Utah attorney general says BCS violates antitrust laws

[SPuL]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3814472

It'd be great if that somehow led to a bigger problem, and eventually led to a play-off. But that won't happen. We can dream tho, right? :(

[stoops the eternal pimp]

where were all these lawmakers when they instituted the BCS?

[Cam]

Is he indirectly saying that the Idaho AG is dumber since he didn't bring this up a few years ago?

Where was he when the Utes were 8-4?

[SoonerStormchaser]

This moFo should be recalled for this kind of bull**** stunt.

I hate the BCS as much as the next guy...but does he not have any crime in Utah that he has to drivel up this ****?

[Frozen Sooner]

Lawsuit fails on multiple counts. Not least of which is that Utah is free to join a BCS league.

The law does not concern itself with trivialities.

[Leroy Lizard]

Be careful what you ask for: If he succeeds, a lot of people's pet playoff, with the top-8 teams from the BCS selected, will not satisfy the court. Boise St. finished undefeated and was not allowed to compete for the national title, so the system would still be "unfair."

The easiest solution is to simply go back to the old system of letting bowls pick whichever teams they want. And that is probably what will happen.

[OUAlumni1990]

Does this disease that causes people to whine like Mack Brown have a name yet?

[JLEW1818]

i kinda like the BCS, but i would like an 8teamer more.

[Boomer Mooner]

Does this disease that causes people to whine like Mack Brown have a name yet?

I vote for Mack Brown disease. First signs are an alarming yellowing of the teeth...

[Hot Rod]

I guess people have forgotten this little nugget from guess where...


Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, the ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, didn't specify what sort of playoff he wants -- only that the BCS should go.

[UteSooner]

I agree he should be doing more important things with his time in office. That said, you probably can't find a better political winner out here in Utah (except playing the Mormon card to get elected).

[OUHOMER]

This moFo should be recalled for this kind of bull**** stunt.

I hate the BCS as much as the next guy...but does he not have any crime in Utah that he has to drivel up this ****?

I think he is doing his job. If some sort of coalition was short changing OU or any other state institution by millions of dollars our AG should be checking into it. If the BCS wants transparency there should not be conference tie ins or give ND a free pass if they win 9 games. All BCS playing teams should be paid equal at the very least.

[Sooner_Havok]

The BCS is not a monopoly. If the BCS wants to solve this problem, it is simple. Call the game between the BCS #1 and #2 something other than the National Championship game. Call it the Big Game or something.

That is their only ground for complaints. The BCS is a money sharing deal, that is perfectly legal. A group of conferences got together an decided to pool their money and create the BCS. It is just like the Big XII or Pac-10 on a larger scale basically. Baylor may suck, but they get just as much money from the Big XII as OU. The Big Ten may suck, but they get just as much money from the BCS as the SEC.

The problem popped up when they claimed the BCS crowned the National Championship. Not fair to leave poor little Utah out of being able to win a National Championship. Perfectly fair to keep the Mountain West out of a money sharing deal.

Without the National Championship, it would be like WKU suing the SEC because the SEC won't let them in.

[nytehorn]

yes, I think it is a monopoly. There should be no conference tie-ins. If you think it is not, consider the Rose Bowl; which MUST have Big 10-Pac 10, UNLESS, it is their year to host the BCS Nat'l Championship Game!! Well, after 2005, now there is a SEPERATE BCS title game, so the "Rose Bowl" can keep it's tie-ins, but now still host a BCS title game, like the Orange Bowl this year!!! TOTAL BS! It should be the 11 conf. champs, and 5 at-large in a 16 team play-off. If a school doesn't like it, they can join the MAC or Sunbelt, and have a better chance of getting in, creating even more parity in college football. Just the rantings of an old man, that seeks to witness change before death. :(

[StoopTroup]

I'll have an opinion late Thursday Night about all of this. :D

[adoniijahsooner]

How much money has Utah made for their 2 BCS games? Millions. The system that he rails against helps the university gain notoriety, money for better facilities and to help other sports, and he wants to the take them to court.

I don't know anything about the law, but it seems Utah is being well compensated.

[StoopTroup]

Shouldn't we get equal time on ESPN with phlorida?

Talk about your monopoly. ;)

[StoopTroup]

We should take Utah to Court for not fixing that lake.

[Crucifax Autumn]

Screw Utah...all they had to do was impress voters and computers enough to be 1 or 2...

Mack Carroll, Utah AG

[arcman46]

An 8 team playoff doesn't solve the problem, because if you keep all the conference winners, then you only have 2 at large bids. This year they would have gone to Texass and Alabama. Utah would have been on the outside, as would TT and tOSU.

[arcman46]

The irony of this whole BCS thing is that in the pre-BCS, Utah would probably been voted NC's due to being the only undefeated left in the country.

[sooneredaco]

I just want us to beat FU tomorrow

[OklahomaTuba]

Funny that only now someone is bringing this up.

Only thing that would come from this is the BCS adding a 5th BCS bowl game.

Cotton Bowl would probably fit pretty well into those plans with JerryWorld about to be complete.

I still think public pressure will force the plus 1 (4 team playoff) in a couple of years. We just gotta keep banging the drum. Everyone knows the BCS is BS.

[virginiasooner]

I'm sure that there's a LOT the Utah AG could be investigating, like welfare fraud by Mormon fundamentalists. May not give him good PR at home, but the rest of the country will think he's doing what he's supposed to. And if Utah wants to be in the BCS title game, here's an idea: Get together with BYU and join the Pac 10. that'll force a conference championship game, and you can quit your bitching and we can get back to something important.

[SoonerMom2]

I'm sure that there's a LOT the Utah AG could be investigating, like welfare fraud by Mormon fundamentalists. May not give him good PR at home, but the rest of the country will think he's doing what he's supposed to. And if Utah wants to be in the BCS title game, here's an idea: Get together with BYU and join the Pac 10. that'll force a conference championship game, and you can quit your bitching and we can get back to something important.

You are so right! Utah and Boise State want the advantage of the BCS without joining a BCS conference where they would be playing schools on a weekly basis instead of their one or two a year. Guess they don't want to replace the likes of Hawaii or NM State with Oregon or Oregon State or an Arizona. Can you imagine what a school like Oklahoma would do in their conference? The UT AG needs to worry about UT and quite the whine about Utah. There is a solution but one they want no part of so they can continue to play cream puffs, go undefeated, and then complain they are not respected.

[OUHOMER]

I'm sure that there's a LOT the Utah AG could be investigating, like welfare fraud by Mormon fundamentalists. May not give him good PR at home, but the rest of the country will think he's doing what he's supposed to. And if Utah wants to be in the BCS title game, here's an idea: Get together with BYU and join the Pac 10. that'll force a conference championship game, and you can quit your bitching and we can get back to something important.

Man that sounds simple, But what makes you think the PAC 10 wants to expand to 12 teams. I think they played a decent schedule. :cool:

[jkjsooner]

The problem popped up when they claimed the BCS crowned the National Championship. Not fair to leave poor little Utah out of being able to win a National Championship. Perfectly fair to keep the Mountain West out of a money sharing deal.


This can't be about the championship game as being in or out of a BCS conference bears no weight on who gets into the championship game. All teams use the same formula - if you are #1 or #2 you are in the championship game.

Utah's gripe (and they may have a valid one) is against the polls and/or computer algorithms that didn't consider them worthy. It had nothing to do with whether they were in a BCS conference or not.

Non-BCS team's only valid complaint against the BCS is that they don't get an automatic bid to the BCS bowls. That has nothing to do with the championship game.

[Leroy Lizard]

I still think public pressure will force the plus 1 (4 team playoff) in a couple of years.

What public pressure? If the college football world doesn't institute a playoff, what is the public going to do about it? Attend the games? Watch the games on tv? That will show 'em.