BCS National Championship Game
| BCS National Championship Game | |
|---|---|
| File:Uf2008CoachesTrophy.jpg AFCA National Championship Trophy, awarded to the BCS National Champion. | |
| Stadium | Rotates among the following: University of Phoenix Stadium; Louisiana Superdome; Sun Life Stadium; & Rose Bowl |
| Location | Rotates among the following: Glendale, Arizona; New Orleans, Louisiana; Miami Gardens, Florida; & Pasadena, California |
| Operated | 1998–present |
| Payout | US$18,000,000 (As of 2009) |
| Sponsors | |
| 2010 matchup | |
| Alabama vs. Texas (Alabama 37–21) | |
| 2011 matchup | |
| Auburn vs. Oregon (January 10, 2011) | |
The BCS National Championship Game is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as NCAA Division I-A). The participants are the two highest-ranked teams in the BCS standings at the end of the regular college football season, currently determined by averaging the results of the final weekly USA Today Coaches' Poll, Harris Interactive Poll of media, former players and coaches, and the average of six participating computer rankings.
Since the formation of the Bowl Championship Series, there have been several controversies regarding the schools selected to participate in the BCS National Championship Game. Most notably, following the 2003 season, the BCS ranking system selected the #3 ranked school in the Associated Press writers' poll, the University of Oklahoma, over the #1 ranked school in that poll, the University of Southern California, to participate in the National Championship Game (the Nokia Sugar Bowl) despite Oklahoma's decisive loss to Kansas State in the 2003 Big 12 Championship Game. 2003 is the only season, to date, since the inception of the BCS in which the national championship has been split, with Louisiana State University winning the BCS national championship and the University of Southern California winning the AP national championship and the FWAA national championship.
The National Championship Game for the 2010 season at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona was held on on January 10, 2011, sponsored by Tostitos, and televised by the ESPN television network. The game featured the #1 Auburn Tigers and the #2 Oregon Ducks.
History
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The game was first played at the conclusion of the 1998 college football season in accordance with an agreement reached by the Big Ten and Pac-10 conferences and the Rose Bowl Game to join the members of the former "Bowl Alliance" to create the Bowl Championship Series. The Bowl Alliance and its predecessor, the Bowl Coalition, featured championship games from 1992 through 1997. However, these did not ensure a matchup between the top two ranked teams because of the lack of participation by the Big Ten and Pac-10.
The game was initially rotated among the four participating bowl games, the (Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, and Sugar Bowl). However, beginning with the 2006 season, the BCS National Championship Game became a separate event played at the same site as a host bowl a week following New Year's Day.
Game results
- For Bowl Coalition championship game results from 1992–1994, see: Bowl Coalition
- For Bowl Alliance championship game results from 1995–1997, see: Bowl Alliance
^1 † Double overtime
^2 ‡ Pursuant to NCAA sanctions, running back Reggie Bush was declared retroactively ineligible for the 2005 Orange Bowl. The BCS has formally vacated the Trojans' victory, but USC remains the 2004 BCS national champion pending a decision by the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee.
Records by conference
*Miami and Virginia Tech moved to the ACC in 2004. No current member of the Big East has played in a BCS championship game.
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Records by team
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Game records
| Team | Performance vs. Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Most points scored | 55, USC vs. Oklahoma | 2005 |
| Fewest points allowed | 2, Oklahoma vs. Florida State | 2001 |
| First downs | 30, Texas vs. USC 30, USC vs. Texas |
2006 2006 |
| Rushing yards | 289, Texas vs. USC (36 att.) | 2006 |
| Passing yards | 365, USC vs. Texas | 2006 |
| Total yards | 574, USC vs. Texas (209 rush, 365 pass) | 2006 |
| Individual | Performance, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
| Total offense | 467, Vince Young, Texas vs. USC (267 pass, 200 rush) | 2006 |
| Rushing yards | 200, Vince Young (QB), Texas vs. USC (19 att.) | 2006 |
| Rushing TDs | 3, Vince Young (QB), Texas vs. USC 3, LenDale White, USC vs. Texas |
2006 2006 |
| Passing yards | 365, Matt Leinart, USC vs. Texas (29-40-1, 1 TD) | 2006 |
| Passing TDs | 5, Matt Leinart, USC vs. Oklahoma | 2005 |
| Receptions | 11, Kellen Winslow Jr., Miami vs. Ohio State (122 yards, 1 TD) | 2003 |
| Receiving yards | 199, Peerless Price, Tennessee vs. Florida State (4 rec., 1 TD) | 1999 |
| Receiving TDs | 3, Steve Smith, USC vs. Oklahoma | 2005 |
| Field goals | 2, Chris Hetland, Florida vs. Ohio State (tied with 3 others) | 2007 |
| Tackles | 18, James Laurinaitis, Ohio State vs. LSU | 2008 |
| Sacks | 3, Derrick Harvey, Florida vs. Ohio State | 2007 |
| Interceptions | 2, Sean Taylor, Miami vs. Ohio State | 2003 |
| Long Plays | Performance, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
| Touchdown run | 65, Chris "Beanie" Wells, Ohio State vs. LSU | 2008 |
| Touchdown pass | 79, Tee Martin to Peerless Price, Tennessee vs. Florida State | 1999 |
| Kickoff return | 93, Ted Ginn Jr., Ohio State vs. Florida (TD) | 2007 |
| Punt return | 71, DeJuan Groce, Nebraska vs. Miami (TD) | 2002 |
| Interception return | 54, Dwayne Goodrich, Tennessee vs. Florida State (TD) | 1999 |
| Punt | 63, A.J. Trapasso, Ohio State vs. LSU | 2008 |
| Field goal | 46, David Pino, Texas vs. USC | 2006 |
Criticisms and controversy
Critics of the current BCS championship argue against the internal validity of the current BCS National Championship, which is awarded to the winner of a single postseason game, the BCS National Championship game. Critics lament that the participants in this game are decided based upon polls and computers; not by previous on-field competition as is this the case in other major sports and other levels of college football which employ playoff format championships. Often, the BCS system leads to controversies in which multiple teams finish seasons with equal records, and voters must distinguish the worthiness of their participation in the BCS National Championship game. Without providing any objective criteria for evaluation of these teams, the BCS also forces voters to impose their own standards and tiebreakers. Critics note that the system inherently fosters selection bias, and therefore, lacks external validity.[1]
Controversies concerning inclusion in the BCS National Championship Game are numerous. In 2003, for example, USC was not included in the BCS Championship Game, but beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl and ended up #1 in the Associated Press final poll. The following season, in 2004, undefeated Auburn University, Boise State University and University of Utah teams were left out of the National Championship Game (the FedEx Orange Bowl), although those teams were undefeated as well. In 2001, Oregon, second ranked in the AP poll, was bypassed in favor of Nebraska despite Nebraska's loss in its final regular season game to the University of Colorado. In 2008, the University of Utah was excluded from the BCS championship for a second time despite being the only undefeated Division I-A team at the end of the season and finished second behind 13–1 Florida. In 2009, five schools finished the regular season undefeated: Alabama, Texas, Cincinnati, Texas Christian University, and Boise State, however the BCS selected traditional powers Alabama and Texas to participate in the BCS National Championship Game as they were the top two teams in the BCS rankings. However, only Alabama and Boise State emerged from the postseason undefeated.
Many critics of the Bowl Championship Series favor a larger championship tournament with eight to sixteen teams, similar to that administered by the NCAA for its Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Division II, and Division III football championships. Others favor adopting the incremental step of adding a single post-bowl championship game between the winners of two BCS games among the top four ranked teams in the BCS standings, the so-called "plus one" option. The SEC and ACC conferences have recently pushed for some form of playoff system. On June 24, 2009, the BCS presidential oversight committee rejected the Mountain West Conference's proposed eight-team playoff plan.[2]
Future
The game's location rotates among the sites of the BCS bowls. Future scheduled sites are as follows (note the years shown are for the game, which occurs in the calendar year following the corresponding NCAA football season):
- University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona in 2011 (Tostitos BCS National Championship Game)
- Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana in 2012 (Allstate BCS National Championship Game)
- Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida in 2013 (Discover BCS National Championship Game)
- Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California in 2014 (Vizio BCS National Championship Game)
The title sponsor of the BCS National Championship Game each year is the same as that of the bowl game in that year's host location. Thus, the 2007 game was the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game, after the title sponsor of the Fiesta Bowl. The following year saw it become the Allstate BCS National Championship, and the 2009 game bears the FedEx brand. The 2010 game had Citi as its title sponsor.[3]
Based upon television contracts between the BCS and the Pasadena Tournament of Roses with ESPN, the BCS will retain its current format through at least the 2014 season, when the game will be sponsored by Vizio.[4]
Media coverage
Television
From 1999 through 2006, ABC broadcast eight BCS National Championship Games pursuant to broadcasting rights negotiated with the BCS and the Rose Bowl, whose rights were offered separately. Beginning with the 2006–07 season, FOX obtained the BCS package, consisting of the Orange Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and the BCS National Championship Games hosted by these bowls, with ABC retaining the rights to the Rose Bowl and BCS National Championship Games hosted by the Rose Bowl (such as the 2010 edition)
On November 18, 2008, the BCS announced that ESPN had won the television rights to the BCS National Championship Game for 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. The contract with ESPN is notable as it appears the BCS National Championship Game will become the most prominent annual sporting event not to be shown over broadcast television.[5]
| Year | Network(s) | Bowl | Play-by-play announcer | Color analyst(s) | Sideline reporter(s) | Studio host(s) | Studio analyst(s) | TV Rating[6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | ABC | Fiesta Bowl | Keith Jackson | Bob Griese | Lynn Swann | John Saunders | Todd Blackledge | 17.2 |
| 2000 | ABC | Sugar Bowl | Brent Musburger | Gary Danielson | Lynn Swann and Jack Arute | John Saunders | Terry Bowden | 17.5 |
| 2001 | ABC | Orange Bowl | Brad Nessler | Bob Griese | Lynn Swann and Jack Arute | John Saunders | Terry Bowden | 17.8 |
| 2002 | ABC | Rose Bowl | Keith Jackson | Tim Brant | Lynn Swann and Todd Harris | John Saunders | Terry Bowden | 13.9 |
| 2003 | ABC | Fiesta Bowl | Keith Jackson | Dan Fouts | Lynn Swann and Todd Harris | John Saunders | Terry Bowden | 17.2 |
| 2004 | ABC | Sugar Bowl | Brent Musburger | Gary Danielson | Lynn Swann and Jack Arute | John Saunders | Terry Bowden and Craig James | 14.5 |
| 2005 | ABC | Orange Bowl | Brad Nessler | Bob Griese | Lynn Swann and Todd Harris | John Saunders | Craig James and Aaron Taylor | 13.7 |
| 2006 | ABC | Rose Bowl | Keith Jackson | Dan Fouts | Todd Harris and Holly Rowe | John Saunders | Craig James and Aaron Taylor | 21.7 |
| 2007 | FOX | 2007 BCS National Championship Game | Thom Brennaman | Barry Alvarez and Charles Davis | Chris Myers | Chris Rose | Eddie George, Emmitt Smith and Jimmy Johnson | 17.4 |
| 2008 | FOX | 2008 BCS National Championship Game | Thom Brennaman | Charles Davis | Chris Myers | Chris Rose | Eddie George, Urban Meyer and Jimmy Johnson | 17.4 |
| 2009 | FOX | 2009 BCS National Championship Game | Thom Brennaman | Charles Davis | Chris Myers | Chris Rose | Eddie George, Barry Switzer and Jimmy Johnson | 15.8 |
| 2010 | ABC | 2010 BCS National Championship Game | Brent Musburger | Kirk Herbstreit | Lisa Salters and Tom Rinaldi | Chris Fowler and Rece Davis | Lee Corso, Desmond Howard, Pete Carroll, Lou Holtz and Mark May | 17.2 |
| 2011 | ESPN ESPN 3D |
2011 BCS National Championship Game | Brent Musburger | Kirk Herbstreit | Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi | Chris Fowler | Desmond Howard, Urban Meyer and Nick Saban | TBD |
| 2012 | ESPN | BCS National Championship Game | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 2013 | ESPN | BCS National Championship Game | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 2014 | ESPN | BCS National Championship Game | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
- Expected announcer, subject to change.
Radio
Since 2007 the BCS National Championship Game has been broadcast on ESPN Radio:
| Year | Network | Play-by-play announcer | Color analyst(s) | Sideline reporter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | ESPN Radio | Brent Musburger | Bob Davie and Todd Blackledge | Lisa Salters |
| 2008 | ESPN Radio | Brent Musburger | Kirk Herbstreit | Lisa Salters |
| 2009 | ESPN Radio | Brent Musburger | Kirk Herbstreit | Lisa Salters |
| 2010 | ESPN Radio | Mike Tirico | Jon Gruden and Todd Blackledge | Wendi Nix |
| 2011 | ESPN Radio | Mike Tirico | Jon Gruden | Joe Schad |
Related national championship selections
Since there is no NCAA Division I FBS playoff, the BCS National Championship game is one of several national championship selection processes in existence.
The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) participate in a a weekly Coaches' Poll published by USA Today; for its final poll of the season, the AFCA is contractually bound to select the BCS National Champion as the national champion[7] Thus, the winner of the game is awarded the AFCA National Championship Trophy in a postgame ceremony.
The BCS National Champion is also automatically awarded the National Football Foundation's MacArthur Trophy.[8]
The Associated Press and the Football Writers Association of America are independent and may award their national championship trophies to a school other than the BCS National Championship Game winner.
References
- ^ Eight-team playoff would be ideal for college football – columnist – ESPN. Sports.espn.go.com (2008-05-20). Retrieved on 2010-11-21.
- ^ College football: BCS presidents reject playoff plan, Los Angeles Times, June 25, 2009
- ^ Allstate press release, March 22, 2006
- ^ Chris Casacchia,Vizio Nabs Four-Year Rose Bowl Presenting Sponsorship, Orange County Business Journal, October 19, 2010
- ^ ESPN, BCS agree to four-year deal for television, radio, digital rights
- ^ bcsfootball.org – TV Ratings
- ^ O'Toole, Thomas. (2009-01-14) Role of coaches' poll in BCS under review. Usatoday.Com. Retrieved on 2010-11-21.
- ^ MacArthur Trophy at the National Football Foundation
External links