Enhanced Bowl Season vs. 4-team ("Plus-One") Playoff

A frequently mentioned alternative to the BCS is a "Plus-One" system that creates a four-team playoff. This has the advantage of being implemented more easily into the existing system without extending the season excessively. The disadvantages are considerable, however; perhaps the most glaring are that a plus-one system would do the little to provide access to historically disadvantaged conferences or to consistently crown a widely accepted national champion.

Click on each symbol below (box will turn grey) to read the reasons for the specific rating.

- Yes

- Limited

- No

Criteria	EBS	4-Team Playoff
Crowns a definitive and widely accepted national champion
EBS: A 12-team tournament ensures that under most circumstances all teams worthy of an opportunity to win a national championship are given that chance. The "playoff" (one element of the EBS) is consistent with the format used by every other NCAA team sport.
4-Team: While this allows for a greater number of teams to battle for a national title, it is still possible for more than four teams to deserve a shot at a national title, as was demonstrated in 2004 when USC, Oklahoma, Auburn, Utah, and Boise State were all undefeated. Distinguishing between a worthy #4 team but unworthy #5 team will likely prove difficult.
Ensures BCS conference champions play in premier bowl
EBS: All BCS conference champions are ensured a spot in the 12-team EBS tournament.
4-Team: With six BCS conferences, not all conference champions could be accommodated in the playoffs, and some champions might have to play in minor bowls.
Maintains traditional bowl affiliations for conference champions
EBS: Teams receiving byes are placed in bowls based on traditional bowl affiliations. However, this allows for only one team to be placed per bowl and the conference champion must be one of the four bye teams.
4-Team: Placing teams in traditional bowls is impossible in a 4-team system where there is no guarantee that the teams making the playoffs will have the appropriate semifinal bowls in which to play.
Provides access to non-BCS conference champions
EBS: The highest-ranked non-BCS conference champion is guaranteed a spot in the post season.
4-Team: Scheduling and polling agency bias make it nearly impossible for a non-BCS team to qualify for such a tournament.
Provides access to all teams worthy of a chance at a national championship
EBS: With all six BCS conference champions, at least one non-BCS conference champion, and potentially five at-large bids, it is very unlikely that a team deserving of a chance at the national title would be excluded.
4-Team: It is possible that more than four teams are deserving of a chance at the national championship. In addition to the five undefeated teams in the 2004 season, in 1998 (the BCS’s first year of existence) eight teams in the Top 25 had only one loss. Selecting teams worthy to play in a four team playoff (or a two team playoff in the case of the BCS) would cause justifiable controversy.
Prevents unworthy teams from having a chance at a national championship
EBS: With the possibility of a weak conference champion and as many as five at-large bids, it is possible a team with several losses would be included in the tournament
4-Team: It is highly unlikely that any of the top four teams in the country would be considered unworthy
Maintains the importance of the regular season for teams with the same number of losses as the #1 ranked team (i.e., an undefeated team)
EBS: By making available first round byes, even teams who have sewn up an EBS tournament berth still need to maintain their standing as one of the top 4 teams.
4-Team: For a team seeking one of the top four spots in the country, a late season loss could end any hopes of a national title.
Maintains the importance of regular season games for teams with one or two more losses than the #1 ranked team (i.e., one loss teams when the #1 team is undefeated).
EBS: Quality teams with only one or two losses to top teams are still very much in the hunt for the national championship. Although their path to a championship is deservingly more difficult, for these teams, their regular season is still “the most important regular season in collegiate athletics.” Another loss would eliminate them from the tournament.
4-Team: While only one or two losses might keep such a team in contention for a playoff spot, there are years when there will be too many undefeated teams or their rankings will be subject to voter bias and/or timing of losses.
Produces compelling matchups to attract a national TV audience in majority of bowl games
EBS: By the very nature of a national championship tournament and because of a lack of potentially lopsided matchups, all games are compelling.
4-Team: By the very nature of a playoff and because of a lack of potentially lopsided matchups, all games are compelling.
Advances the interest in minor bowl games
EBS: Because first round sites are hosted by minor bowls, these bowls can leverage this added interest to non-Tournament years. Non-tournament games get attention by taking place during "bowl week," sandwiched between the first round and the quarterfinals.
4-Team: A two round playoff cannot incorporate minor bowls and only serves to draw attention from them.
Allows fans to enjoy the complete bowl experience
EBS: The byes and extended period between first and second round games allow fans to travel to bowl sites and enjoy extend stays. The later-round games will continue to be “destination events” where fans attend regardless of competing teams. In the current system, only about 1/3 of tickets for many bowls go to schools; rest are allocated to annual renewals, corporate partners, and local residents.
4-Team: With only two potential games and first games with such importance, teams can travel to first round games to enjoy the bowl experience, and then, should their team win, still attend the finals.
Student-athletes not subjected to excessive number of games
EBS: Teams play at most four postseason games, but given the fact that the highest-ranked, and presumably best, teams receive a bye, teams expected to play in the championship game would play at most three postseason games. At most a team would play 16 games, similar to games played by national champions in Division I-AA (15 games), Division II (15-16 games), and Division III (14-15). Unlike these division, those at DI-A would benefit from a several week rest between the regular season and the postseason.
4-Team: Teams play at most two postseason games.