The UT football team may not compete in Bowl Championship Series games if either of two bills protesting the playoff system pass through the Texas Legislature.
Senate Bill 1790, filed Tuesday by state Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, would prohibit Texas NCAA teams from playing in post-season games unless the games are "part of a national playoff system."
In order to qualify, a playoff system would have to consist of "at least 16 teams competing in successive elimination games resulting in a final game for the national championship of the entire division or level of intercollegiate competition," according to the bill's text.
In order for the bill to take effect, however, similar legislation must be enacted in at least four other states. Qualifying states are Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina and Washington.
If four of these states do not pass similar legislation, the bill would expire Dec. 2, before most BCS bids are received. The University received its Rose Bowl bid Dec. 5, 2004.
"The BCS worked out well for the University this year," said state Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, author of the House's Concurrent Resolution 46, which would also eliminate the playoff system. "They've been dropped twice before, though."
This is the first year the University has played in the Rose Bowl, which is one of the top four BCS games. Mack Brown, UT football coach, has often stood up against the BCS and its method of choosing teams. Rather than a gradual elimination to find the teams for playoffs, sportswriter polls and computer rankings play a large role in deciding which teams will play.
"Obviously, there are some problems when two of the past three years, a team will play for the national championship when it didn't even win its conference championship," Brown said. "Some things need to be tweaked."
Oklahoma, ranked second in the nation by the Associated Press and first by the BCS computer average, has no current legislation similar to Texas' proposed bills. The deadline for filing bills in the Legislature passed March 11, but the Senate voted unanimously Tuesday to allow Wentworth to file the bill - an action he considers "a symbolic move."
Wentworth was not available for comment Wednesday. This is the first year the University has played in the Rose Bowl, which is one of the top four BCS games. Mack Brown, head UT football coach, has often stood up against the BCS and its method of choosing teams. Rather than a gradual elimination to find the teams for playoffs, sportswriter polls and computer rankings play a large role in deciding which teams will play.
"Obviously, there are some problems when two of the past three years, a team will play for the national championship when it didn't even win its conference championship," Brown said. "Some things need to be tweaked."
Oklahoma, ranked second in the nation by The Associated Press and first by the BCS computer average, has no current legislation similar to Texas' proposed bills. The deadline for filing bills in the Legislature passed March 11, but the Senate voted unanimously Tuesday to allow Wentworth to file the bill - an action he considers "a symbolic move."
Wentworth was not available for comment Wednesday.
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