Wednesday, July 24, 1996

True Championship Game for College Football Announced

By HANK KURZ Jr.
Associated Press

Granddaddy gave in, and a true college football championship game was created.

The Rose Bowl, a bowl alliance outsider which watched as its classic diminished in importance, completed the national college football title picture Tuesday when ABC announced a four-year deal to televise a championship game beginning after the 1998 season.

ABC Sports and four conferences announced the formation of a "super alliance" that brings the oldest of the bowl games, the Rose Bowl, together with the bowl alliance in a system that guarantees a championship game for the next four years.

"This is the super alliance," said Gene Corrigan, commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference. "This is the ultimate, and this is what we really wanted."

Beginning with the 1998 season, the champion will be decided from among the six major conference champions and two at-large selections. The conferences are the ACC, Big East, SEC, Big 12, all from the bowl alliance, and the Pac-10 and Big Ten, until now bound by contract to send their champions to the Rose Bowl.

The at-large selections leave room for Notre Dame, a regular among the nation's elite teams and member of the existing alliance, and another team, or two other teams in seasons when the Fighting Irish don't qualify.

Corrigan said the commissioners prefer a championship game to a playoff because a playoff would extend the season into late January.

Some terms of the agreement are still to be worked out, but coaches heralded the announcement as a giant step forward for college football.

John Robinson, whose 1978 team at Southern Cal was forced to share the national title when the AP and UPI polls differed at season's end, said the agreement should prevent similar circumstances from occurring in the future.

"This should be something that will be good for college football and for the fans of the game," Robinson said. "I'm a big fan of the Rose Bowl, but I'm also a big fan of finding a way to crown a true national champion."

In 1978, the Trojans were voted No. 1 by UPI and No. 2 by the AP, even though Southern Cal had beaten then-No. 1 Alabama 24-14 in Birmingham.

Penn State coach Joe Paterno, who has won two titles but had four unbeaten teams denied a share of the crown, said, "It's always been my contention that teams should have the opportunity to win championships on the field."

Some coaches expressed satisfaction with the concept, but said they hope computer rankings would someday play a role in determining Nos. 1 and 2.

"It's always going to be a judgment call who gets in there, as long as it's determined by voters," said Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz. "I hope they allow the computers to enter into it somewhat."

Roy Kramer, commissioner of the Southeastern Conference and a key architect in the plan, said the polls produced by the AP and CNN-USA Today will probably still play a role in determining the No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup.

So far, only the Rose Bowl is assured a spot in the mix, with the other bowls to be determined. Kramer said the Sugar, Orange and Fiesta bowls - all members of the existing alliance - will be given 60 days to negotiate their positions, after which any games interested would be considered.

Until the new alliance goes into effect, the Sugar Bowl will be host to the "championship" game this year and the Orange Bowl will get it next year. Those games won't include Big Ten or Pac-10 schools, though, because those leagues remain obligated to send their champions to the Rose Bowl.

The big winners in the deal appear to be the Rose Bowl and ABC, while the biggest loser is CBS, which could all but disappear from football.

"We were aware when we helped to create the alliance that the possible entry of the Rose Bowl would change the landscape, and were prepared for this turn of events," CBS Sports president David Kenin said. "Naturally, we would have liked to participate as broadcasters."

Rose Bowl officials did not return phone calls seeking comment from The Associated Press, but Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen said he appreciated that the agreement will allow the Rose Bowl to somewhat preserve its tradition.

"We are equally pleased that this has been achieved with limited disruption of the conference's historic relationship with the Rose Bowl game," he said. "While the possibility will exist that the Pac-10 champion might play other than in the Rose Bowl on occasion, it also will be able to play for the national championship if ranked No. 1 or No. 2."

Under terms of the new agreement, in seasons when the Pac-10 and Big Ten do not have a No. 1- or No. 2-ranked team, those teams will meet in Pasadena unless the Rose Bowl is scheduled to be host to the championship game.

Because the alliance doesn't kick in until bowl contracts with the networks also expire, ABC seems certain to add the Fiesta and Orange Bowls to its holdings, which already include the Rose and Sugar bowls. Those games, currently the property of CBS, will allow ABC to televise the championship for each of the first four years of the contract, plus three option years.