re: If you need a reason to hate the bowl system

> Of the 120 athletic departments that play I-A
> football, 106 lost money in 2009, according to
> an NCAA report

Yes, I did take that one sentence out of context. Here are the other 2 paragraphs:

...
Of the 120 athletic departments that play I-A football, 106 lost money in 2009, according to an NCAA report. Budget shortfalls forced the University of California in September to cut five sports. Virginia hit up students for $11.9 million in fees for the 2008--09 school year to offset athletic department operating expenses. Cincinnati reached two consecutive BCS bowls and still found itself $24 million in debt. All over the country, schools are turning to student fees, academic funds and taxpayer support to balance the athletic department's books, which helps explain the uptick in so-called pay games (Hey, LSU, good luck this Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe!), conference realignments and expansion of the men's basketball tournament.

In the teeth of the worst economic downturn in several generations, it stands to reason that university presidents might look favorably on ideas that could dramatically raise revenue. Speaking to Congress in 2005, no less staunch a playoff opponent than Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany estimated that "an NFL-style football playoff would generate three or four times" more than "the current system does." That could mean an estimated $700 million to $800 million annually to be distributed among the I-A conferences.
...

After reading this, I bet next year's parking fees are being setup to cover our hopeful BCS Sugar Bowl game :-)

I'm still stunned that the university presidents would walk away from all of this potential money, just to keep the balance of power shifted to the big conferences.

I think I am now officially on board with Wetzel's 16 team playoff with including all conferences champions included and 5 at large teams. I think the SEC would continue to win in the playoff systems, with LSU getting a shot every 3-5 years.

Now I just need to figure out how to become an executive director of a major bowl before they are gone :-)