Editorial: College football is NCAA’s concern, not Congress’

Editorial
Published: April 21, 2008

Congress can’t find proper solutions for health care, immigration or a suffering economy, so it’s ridiculous to believe three members have the answer for improving college football.

Representatives Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii; Lynn Westmoreland, R-Georgia; and Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, are appealing to the Justice Department to investigate the legalities of the controversial Bowl Championship Series, which ultimately chooses the teams that will play for the national title.

The congressmen want the Justice Department to determine whether the BCS violates federal law.

We have serious issues in this nation, but three elected officials are wasting public tax dollars on football rather than finding solutions to make this a better America. Granted, college football is important, not just from an entertainment standpoint of its fans, but more importantly the economic standpoint of many communities. The argument is that the bowl format prevents smaller universities from participating in postseason games, namely the BCS.

Hello ... Hawaii and Boise State participated in BCS bowls the last two years, while Utah played in the Fiesta Bowl after the 2004 season.

“It’s money. That’s what this is all about,” Abercrombie said.

Money? Everything in a capitalist society revolves around money. Any such statement from a congressman borders on hypocritical. Would they prefer college football operate in a state of socialism?

Sure, the BCS does not come without controversy. Choosing the teams that would play for the championship long before the BCS was controversial, too. Whether or not college football’s highest level should or should not have a playoff is an issue best left up to the NCAA – an organization that has far more experience in college athletics than lawmakers in Washington. Changing the BCS is a popular argument, but not one for Capitol Hill.

Perhaps these three lawmakers are miffed more because schools in their respective states were not chosen to play in the national championship game, or perhaps they are simply pandering to their constituents.

* Boise State concluded an unbeaten 2006 season with an upset victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, but Florida and Ohio State played for the
championship.

* Last year, unbeaten Hawaii was not chosen to play for the national championship game as many argued the Warriors’ Western Athletic Conference schedule was not on par with the big boys. They were right. Georgia introduced Hawaii to SEC football with a 41-10 Sugar Bowl pounding.

* And then there’s Westmoreland, who remained bitter that his two-loss Bulldogs were not given the opportunity to play for the national title instead of two-loss LSU, which manhandled Ohio State in the championship. Georgia may have been the best team in the nation in December, but the Bulldogs failed to win their own division, let alone conference.
Tennessee settled that issue 35-14 in Knoxville on Oct. 6.

Instead of forcing college football’s hand, the congressmen should instead remain a disgruntled fan and bicker about perceived unfairness on radio talk shows and Internet message boards.
After all, none of them represented a school that went 13-0, won the SEC and watched the national title game on television.