams in the country would then be eligible for a BCS berth through games played not poll votes. ***** The current BCS, while not perfect, works because it only considers top- notched schools in terms of footbal dominance. I would love to see Tulane take on Miami or Ohio State. I am sure it would be a game (hee hee, sarcasm) Please! This is sour grapes. The truth is that many division 1 schools should not be division 1 schools. The gap in talent between a Miami , Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida,FSU, USC, UW or any other similar schools with those not eligible for the BCS is HUGE!!!! I would hate to pay $150, plane fare, roomand board to see Tulane or SanDiego State take on the likes of Miami or OSU or Oklahoma: First half: 35-0. So let the men play and go play with the boys in Division 1AA or 2 AN AVID CF Sports Miami, Florida July 25, 2003 To Whom It May Concern, As a New Mexico State University Alumni and a fan of NCAA Football, I thoroughly support your efforts to reform the current post-season structure of NCAA Football. Although I doubt those who are in the BCS will ever openly commit to a playoff system, I do think the majority of NCAA Div 1 Schools are in favor of it. If you don't gain any headway this fall, perhaps you should take the coaltion members and form a new post-season playoff among the coalition schools--I'm sure networks like Fox or ESPN would see the future in such an endeavor. Didn't the NCAA backetball tourney slowly take over the NIT as the premier post-season event for college basketball? Who knows, if fans are more apt to tune into a playoff game instead of the Flavor-of-the-Month.Com Bowl, perhaps conferences and teams will accept playoff invitations instead of bowl invitations after it's become established. I know I'm simplifying the issue, but I still believe a playoff system that is inclusive to all is the best way to decide the year's champion. I wish you all the luck in the world! ***** You really need to start a signature drive to demand that the NCAA start football payoff system for Division 1 like every other sport. I have never met anyone who favors the current BCS system. ***** Scott Cowen and others: I am an East Carolina University alumni and am very pleased with the movement that you are starting. This had LONG been over due. I am equally proud that my university did not chicken out of participating in the conference calls. Dr. William Muse is a good man. I wanted to email you and off up my services. I own an advertising agency, and we do a lot of web business. I would be happy to offer up our services for such a just cause for free, and design a website for this movement. Let me know if I can be of service. ***** Heya, if you don't get what you want from the talks that are supposed to happen between your group and the bcs group, then why don't your members form a playoff system for your own and to heck with them? that's sort of how the basketball playoff tournament started, cuz the NIT wasn't opening enough slots for their tourney..... ***** Greetings, I am an alumnus from a "BCS" school (Georgia Tech), and support your efforts at including everyone into the national championship and bowl picture. I think your best move right now would be to gather the non BCS conferences together and have a playoff system amoungst yourselves. With the 5 conferences you could have an 8 team playoff with the 5 conference champions and 3 at large bids. What I would like to see happen long term would be for the whole conference structure to be reorganized. Evrery conference should have at least 12 teams. Every conference should have a playoff game. There are 117 teams now playing 1A ball. With UConn and FAMU becoming 1A schools, we just need 1 more team to have 10 conferences with 12 teams each. Once you get the conferences oganized like that, then ultimately we could go to a 16 team playoff, with 10 automatic bids and 6 at large bids. I think the revenue would be incredible. And you'd have a definitive national champion. That playoff system would take 15 total games. Given that we currently have 28 bowl games, you could still have another 13 "other" bowl games as a sort of NIT for football. In any case, good luck. ***** Division I-A football is clearly full of inequalities. The largest programs make the most money and are the only ones with any hope of winning a National Championship. Small programs lose money each year, and are lucky to make it to any bowl, let alone a BCS bowl. The BCS system definitely favors these larger programs, but why is that unfair? The vast majority of football revenue is generated by teams from the BCS conferences because these are the teams fans want to see. Non-BCS teams generate much less revenue because fewer people want to watch them, not because of some grand conspiracy concocted by the major conferences. Since the smaller programs have been unable to generate revenue by attracting more viewers, they now want to raid the coffers of the successful schools by forcing their way into the BCS system. It's like my local AA baseball team trying to force Major League Baseball to give them the opportunity to play in the World Series. Below is a quote by Tulane University President Scott Cowen stating the goals of the Presidential Coalition for Athletics Reform: "Regardless of the methods, if the current system is to be fixed, we must focus on three things - increasing the academic performance and graduation rates of student-athletes, creating an open system of postseason play in football and lowering the cost of operating an athletics program," Sounds an awful lot like Division I-AA to me. Instead of trying to change Division I-A rules to their advantage, maybe Mr. Cowen and his colleagues should consider stepping down a level. ***** President Cowan, Please keep pressing to change the BCS scheme. I'm a University of Pittsburgh graduate, and have never liked the BCS idea. How can every other team sport have a playoff except for division 1A football? If there wasn't a basketball playoff, who would have picked Syracuse to be the national champions? I applaud your efforts. Keep pressing until all division 1A school are included and have an equal chance at the money and top end of the year games. ***** Hello, I am writing to share my idea of a solution to Div 1A reform. Clearly, there is an uphill battle to fight against the BCS conferences. Most proposals involve some sort of forced play-off that eliminates the traditional bowl system. This is unacceptable to the BCS schools. Rather than eliminate the traditional bowls, my solution is to add one additional game following the New Years Day Bowl Games. This game would pit the BCS champion against the Non-BCS Champion. The Non-BCS champion would be determined via a 16 team play-off. The Non-BCS teams would abandon the second tier bowls that they currently play. Instead they would play a 9-game regular season, with the top 16 teams going into a play-off of 4 games to determine who plays the BCS champion. The teams that do not qualify for the play-off could schedule 1 or 2 more regioinal games to complete the a 10 to 11 game season. The play-offs would be held at the stadiums of the participating teams, producing additional revenue for the schools. A seperate TV contract could be negotiated that should be lucrative. This would be much more exciting than the BCS's bogus poll/bowl system. Games would be played on-Campus! The advantage of this proposal is that it does not require a major re-vamp of the current system. The BCS schools can maintain their bogus bowl system, tradition and polls; while the non-BCS schools finally get access to a true national championship. All this is achieved by simply adding one more game. A second measure of reform would be for the non-BCS schools to unite and agree to no longer prostitute themselves and schedule series where the BCS teams do not play at the non-BCS teams home stadium. The BCS teams have long enjoyed a huge home feild advantage. Nebraska, Penn State and Alabama regularlly play 7 home games. The non-BCS teams should agree to play BCS teams only on a home-home basis. Please let me know what you think. July 24, 2003 To whom it may concern, There are 2 ways you can get what you want: 1. Band together and not go bowl games (the sponcers would force the hands of BCS and NCAA to change policies). 2. Talk to member schools' alumni associations and get them to boycott sponcers. That's it... Those are your options if you want speed up this process... ***** I give Dr. Cowen and his fellow reform-minded chancellors credit for having the guts to take a stand against the big-boy cartel system [BCS]. If a college football playoff is good enough for Divisions I-AA, II and III, as well as the NAIA [two divisions], it should be good enough for the NCAA's major division. The existing BCS structure is flawed as it is, and it's not just because "non-BCS mid-majors" are cheated out of it even if they have an unbeaten season. Imagine what would happen within the BCS system when, either next season, '04, or '05, there are three unbeaten teams, but only two of them will play for the BCS "national title", while the third is "odd team out." That's another reason why there should be a playoff. Also, some rounds of those lower division NCAA football playoffs are held during exam weeks, so I think that could render useless the argument that "playoffs would interfere with exams". When "the market" determines who qualifies for the postseason, you wonder whatever happened to "wins and losses." ***** President Cowen, First off let me commend you for taking on this challenge. It is refreshing to finally see somebody take a stance on this issue, and seek a resolution solving the problem. It is obvious that what you have started will leave its mark forever on college athletics (more specifically football). You have hundreds of thousands supporting you, and possibly even into the millions. Tell us fans/alumni what we need to do to help you in this battle, and we will be your loyal army in the fight. Sincerely, A College Football Fan (Who has not watched a BCS bowl game in 3 years) FYI - Found this browsing the web www.cf16.org. It is one more idea to add to the pile. ***** This web site addresses reform of the college football structure. It might be implausible, but it is something to think about. At the least, please pass it on to the members of the Presidential Coalition for Athletics Reform. ***** Dr. Cowen -- Way to go in fighting the BCS! Here's something that I think proves that the BCS' new 1-team-in-20-years claim is nothing more than another Enron accounting scandal: http://www.killerfrogs.com/forums2/index.php?act=ST&f=4&t=8814 From, Fort Worth, TX ***** To Whom It May Concern: I just wanted to send my appreciation for the work that Scott Cowen has undertaken. From a Colorado State University alumnus, we, like many other non-BcS institution schools have had to support our teams under the glass ceiling imposed on us by the BcS conferences. The system is unfair and it's high time that our schools unite and stand up for equal access to college football's spotlight. This movement is long overdue. Thank you very much, and best of luck in this endeavor!! ***** Mr. Cowen: I wanted to take a moment to applaud you for taking the lead to address NCAA I-A athletic reforms. As a 1993 A&S graduate, a Tulane fan (a rabid one back in the day) and a big football fan, I am proud to see you in the forefront of college athletics and education standing up for what is right. You make me proud to be a Tulane fan and alum. ***** With you %100 of the way. Just an FYI. You have hundreds of thousands, if not millions of fans that want to help. That is allot of firepower. Let the fans know what we can do. Petitions, contacting the NCAA - BCS, etc. The National College sports program is beginning to divide, the NCAA likely will not let the division happen (or will they, look what they have let happen with the BCS), and be forced to do something. They have stood by and watched/allowed the OBVIOUS (BCS) problem for too long. It is now up to the fans, universities and conferences to force the issue, and that is what we are going to do. From BYU Faithful.... ***** i admire president cowens stand against the bcs. this was abc sports created and the antitrust suit would need to include abc go after them ***** Dear President Cowen, Thank you very much for having the courage and honor to stand up against the illegitimacy of the Bowl Championship Series. I am a current graduate student at the University of Florida (a BCS school). Both of my parents and both of my older sisters also attended UF. We are all very big college football fans and my parents are current UF Football season ticket holders. Despite the fact that our school is a member of the BCS, I feel very strongly that the BCS is bad for Division I-A athletic programs and the very academic institutions that provide them with support. The BCS, much like modern American politics and business, has only reinforced the rift between the rich and the poor, the haves and the have-nots. This issue strikes not only at the heart of collegiate athletics but also the much deeper concern of the equitable distribution of wealth among our national colleges and universities. Recent transgressions in the ACC and the Big East show the far-reaching power of the BCS. As you have stated, the BCS is essentially a "cartel," and it is time its powers be reeled in. Like you, I feel American society has become too litigious. However, I support the Presidential Coalition for Athletic Reform even if it means a lawsuit must be brought against the BCS and its representative schools (including my own). The Coalition's goals, "to improve access for all teams to postseason football, reduce the financial requirements for remaining in Division I-A and raise academic requirements in college athletics" are worthwhile. These goals should help to foster exciting athletic competition, restore equity to Division I-A athletics, and most importantly prioritize academics as the primary goal for the athletic departments at our institutes of higher learning. Our collegiate atheletes deserve nothing less and our fans expect so much more. I believe your efforts have more support than you can imagine. Please continue your fight against the BCS. Be resolute in your pursuit. As a university student, if there is anything I can do to support the Presidential Coalition for Athletic Reform, please do not hesitate to ask. Football season is upon us and it may be worthwile to organize fans and collect petitions advocating that the BCS be disbanded. I have also copied the University of Florida's President, Charles Young, and Athletic Director, Jeremy Foley, on this letter. I encourage them to rethink their support of the BCS. ***** The heart and soul of college athletics is athletes playing on the field for victory and honor. The BCS has denied all athletes that chance. I thank Tulane, in the best unremunerated tradition of college sports, for trying to bring college football back to its senses and back to its roots. ***** President Cowan: I too would like to add my voice of support and approval for your efforts in restoring respect to college football. I applaud you for taking initiative and doing something other schools have only talked about. As an avid BYU fan, I know what it's like to be left on the outside looking in and it's not right. Let's let every team get a fair crack at the title--I support you 100%. Thanks for your efforts!!! Another avid BYU Fan ***** Coalition Members, come to your senses! Why do you want to tear apart the Biased Cartel Scheme (BCS)? If you understood true competition, you would not oppose the BCSís perfected system for picking a national champion! ConsiderÖ we have voting media who know every single team in the nation and who rightly rank them based on each and every voting members vast and complete knowledge. Furthermore, head coaches, who have ample time to watch and evaluate each team in the nation and donít have a conflict of interest in whom they vote for. They too have a poll to justly rank teams. Finally, we have computer with perfect formulas (remember, no bias could ever come from a computer or its formulas) that clearly determine exactly the best teams. That is how we in the name of fairness, competition, and all that is right with sports should determine a national champion. It is time to join me in denying Gonzaga and EVERY other "Cinderella" story team the right to advance in the NCAA basketball tournament when they simply win by scoring more points on the field of play. What a silly principle to base college athletics on. We should never experience the unjust agony of the "underdog" overcoming the seemingly impossible. Using the field of play and scoreboard to determine a winner is so old fashioned. You really need to move into this decade and get on board with the Biased Cartel Scheme. Yours truly, Dallas, Texas ***** Dear Dr. Cowen, I am so delighted you chose to take on this fight. As an alumus of a "non-BCS" school that has a very competitive football program (Colorado State University) it is extremely discouraging to be constantly treated as a second class citizen. What's even worse, the economic discrimination is patently unfair and hinders college athletics at schools such as mine. ***** President Cowen... Thanks so much for taking the initiative to commence in this effort....an effort that so few were bold enough to attempt. Hopefully with your leadership, the non-BCS schools will unite in reforming the unfair state of college football today. Colorado State fans thank you and applaud you! July 23, 2003 Dr. Cowen, As Dr. Cecil Samuelson (Pres. of BYU) has mentioned, the BCS system is "un-American," and I agree in every sense of the word. The system descriminates against non-BCS schools financially and ethically. It's amazing this system has been allowed to exist as long as it has in this era of "political correctness." Considering many of the BCS schools present themselves as champions of affirmative action, this is really a "no-brainer." Tell them to DO THE RIGHT THING! a fair-minded CFB fan ***** I like the wave you are creating. It seems to me that the fans can go a long way in voicing their opinion. For me, personal boycotts against ABC, Nokia, Frito Lay (Tostito), Play Station, and Fed Ex are my contribution to the cause. I wish everyone would do the same. Untill then, be assured you have the support of many. ***** President Cowen and coalition members, You are absolutely doing the right thing! You are fighting for collegiate athletics. Don't give in to the BCS. We are all behind your efforts 100%. Regards, A BYU fan in Wisconsin ***** It is odd to think that at the beginning of the each Div 1 NCAA basketball season the head coach of Sam Houston State's basketball program can actually say to himself "Our basketball has a chance at winning the National Championship." Sam Houston State has that opportunity in basketball, a little less than half of all the Division 1 football teams do not. BYU was snubbed in 1996, Tulane was snubbed in 1998. The BCS will likely snub more institutions in the future. I fully support President Cowen as do millions of college football fans. ***** President Cowen: Fantastic!! Superlative!! You name the adjective, you are absolutely right in your efforts to end the BCS and implement a true playoff system. Please don't compromise. It is ludicrous and indefensible not to have a playoff system at the highest level of amateur football when it is done at every other stage down to high school! I love it when you call the BCS a cartel, because that is what it is. I have always maintained that there has never been a college football national champion - and I'm an avid Florida Gator fan and we supposedly "won" such a championship (at least using the term "mythical" national champion is true). I know you have an uphill battle because a good portion of the media wants to remain involved in "choosing" a national champion. Your move to unite the non-BCS schools may finally provide the impetus for the playoffs to be seriously discussed in the media (they were always able to shrug off the concept in the name of "academics" and support of the current system by the college presidents). Once it is, the charade of the BCS and the lies of protecting academic integrity of the "student-athlete" (sort of condescending to football players as apparently all the other "student-athletes" are able to compete for national championships and still take care of their academics) will be too obvious to deny. Then the cards will come tumbling down. Stick to your guns!!! ***** Tulane University President: Scott Cowen Thanks so much for taking on the large task of dealing with footballs-root-of-all-evils BCS. I have been sending emails to all under the sun, Reporters, BCS officials, NCAA officals, our Local BYU officials, etc. Trying to do my part. Please be re-lentless on this issue. BCS is so bad for college football. The current bowls and a playoff system can be implemented into one. The high profits of the BCS bowls can be more evenly spread among all/more deserving college 1A teams. BYU has been stiffarmed also by the BCS, example is just 2 seasons ago with an almost perfect record. Our only losses came after the BCS rejected us for a BCS bowl. Take it to court, threaten to leave and separate from the Cocky 6 confrences. Special thanks to Jeff Call, Salt Lake reporter giving light to the efforts. jeffc@desnews.com http://www.desnews.com/dn/view/0%2C1249%2C510041855%2C00.html Thanks so much- Exclusive fan of Brigham Young University also...... ***** I would like to thank you for your bold initiative in taking on the inequities of the BCS. It is a travesty that we have had three teams go undefeated since the inception of the BCS and be denied a berth in the better paying bowls (Tulane, Marshall, and BYU [undefeated at the time of their denial]). But the bigger travesty, to be sure, is that none of these teams were afforded any opportunity to vie for a championship. Div 1A football has no playoff contrary to the mission statement of the governing council over collegiate sport's (the NCAA) mission statement and there is no logical explanation why. You are correct that football is not unique as is evidenced by lower division who do hold a playoff. Fans everywhere are being relegated to and cheated by the sham that is the BCS. The frustration level of us fans is rising and I feel confident that you have the support of millions who wish to see you succeed. If there is anything that we as fans can do to aid your effort, let us know. I for one, stand behind your efforts. ***** Thank you for taking the initiative to stand up for all that is wrong with amateur athletics these days. I hope that you will stick with this fight until it is won. As a former student and walk-on football player at TCU, I applaud your efforts, and hope that future students like myself have the same chances to play division one football at schools that don't have enough eyeballs to make enough money for ABC to be happy with. Thanks again, A very concerned fan, ***** Thank you for leading the charge against the unfair BCS system. I believe that college football is the best on-the-field sport in America, but unfortunately has the worst off-the-field goverance by far. The BCS is unAmerican in its favoritism and bigotry. A 16 or 32 team playoff is the only suitable answer and will eventually come to be. Justice crys out for it. Thank you for hearing the call and being brave enough to lead the assult. ***** I as a BYU fan would like to thank you for all the effort being put in to dismantling the BCS. BYU and others have traditionally been shut out of the "good ol boy system" and hopefully this movement will spark reform so as to make college football fair for all schools. Keep up the good work. ***** BYU football is almost like religion to us as fans and alums of that great university, and the BCS has hurt our program. We stand with Tulane and other people of integrity in other great universities who are being abused by the greed and tyranny of the few. Grateful that someone organized the have-nots of college athletics, and pray for our success. ***** President Cowan, I want to thank you for taking a stand on the current state of College Football. I have been an avid fan of College Football for all my life, and have always enjoyed the fact that College Football was all about pride and tradition. Now it seems that College Football has become more about Pride and Tradition, but about Money Money Money. Money has become so much apart of the game, that some conferences have chosen to re-write tradition and create a new type system to keep a certain amount of teams wealthy while others are hanging by a thread. They try to create an illusion that it's about matching up the 2 best teams for the Championship. But who is it that picks the 2 best teams? Not the team's, but the Media and sponsors. It's not about on the field play, but it's about how much money that team will bring. It's not about being fair anymore. I'd go as far as saying that the BCS Conferences are cheating to win. They have created a new Berlin wall. A wall to keep those that they don't want in. Sure, they can say that anyone can pass that wall, but what is it going to take for someone to pass it? They have set up unrealistic ways for teams not apart of the BCS Conferences to get past this wall. Yet, these ways that they have set up are not controlled by the teams and on the field play but by those that determine who gets in and who doesn't. Tulane, Marshall and BYU have all done what they have had to do to get in, yet they have been turned away. Yet a Nebraska team can lose a game by 26 points, not win their conference championship and still be able to get into the BCS National Championship game. Go figure. Let's bring this wall back down that has been constructed. Every Athlete from every college that risks injury every single game day deserves a fair chance. Not something that is determined by computers biased opinions and money but is determined by Wins and Loses, on the field play. This is the fair way. Don't give me excuses for not having a playoff when other divisions are having a playoff. Make this system fair for the Athletes, the fans and the schools. There are rules in College Football to make the game fair between 2 teams. The means for a Championship and collecting money should be fair as well. Thanks ***** Thank you for having the courage to step forward from the (generally cowardly) ranks of university presidents and issue the challenge to the BCS. As a BYU fan, I have been waiting for this moment since 1996! The BCS is definitely an illegal cartel and their hypocritical arguments about "academic concerns" against a playoff are absurd. The BCS schools have some of the worst possible graduation rates for their football programs in the nation. They also have more NCAA rules violations than the non-BCS schools. Its all about money, and they are controlling the NCAA itself through bullying and money tactics. Its time the non-BCS schools did something about it. Keep up the great work. We are behind you! ***** This is a breath of fresh air. It is long overdue for someone to speak out regarding the inequities in college football as a result of the formation of the BCS. I hope these efforts will lead to structural change in college football and that all D-1 schools will have an equal opportunity to compete for championships and for money generated by a fair championship process. Thanks for being willing to assume the role of David in the battle against Goliath. ***** As an avid fan of college football for the last 20 years, I've been increasingly disheartened by the destruction of the beautiful game of college football by the Bowl Championship Series. Even as an avid fan of the University of Colorado, I still see the efforts of the major conferences to create a "championship" game as self-indulging and hypocritical. Any sport that fails to allow everyone the same opportunity to win the title (and thus create the Cinderella stories we all love) has failed at it's highest ideal. How are the major institutions of higher learning justifying teaching scholastic integrity in the classroom and bigotism on the playing field? I hope the University of Colorado and other big conference universities swallow their greed and realize the necessity of backing up proposals to make college football a sport with fair and equal opportunities for every team, no matter what conference they play in. ***** Dear Sir, Thank you for your efforts. Those of us here in Provo, Utah could not be more proud of you if you were a BYU Cougar yourself. Standing together as one is vital to our efforts. I feel confident that this will be well worth the effort. Success will only come when a level of fair play is reached in college football. You have the support of BYU Cougars everywhere. ***** As a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and a financial supporter of our university's academic and athletic programs I want to applaud you for the pro-active stance you have taken regarding the BCS and in particular college athletics as a whole. If you do not already know many alumni of the institutions in the coalition appreciate someone taking a stand on the problems facing all Division 1 schools and in particular the non-BCS colleges and universities. In short keep up the good work and many of us are behind you 100%. ***** Dear Dr. Cowen; You are a symbol of courage and pragmatism! I am so happy for you, after all that pain from people who misunderstood you during the Tulane athletic discussion.The coalition of university presidents will work. In the course of time more schools will join the coalition, and it will be a potent group for reform. I continue to wish you the very best. With warm regards. ***** All 65,000 strong fans at LaVell Edwards Stadium and thousands more who support BYU will support this movement. BYU fans are tired of hearing that the Cougars do not belong to a so called Bowl Championship. It has nothing to do with being worthy of belonging to the BCS, it is more to do with those schools don't want anybody else in, period! It is OK for them to invite Non-BCS teams to their stadiums to make millions each season, but those teams will not travel to Non-BCS schools because they are afraid of losing. The only Fair and Equitable solution is a playoff system where every team is allowed the chance to compete on the same level and show "on the field" who the best team is....it should not be based on a calculated and biased BCS ranking system that only allows a limited number of teams to compete. ***** I would like to congratulate Tulane and President Cowen for having the intestinal fortitude to press this issue forward. You have put it on the front page as an issue in college athletics, and I believe the fans & alumni support you 100%. Personally I have written congressman and senators on this topic. Let us fans & alumni know whatever else we can do to help. Thank you President Cowen. ***** What, if anything, can i do as an alum of East Carolina University do to help? I've e-mailed the athletic administration to encourage their participation in Dr. Cowen's efforts... What else can I do as an individual? ***** President Cowan: Simply to say thank you for your leadership as well as the other 44 participating Division one universities/colleges who are working toward equity (regarding BCS,etc.), higher academic standards and lowering the costs of college sports. My husband John and I who are ardent East Carolina University Pirate fans salute you, and also support Dr. Muse (ECU) and the entire group's efforts. If there is any general agreement of an appropriate way in which alumni of the involved schools can also help to address this issue, I would expect that our individual school leaders, will inform us in some way. Our support does not change on this issue whether our university should or should not become part of a current BCS conference anytime in the future. This issue is long overdue on being addressed, and I feel confident that a united group effort will make some significant change in the near future for the betterment of college sports in general, our student athletes, and our university communities. Thank you again. July 14, 2003 I applaud the President of Tulane University for speaking up about the inequities of college football with the BCS. I stand proud that our son is a graduate of Tulane University! ***** This article appeared in Sunday's Orlando Sentinel on the front page of the Sport's Section. Tulane's position in the BCS challenge is being recognized as that of a leader willing to take a stand for the spirit of equitable collegiate sports and academic excellence. Our family is very proud to be associated with this effort! Great job President Cowen! |