Division I Football Bowl Subdivision
College Football Postseason Format Comparison

Brief History of the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly DI-A) postseason
College football bowls developed separately from the selection of a national champion and were not intended to be part of that process. After decades of success as end-of-season exhibition matches, bowl results began being included in pollsters' voting during the 1960s-1970s. The result was an enjoyable, exciting, and unique postseason that is ill-equipped to determine America's best football team.

The Bowl Championship Series (BCS), and its predecessor, the Bowl Alliance, were tremendous steps toward identifying the nation's best team. The BCS is able to annually pair two of the top teams in the country, something that happened only by chance in the old bowl system. The response from participants and fans has been positive, and college football's popularity is soaring. Although the BCS offered significant improvement over the old bowl system, it glaring flaws cause frequent complaints from universities, student-athletes, coaches, conferences, members of Congress, the media, fans, and many other interested parties.

Proposed solutions
Many have called for a "playoff" to determine the national champion, but this would address only one of the criteria necessary to ensure that college football retains its unique value. The Enhanced Bowl Season is designed to serve the many and varied desired traits for a college football postseason. In judging the success with which the EBS meets these goals, a comprehensive analysis of the numerous college football postseason formats -- past, present, and proposed -- is necessary.

Click on each symbol below (box will turn grey) to read the reasons for the specific rating. Or click on the following links to view only one format at a time: BCS | Historical Bowls | 4-team (plus-one) | 8-team | 16-team

- Yes

- Limited

- No

Criteria	EBS		BCS	Hist Bowl System	4-Team Playoff	8-Team Playoff	16-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.
BCS: While the BCS has had successful years in matching up the two exclusive national title contenders (2002 and 2005), there have also been years of stunning failure. In no year was this more evident than 2003, when a split national championship was awarded to LSU and USC, the very occurrence the system was designed to eliminate. A year later, five teams completed the regular season undefeated, but three were denied a chance at the national championship. Such a system leads directly to controversy.
Old Bowls: The old bowl system was not designed to crown a national champion. Conference affiliations and competition between the bowls to secure desirable teams meant that teams fighting for a national title rarely met on the same playing field. Even when they did, these were often only two of many teams deserving of a chance at a title. The champions were decided by pollsters rather than players.
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.
8-Team: Like a 12-teams system, a well-structured playoff with sufficient teams ensures worthy contenders are not denied a chance at a national title. However, if automatic berths are given to conference champions, there are situations in which worthy teams can be excluded. For example, if 6 spots were reserved for BCS conference champions, the undefeated Utah teams from 2004 and 2008 would have been excluded from the playoff.
16-Team: Like a 12-teams system, a playoff with sufficient teams ensures worthy contenders are not denied a chance at a national title.
Ensures BCS conference champions play in premier bowl
EBS: All BCS conference champions are ensured a spot in the 12-team EBS tournament.
BCS: All BCS conference champions are awarded invitations to BCS bowls.
Old Bowls: While most conferences had affiliations with major bowls, some, like the Big East and ACC, did not.
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.
8-Team: All BCS conference champions are ensured a spot in the playoffs.
16-Team: All BCS conference champions are ensured a spot in the playoffs.
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.
BCS: While the BCS attempts to maintain traditional bowl affiliations, it is not always possible to do when a particular bowl loses teams to the national title game.
Old Bowls: Traditional bowl affiliations are a result of the old bowl system.
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.
8-Team: Like a 12-team playoff, higher seeded teams could be given preference in the bowls which they play, but conference champions with lower seedings could not.
16-Team: With all teams playing in first round games, there is no guarantee that conference champion will advance to play in the bowls with which they are traditionally affiliated. It is also possible that the additional games may necessitate the use of “home sites” instead of bowls.
Provides access to non-BCS conference champions
EBS: The highest-ranked non-BCS conference champion is guaranteed a spot in the post season.
BCS: While non-BCS conference champions are not prohibited from being selected to participate in a BCS bowl, the qualifying conditions make it very difficult for such a team to do so.
Old Bowls: Since non-power conference teams were not deemed to have the financial draw sought by the premier bowls, it was unlikely that small-conference teams would play in these bowls.
4-Team: Scheduling and polling agency bias make it nearly impossible for a non-BCS team to qualify for such a tournament.
8-Team: With six of the eight spots going to BCS conference champions, only two at-large spots remain for non-BCS conference champions to qualify. In 2004, a 6th ranked Utah team would not have qualified as the at-large spots would have gone to #4 Texas and #5 California.
16-Team: With an increased field, it is more likely that non-BCS conference champions can earn a spot in the playoffs.
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.
BCS: With only two spots available for teams competing for the national title, it is very likely that a worthy team is excluded. In 8 of the 10 years (1998-2007), a team was excluded from the national championship game despite having a record on par with that of one of the participants.
Old Bowls: Since no formal mechanism existed to match up teams battling for a national title, the old bowl system often proved to be a final testing ground for the #1 ranked team going into the bowl season. In 1980, an undefeated Pittsburgh team was unable to challenge the #1 ranked team in the country [Georgia] for the right for the national title.
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.
8-Team: Even with the expanded field, the inclusion of conference champions means there are only two at-large spots. In a year with a few particularly strong conferences, it is possible that more than two non-conference champions are strong enough to be considered in the field.
16-Team: With 16 teams, it is nearly impossible a team worthy of competing for a national championship would be left out of the playoffs.
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
BCS: With only two teams in the national title hunt, it is impossible for an unworthy team to compete
Old Bowls: Since only teams with national title hopes in the bowl system had any realistic chance of winning a national championship, unworthy teams were not given consideration by the voters
4-Team: It is highly unlikely that any of the top four teams in the country would be considered unworthy
8-Team: Although there are only two at-large bids, the possibility of a weak conference champion could result in a team with several regular season losses contending for a national title
16-Team: With so many at-large bids, it is almost certain that teams who could not be considered national title contenders would be included in the playoffs
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.
BCS: For a team seeking one of the top two spots in the country, a late season loss could end any hopes of a national title.
Old Bowls: In attempting to receive a prestigious bowl invite, every game mattered to the bowl selection committees.
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.
8-Team: With the only guaranteed invitations going to conference champions, a late season conference loss could not only cost the team a conference title, but could drop a previously undefeated team into the pool of one-loss teams seeking an at-large bid and could cost them a spot in the playoffs.
16-Team: Even if a late-season loss were to cost a team a conference championship, they would still be assured one of the 10 at-large bids.
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.
BCS: Once a team no longer has hopes of attaining a #1 or #2 ranking, from a BCS perspective, that team’s season is over. While the season is still important to players and fans, and the possibility of winning a conference title is a worthwhile pursuit, these teams have no hope of winning a national championship and their participation in “the most important regular season in collegiate athletics” is reduced to spoiler.
Old Bowls: Teams not in the national championship hunt entering the bowl season will not be considered for the national championship.
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.
8-Team: All teams in contention for either a conference title or at-large spot still have meaningful regular season games from a national championship perspective.
16-Team: All teams are battling for at-large spots.
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.
BCS: The BCS has consistently produced compelling TV matchups. While occasionally one bowl of the four will be less interesting to a national audience, the majority of games have national appeal.
Old Bowls: The old bowl system produced regionally attractive matchups, but the lack of competition between national championship contenders prevented marquee matchups.
4-Team: By the very nature of a playoff and because of a lack of potentially lopsided matchups, all games are compelling.
8-Team: By the very nature of a playoff and because of a lack of potentially lopsided matchups, all games are compelling.
16-Team: The potential for lopsided first round matchups means not 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.
BCS: The BCS fails to respect vested interests of minor bowls.
Old Bowls: The old bowl system failed to respect vested interest of minor bowls.
4-Team: A two round playoff cannot incorporate minor bowls and only serves to draw attention from them.
8-Team: A three round playoff can only promote two minor bowls and will only serve to draw attention from the remaining bowls.
16-Team: A properly formed 16-team playoff can incorporate minor bowls and help bolster their stature.
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.
BCS: Fans only need to plan on attending one bowl game, allowing them to take extended vacations and enjoy the complete bowl experience.
Old Bowls: Fans only need to plan on attending one bowl game, allowing them to take extended vacations and enjoy the complete bowl experience.
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.
8-Team: Since the quarterfinal games will likely begin on Jan. 1, fans can still travel and enjoy the bowl experience for these games, but later games will require more travel and shorter stays.
16-Team: The number of games and opening round games at less accommodatingly located minor bowls would deny fans the full bowl experience.
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.
BCS: Teams play only one postseason game.
Old Bowls: Teams play only one postseason game.
4-Team: Teams play at most two postseason games.
8-Team: Teams play at most three postseason games.
16-Team: Any team competing in the championship game would have to play four postseason games.

Division I Football Bowl SubdivisionCollege Football Postseason Format Comparison

Division I Football Bowl Subdivision
College Football Postseason Format Comparison