The Bowl Championship Series has received its fair share of criticism since its inception in 1998. But this summer was the first time it had ever been compared to a cartel.

Dave Cowen, Tulane president and creator of the Presidential Coalition for Athletic Reform, gathered 44 university presidents from non-BCS schools this summer, complaining that the current requirements for becoming a Division I-A team and playing in the postseason discriminates against smaller schools.

‘We believe that the Bowl Championship Series is anticompetitive and has the characteristics of a cartel,’ Cowen told the Associated Press. ‘I don’t think it’s productive for higher education and universities to sue each other. But with such an important issue, we can’t rule out any options now.’

Cowen’s comments came a day after the BCS ruled out a playoff scenario for college football and during a summer which produced a new BCS-ranking system.

Instead of using the old computer-based format for ranking teams, Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg said the new BCS system will rely more on human polls. The decision was made mainly in response to the split national championship between LSU and USC, which proved an embarrassment to the BCS.

‘The fact that voters have more influence should make the fans happy,’ BCS analyst Jerry Palm told the Dallas Morning News. ‘That’s all fans cared about: what the voters think.’

The BCS will now take into account the AP Top 25 poll, the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 poll and computer polls comprised by six agencies.

The total number of votes in each poll will be counted and divided by the total number of votes cast. Each entity – the AP, ESPN/USA Today, and the computer polls – will count for one third of the final ranking.

The BCS has faith in the new system, boasting that if it were in place last year, LSU and USC would have played each other for the national championship.

Critics of the new system say this year’s format gives little chance to non-BCS schools or other teams that begin the season unranked.

One of the arguments is the system places too much emphasis on preseason rankings. If two teams start the season ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls and go undefeated, then they will likely go to the national championship game. In this case, it’s likely that even if a lower ranked team goes undefeated, the sports writers and coaches will have no incentive to take the preseason No. 1 and No. 2 teams out of the top spots.

In the past, there was a system of checks and balances by which the BCS formula considered ‘strength of schedule’ and ‘quality wins.’ Now, these factors have been taken out of the BCS equation. For a non-BCS school to get a BCS bid, it must finish the season ranked in the top 6.

Cowen feels that the BCS is already biased enough to have this standard considering BCS conferences (Big East, Atlantic Coast, Big 12, Big Ten, Pacific-10, Southeastern and Notre Dame as an independent school) have received more than $80 million each year from the BCS, compared to $8 million for non-BCS schools.

‘We simply want access like we have in all other sports,’ Cowen said. ‘We want a level playing field. There’s not a level playing field in college football. We’re not looking for some handout. We’re looking for access.’

CINCINNATI (-1.5) AT SYRACUSESaturday, noon, ESPN RegionalThe biggest challenge for Syracuse fans Saturday will be deciding whether or not to get up and watch the game. On one hand, it is the first game of the season at the Carrier Dome. On the other, Cincinnati is going to make Syracuse look worse than Peter Jackson at the Academy Awards. Just remember, 49 days until basketball season.Pick: Cincinnati 35, Syracuse 13

NO. 21 MARYLAND (+5.5) AT NO. 7 WEST VIRGINIASaturday, noon, ESPN2Not going to watch the Syracuse game? Watch this one instead. The Mountaineers climbed in the rankings this week after defeating Central Florida, 45-20. WVU is establishing itself as the only remaining power in the Big East and needs to prove itself in this inter-conference battle.Pick: West Virginia 41, Maryland 35

NO. 5 LSU (-3) AT NO. 14 AUBURNSaturday, 3:30 P.M., CBSThere’s no explanation for this one. Sometimes you can just feel an upset coming. Despite their 50-point win over Arkansas State last week, the Tigers beat Oregon State by one point to start the season. It’s time for LSU to lose, and it’s going to come at the hands of Auburn.Pick: Auburn 27, LSU 24

NO. 11 FLORIDA (+4) AT NO. 13 TENNESSEESaturday, 8 P.M., CBSIt’s SEC football on a Saturday night. Florida and Tennessee won their last games by a combined 64 points. This one is a toss up, but it’s hard to pick against Tennessee at home. Pick: Tennessee 21, Florida 20

HOLY CROSS (Pick ’em) AT HARVARDSaturday, 1 P.M. Not televisedAh, the battle of two Massachusetts Ivy League schools. Oh wait, Holy Cross isn’t an Ivy League school. Woops! The Crusaders won’t win this Bay State battle. It will be the Crimson who will come out on top. Sorry, Holy Cross, but real men don’t wear purple.Pick: Harvard 24, Holy Cross 10

Published on September 13, 2004 at 12:00 pm