Bill Hancock explains BCS stance on USC, Fiesta Bowl and Justice Department
BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock joined the show to talk about USC and other big topics in college football.
— Dan asked Hancock who the champion was in 2004. “There is no national champion,” Hancock said. “The title will just be vacated.”
— Hancock explained why there isn’t another champion. “Had USC not been eligible, it’s not possible to tell who would have played in the national championship,” Hancock said.
— Hancock said that the USC decision wasn’t hard because they have a policy about NCAA findings.
— Hancock said that it’s not necessarily accurate to say a team like UConn lost money going to a bowl. Hancock said that’s partly because of how the conference splits up the money.
— Hancock said had the Fiesta Bowl not taken the action it took, the BCS likely would have severed ties with it. He said they had no idea what was happening and called the report about the Fiesta Bowl organizers “devastating.”
— Hancock explained that the Justice Department invited them to come explain why the BCS was created and how it functions. “We feel so strongly that the BCS was created with the anti-trust laws in line, we don’t think it’s illegal,” Hancock said.
Hancock doesn’t know if the Justice Department can force a playoff. But if the government did eliminate the BCS, then college football would likely go back to the old bowl system and then No. 1 and No. 2 would rarely meet for the title.
— Hancock said that the only significant change they’re considering right now is moving the title game closer to Jan. 1.
— Dan asked if he would consider a final four. Dan and Hancock mentioned a few scenarios, but Hancock shot them down.