Though SC wouldn't be invited to a playoff this season, the fans do want justice
For Immediate Release
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Contact: Press@PlayoffPAC.com
WASHINGTON, DC-The Wall Street Journal reported late Friday evening that the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection is “gearing up for a vote as soon as next week on a bill aimed at forcing a national college-football playoff.” The Subcommittee is chaired by Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL). A summary of the College Football Playoff Act, sponsored by Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX), can be found here. Playoff PAC co-founder Matthew Sanderson is available for comment regarding the College Football Playoff Act and the upcoming Subcommittee vote.
Playoff PAC is a federal political committee dedicated to discarding the Bowl Championship Series and establishing a competitive post-season championship for college football. Playoff PAC’s official launch earlier this year received national media coverage and support from key Members of Congress. Playoff PAC has been integral to the flurry of recent developments in college football reform.
Mr. Sanderson praised the Subcommittee’s move: “Representatives Barton and Rush continue to show bipartisan leadership in this area. Yes, America has weightier issues to tackle. But this issue merits some attention because college football is a billion-dollar enterprise that affects schools’ funding for athletic programs, scholarships, and capital projects. That revenue is important in this economy, and the BCS has been distributing funds in an anti-competitive manner. Since the BCS is unresponsive to overwhelming public sentiment, our elected officials should speak-up for their constituents.”
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON PLAYOFF PAC
What Is Playoff PAC?
Playoff PAC is a federal political committee dedicated to establishing a competitive post-season championship for college football. The Bowl Championship Series is inherently flawed. It crowns champions arbitrarily and stifles inter-conference competition. Fans, players, schools, and corporate sponsors will be better served when the BCS is replaced with an accessible playoff system that recognizes and rewards on-the-field accomplishment. To that end, Playoff PAC supports pro-reform political candidates, mobilizes public support, and provides a centralized source of pro-reform news, thought, and scholarship.
How Will Playoff PAC Help Reform College Football?
Playoff PAC fills a void in existing reform efforts. Many groups ask the public to sign petitions or boycott BCS sponsors. But frankly, more substantial measures are necessary to build the sustained public and political pressure that will bring meaningful reform.
Change will happen when there are more college football reformers in Congress. Until now, only a small, dedicated group of federal officeholders has taken action on this issue. The BCS has wrongly dismissed them as political panderers and quickly diffused pressure that resulted from congressional hearings and legislation. The BCS could not successfully do this if the coalition of college football reformers were broader. This “reform caucus” must be expanded so BCS officials understand that federal intervention is imminent if they refuse to answer the public’s calls for change. Playoff PAC will therefore vigorously support pro-reform candidates and defend individuals who advance reform proposals.
Change will happen when the reform movement coalesces and matures. The BCS offers the public and media a centralized information source where it aggressively promotes its agenda. In contrast, pro-reform thought is scattered around the Internet in countless op-eds and fan blog posts, where most BCS arguments are not rebutted. The BCS’s days without daily, active, and organized opposition are over. Playoff PAC aggregates news and high-quality scholarship from the reform community and vigorously refutes BCS arguments through its website and other public communications.
Through these and other activities, Playoff PAC will play a crucial role in replacing the BCS status quo with an accessible playoff system that encourages inter-conference competition and crowns national champions based on their on-the-field accomplishments.
