BCS trying to create more chance for access

BOSTON -- Bowl Championship Series officials are working on a new standard for guaranteed inclusion available to all Division I-A conferences.

Currently, only the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and Southeastern Conference have automatic qualification in the BCS.

Under BCS guidelines, a league's champions over a four-year period must have an average final ranking in the BCS standings of 12 or better to keep its automatic qualification with no questions asked. If the average falls below 12, the league's automatic qualification comes under review.

Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said Tuesday that BCS officials want to change that system.

"What we're talking about now is something more expansive," said Tranghese, the outgoing BCS coordinator. "Something that will be applied to all the conferences."

The new standard will be more involved and is a long way from done.

"It's going to be a series of things," Tranghese said. "What we're supposed to do is put a report together and bring it back to our presidents. We've done a lot of work on it, but we haven't arrived at a conclusion. The only conclusion that we've arrived at is that it will be different from what we have now and it will be more substantial."

The BCS has already taken steps to give schools in the other five Division I-A conferences more access to the big-ticket bowls by adding a fifth game. Starting in the 2006 season, the BCS will include 10 teams instead of eight, doubling the wild-card spots to four.

"The changes really are critical to our conference," Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky said. "The idea that our conferences have an opportunity to participate in the highest level of postseason play in any sport is bedrock."

Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson said BCS bowl games will be more attainable for teams in non-BCS leagues.

"People expect there will be a team from one of the non-automatic conferences playing in one of those games beginning in '06," he said. "We expect to be part of the system. I don't think any of this has been token."

Mid-American Conference commissioner Rick Chryst said big-time college football is becoming more unified.

"There's a lot of work to be done on it," he said. "This process has forced people to talk. It's encouraged people to talk. I think there's going to be some strong bonds coming out of it."

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