Should the government tell the NCAA they must have a playoff system? by David S
(libertarian)
Friday, May 1, 2009
This bill has been around since January but just came to my attention. Should government dictate that the NCAA have a playoff system?
What do you think?
Text of bill:
College Football Playoff Act of 2009 (Introduced in House)
HR 390 IH
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 390
To prohibit, as an unfair and deceptive act or practice, the promotion, marketing, and advertising of any post-season NCAA Division I football game as a national championship game unless such game is the culmination of a fair and equitable playoff system.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 9, 2009
Mr. BARTON of Texas (for himself, Mr. RUSH, and Mr. MCCAUL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To prohibit, as an unfair and deceptive act or practice, the promotion, marketing, and advertising of any post-season NCAA Division I football game as a national championship game unless such game is the culmination of a fair and equitable playoff system.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `College Football Playoff Act of 2009'.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) college football games, including post-season football games, depend upon competition between college and university teams traveling in interstate commerce;
(2) the competitions involve and affect interstate commerce and are therefore within Congress's constitutional authority to regulate;
(3) the total economic impact in the host cities from the 5 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) games in January 2008 was estimated at more than $1.2 billion;
(4) collegiate athletic conferences whose teams participate in each BCS bowl game share $17.5 million in revenue;
(5) the BCS system recognizes the important economic impact to a city hosting the BCS championship game and therefore rotates it among cities; and
(6) the colleges and universities whose teams participate in the post-season football bowls experience significant financial windfall including increased applications for enrollment, recruiting advantages, increased alumni donations, and increased corporate sponsorship that provides a competitive advantage over universities whose teams are ineligible or statistically at a disadvantage from the BCS bowl competitions because of their conference affiliation.
SEC. 3. PROHIBITED ACT.
(a) Promotion of Game- It shall be unlawful for any person to promote, market, or advertise a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football game as a championship or national championship game, unless the game is the final game of a single elimination post-season playoff system for which all NCAA Division I FBS conferences and unaffiliated Division I FBS teams are eligible.
(b) Merchandising- It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, market, or advertise any merchandise related to a post-season NCAA Division I FBS football game that refers to the game as a championship or national championship game, unless the game is the final game of a single elimination post-season playoff system for which all NCAA Division I FBS conferences and unaffiliated Division I FBS teams are eligible.
SEC. 4. ENFORCEMENT BY THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION.
Read the rest at the Library of Congress http://thomas.loc.gov/Type in H.R. 390 and click "bill number"
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Posted By: Paul Sturdivant
Date: 2009-05-01 18:35:50
Any superfluous governmental intervention into private business is to be avoided. The BCS is a business. Schools enter into a contract with that business under an already specified set of selection rules.
Hi David, the bill is actually hilarious in a perverse sort of way! the sponsors alma maters must have lost out in the ratings!
We should also consider that any taxpayer dollar that goes to support college sports is misguided. If we agree to public college education [and i am not taking a position] certainly college "sports" should be removed from the spectra of "education" and be supported with other than government funds.
Posted By: Richard Archer
Date: 2011-02-26 11:49:07
Everyone, no matter what political quarter they occupy in the symbol above on your site, must remember that the NCAA has a government exemption to the laws prohibiting monopolies and cabals. That is why a bill regarding the anti-competitive NCAA is valid. As Public Policy the People have determined that monopolies (Anti Trust Laws) are inherently against the freedom in our founding documents and the NCAA has been given a PASS by the goodness of the People. So don't push it NCAA, instead just have a fair, equal, balanced, open Playoff for the National Championship in Major College Football http://ncaa2012.com
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