OCR Text |
Show Changes in BCS playoff Obama, Hatch request playoff system E Jeff Chipian StaffWriter 3 more commercial spots, more O excitement and overall more money, Saltas said. Who wouldnt like more money? There are different ideas on how a college football playoff should go. One idea comes from current Westminster student and football enthusiast, Cooper Henderson. Henderson would like to see the top 16 teams in the overall polls play in a four week playoff. The last eight teams involved in the playoff would play in the four major BCS Bowl games: Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and the Rose Bowl. Then the NCAA would add two more games to declare the champion. When asked what he thought about the current format, Henderson said, Its not University of Utahs Rice Ecces Stadium. fair. Only the top six conferences with the most money automatically qualify for the major bowl games. Its all about the money. Senator Orrin Hatch has been a key contributor in in BCS revenue. The current system also allows for more than one fighting the BCS over the division of money. On July season, there were three champion. In the 2002-200- 3 1, 2009 Hatch was published in Sports Illustrated. teams. LSU, Oklahoma and USC. LSU played He said Congress has to get involved or nothing will one-lo- ss get done. Every team from a preferred conference Oklahoma in the championship game, but USC, who automatically receives a share from an enormous pot was ranked No. 1 in the Coaches Poll and Associated of revenue generated by the BCS, even if they fail to Press Poll, was excluded from the game. After LSU win a single game, Hatch said. On the other hand, and USC won their respected bowl games, they were teams from the less favored conferences are guaranteed told by the NCAA they were both champions. USC to receive a much smaller share, no matter how many and LSU shared the national title for 2003. That mess basically sparked all the recent games they win. The numbers are staggering, Hatch said. Last year controversy, Henderson said. If they ever try to the Mountain West Conference had one team qualify crown two champions again, I will start a riot. A playoff would just give all the top teams a chance for the BCS, Utah, as did three of the automatic-bi- d conferences. Yet under the BCS, formula the Mountain to play for the title, Saltas said. I dont want to see West received $9.8 million roughly half of what the two champions again or another team left out of the three bigger conferences got. And despite having the title like Utah was last year. j? nations only other undefeated team, Boise State, the Western Athletic Conference received just $3.2 million coverage, The University of Utah just beat Alabama and will now play the Florida Gators for the National Championship. This game never happened due to the current NCAA BCS format The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) relies on a combination of polls and computer selection methods to determine relative team rankings. The computer narrows the field to two teams to play in the BCS National Championship Game held after all other college bowl games. It has been in place since the 1998 season, but a number of controversial selections have spurred changes in the system that continues into the present according to BCSfootball.org. . Even President Barack Obama .wants to see this system change. During an interview for 60 Minutes on Nov. 18, 2008, Obama was asked if he thought there should be some sort of BCS playoff for the championship.. Obama said an eight team, three week playoff that would crown the national champion would be an improvement. In another interview with Steve Kroft, Obama said, If youve got a bunch of teams who play throughout the season, and many of them have one loss or two losses, theres no clear decisive winner. We should be creating a playoff system. University of Utah student and avid college football fan, Pete Saltas agreed with Obamas idea. If we had this last year, Utah would have been given a chance to play Florida for the title, Saltas said. With such a gap in between the final game of the regular season and the final bowl games, it wouldnt be that hard to add just two more games. Last year Utah ended their regular season with a win over BYU on Nov. 22, 2008. The Sugar Bowl wasnt until Jan. 2, 2009. The two extra games could provide the NCAA with more media Griffins Volleyball goes 3-- 1 in conference place Welcomes newcomers, looks forward to playoffs Jeff Sparrow StaffWriter Jt is a young Womens volleyball spiked the competition the last three games of the season. The Westminster womens volleyball team for 2009 is starting their season with a record of 1 at the time of publication.3-- - The Griffins started the conference season by winning the last three out of four games, two of which were at home in the Behnken Field House. In their last two home matches they dominated and put up a 0 score against two teams, which leaves the Griffins with a 1 record for the Frontier Conference. The next home game will be against Montana Tech in the Behnken Field House on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7p.m. The players are looking to win the title of the Frontier Conference championship and go to the Nationals Championships in 2009. Two of the three seniors on the team, Whitney Roseborough and Kelsey Schaufler have put up good stats throughout their three years at Westminster leading to many wins in the past. Roseborough has accumulated 148 kills, 413 digs and 30 assists during her volleyball career at Westminster, according to the athletics website. Schaufler has a career total of 85 kills, 51 digs and 17 assists. Kim Norman, head coach said, 3-- 3-- VOLUME XLIII: ISSUE 3 team and my seniors, as well as everyone on the team has shown leadership, commitment, and a work ethic on and off the court. The womens volleyball team also has many of new players this fall. This seasons newcomers have played a big role in the Griffins wins so far. Ashley Marchant and Stephanie Jones, both freshmen, are an important part of the team this year and will be for the next few . years at Westminster. According to the athletics website, Marchant has played a total of 13 games this year and already has ot tall compiled a total of 132 kills. Jones, a 16 has of has freshman, played a total games and accumulated 70 kills this year. Ericka Evans has been a big part in the teams success through the past two years and this year. She has a lot of commitment and will lead the team to further wins through the season, said Norman. Evans is a junior and is leading the team in kills and hitting efficiency. Standing at 510, Evans has a career total of 484 kills, 423 digs and 34 assists according to the athletics website. Im excited for the season and look forward to winning the Frontier Conference and hopefully do well in the National Championships as well as have fun six-fo- 6 with the great group of girls on and off the court, said Evans. Norman and Brenda Whicker, assistant coach, have been preparing the Griffins team in the to make for a stellar year in 2009 according to Norman. They have played 12 teams in the preseason and nine out of those teams have been nationally ranked. This is Normans sixth season for the Westminster volleyball program. She took over the team in 2004 and has a record of 86-6- 8 overall. Norman has volleyball experience from coaching Highland High School in 1992 to founding the High Country Volleyball Club. I look forward in teaching the team and preparing the girls for the hard working wins they deserve. The kids are focused and have a lot of drive, said Norman. I love coaching at Westminster. I have been many places before and the great environment, community and student support from The Nest makes Westminster a great place to coach. off-seas- on n of |