1. In your opinion, what’s most misunderstood about the BCS?
When the BCS and its predecessors began 20 years ago, they were greeted with high praise from fans and media. That’s because finally there would be an opportunity for the top two teams to meet in a bowl game. Now, of course, many fans want more. I suppose that’s human nature. But if “more” diminishes the great college football regular season, or detracts from the bowl tradition and experience for the students, I won’t be comfortable.
2. The Pac-12 and Big Ten just announced a scheduling partnership. Should the public view this as the first step towards a broad super conference that could potentially broaden the reach/scope of the BCS – or, to put it another way is this the first step toward a professional-like model where there are 65 teams in divisions under one entity instead of individual conferences?
Not at all. There is a common misconception that fewer, larger conferences will result in some sort of NFL-style post-season tournament. That’s just incorrect, because the same college presidents who do not support a tournament now will continue not to support it, no matter how many teams are in their conferences.
3. There is discussion that the BCS will only handle the #1 vs. #2 matchup (Championship Game) in the future and automatic qualifying will be eliminated. Help me understand the advantages if that happens.
First of all, the commissioners are in the midst of a quadrennial review of the BCS format. It happens every four years because the BCS contracts have been in four-year terms; the current one will expire after two more seasons. You have read in the papers that there is sentiment for change, and I would not disagree—but the extent of any change is yet to be determined. With all the variations, I suspect 50 or 60 options will be on the table. There is no leader in the clubhouse. Having said all that, some of the conferences that have not earned annual automatic qualification for their champions have proposed that the automatic berths be discontinued. And some folks believe that could be accomplished returning to a system where each bowl negotiates agreements individually with conferences. We shall see.
4. What would you like to see the BCS do differently in the future?
We have learned that mid-week games after January 1 may not be in the best interests of fans. You know, school has started back home, people have gone back to work—the holidays are over. I hope we can explore new dates for the games in the future.
5. Why are certain votes/ballots kept private and what does the BCS do to avoid conflicts of interest in voting?
The final votes of all 174 people who rank teams in the Harris poll and the coaches poll are made public. With such a large sample size, we believe any conflicts are mitigated.
6. There’s been a considerable amount of public outcry about the state of college athletics in the wake of a few major scandals in 2011. How do you feel about the state of college athletics at the moment?
Hey, 99.9999 percent of the people in college athletics are doing it right. Yes, I worry about that .0001 percent; I want this enterprise to be perfect. But it is unfair to taint many good people because of the actions of a very few. I realize good news does not sell newspapers or draw people to talk shows or chat rooms. But, goodness gracious, college athletics is strong and healthy. We need to celebrate that.
7. What are the biggest challenges for the BCS going forward?
You know, the BCS event has brought many good things to college football. It has made the game more of a national sport than ever before. It has provided that #1 vs. #2 matchup that fans wanted. I think our group’s biggest challenge going forward is to continue to help the game grow.
8. What are the biggest opportunities for the BCS going forward?
Between now and next fall, the commissioners have the opportunity to make decisions that will benefit college football for many years to come. I’m excited about that opportunity.
9. I did read that Mark Shurtleff, the Utah Attorney General, plans to file an anti-trust lawsuit against the BCS in the next 30 days or so. Can you provide any insight into what the potential implications of that legal action might be?
Consumers are better off because of the BCS—there’s more football to be watched, and there’s also a meeting of the top two teams in a bowl game, which seldom happened before. I don’t know about you, but I feel strongly that the government has more important things on its plate than managing how college football is played.
10. What do you like most about your job?
I love the logistics of managing the bowl games, and then watching the student-athletes and fans enjoy themselves. We are creating memories that will last a lifetime! Before every game, I walk the concourse, talking to fans and just soaking in the moment. I’m a lucky man.
11. What’s the most difficult aspect of your job?
There’s no such thing as a perfect job. And there’s no such thing as a bad job in these times. I suppose my biggest challenge is dealing with folks who do not want to listen.
12. What’s something most people don’t know about you?
People don't know that I dreamed of majoring in piano when I went to college. I hoped to be the next Van Cliburn. But at college, I quickly discovered that I didn’t have enough talent, sort of like a football player who excelled in Class A high school ball, but found that he couldn’t compete at the NCAA level. Anyway, music is still a big part of my life; I’m the worst member of our church choir! I love classical music, particularly all the masters—Chopin, Bach, Beethoven and Mozart. I sense that my three grandchildren also love music; that’s a great feeling.
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