RICHMOND — The recent conclusion of the football season is an appropriate time to examine the BCS — Bowl Championship Series. The National Collegiate Athletic Association currently holds championship competition in 88 sports for men and women in Divisions I, II, and III. The one sport in which an NCAA Championship trophy is not awarded is Division I-A (Football Bowl Subdivision) football. This is because six major conferences — the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pacific 10, Southeastern, and Notre Dame University — have seized control of football at this level. This group established the Football Bowl Alliance and set up the Bowl Championship Series in 1998. The national champion in all other NCAA sports, including football at all other levels, is determined through a tournament or championship meet in track, swimming, etc. The BCS champion is determined by one game with the participants selected by a vote of coaches, sports writers, and computer rankings. A formula which uses the USA Today Coaches Poll, the Harris Interactive poll and the rating of teams by six computer services to select 10 teams to participate in five highly lucrative bowl games with the two teams rated highest matched in the “national championship game.” Actually, only four teams are selected through this process, because the winners of the six BCS conferences are automatically awarded a spot in one of the BCS bowl games, no matter where they rank in the BCS standings. The Bowl Championship Series games generate huge amounts of revenue through television contracts, corporate sponsorships and ticket sales. BCS might well stand for Big Cash for Some. According to the NCAA Web site, each of the six conferences in the Bowl Alliance received just more than $18.6 million from the January 2009 BCS games. The three conferences — SEC, Big 10, and Big 12 - which sent two teams to BCS bowls that year received an additional $4.5 million. The final figures for the BCS games this January are not yet available, but it is anticipated that there will be little change from the previous year. The participating teams receive all their expenses plus a share of the money received by the conference. As one of the 66 schools which control the BCS, Notre Dame receives 1/66 of the BCS money each year. If Notre Dame makes a BCS bowl, it receives $4.5 million, which it doesn’t have to share since it is not a member of a conference. A portion of the BCS money does go to other conferences and teams “to benefit football in general.” Independents Army and Navy receive $100,000 each for making their teams available for a BCS bowl if chosen. The five I-A conferences not a part of the Bowl Alliance — Mountain West, Conference USA, Western Athletic, Mid-American, and Sunbelt — received about $14 million from BCS games to be shared among their 52 members. The Mountain West Conference received $4.5 million last year because league member Utah was chosen for a BCS bowl game. Eight I-AA conferences, including the Ohio Valley Conference, received $225,000 each from last year’s revenue. The BCS did contribute $3.2 million to charities last year. Many arguments have been made for and against having a playoff to determine the national champion in I-A football. A major argument against a playoff at this level is that it would kill the current bowl system. Only one team would emerge as a winner at the end of the season while 34 teams finish with a bowl victory under the present system. I am amused by the argument that a playoff would take too much time from classes for the players. Since a 16-team playoff is held at every other level of football - I-AA, Division II, Division III, and by the NAIA — this must mean that football players in I-A schools are less capable academically than those at schools in the other divisions. Several members of Congress have threatened action against the BCS, and there is currently a bill in Congress which would prohibit the use of the term “national championship game” by the BCS unless the participants are determined by a playoff. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah has asked the Justice Department to investigate the BCS to see if it is in violation of anti-trust laws. No doubt the arguments for and against a playoff in Division I-A football will continue. However, barring congressional action, there will be no playoff at this level of football so long as the Football Bowl Alliance teams control the distribution of the money generated by the BCS bowl games. It’s all about the money.