"BCS History Lesson please..." Topic

So how did the powers that be assign "weenie" status to certain conferences? Was it just a "screw you guys" kind of deal? Did the SEC stand up and offer to "step outside" if Boise State had an issue? Did the smaller conferences even get a voice in the great cabal or was the tri-lateral commission involved?

Money talks.

The 'important' conferences are the ones who tend to draw large audiences and make the most money.

The system had to be set up in such a way to keep those conferences happy. Doing otherwise would risk them setting up their own system that completely leaves out the little guys.

Also, at the time, the "weenie" (I like the name) conferences were really bad. IIRC even BYU was in the middle of a slump. And of course, no one looked ahead.

All the special rules around bowls and certain teams pretty much indicate all the wrangling that had to happen to get the big conferences to buy into the system. All the TV money really helped.

The same mindset that says "Any time Notre Dame is any way close, they get in." As the rules are now written, ND gets to deduct a loss…
Luckily that has not come in for a while.

I think the original deal in 1996 was predicated on a status quo in which only the power conferences and Notre Dame got regular TV exposure with consequent impacts on revenue and recruiting. With at least one game on most nights when the NFL isn't playing, the Boise States of the world make money and attract recruits. That change coupled with the scholarship reductions that prevent Alabama from stockpiling athletes to prevent them playing anywhere else has democratized college football and enabled the Davids to challenge the Goliaths with startling regularity.

The good news, UF is guranteed a NC game if they lose to FSU, according to the BCS.

Analyst on tonites TX-KU game mentioned that the only intent of the BCS was purely to place Numbers 1 and 2 in the same game. The other BCS bowls don't really matter and the teams are chosen purely as a business decision by the bowl committees based upon fan support and TV ratings.