UGA Prez Calls For Playoff System

By: Barbara Herring | WSAV-TV
Published: January 08, 2008

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - University of Georgia President Michael Adams says the NCAA should implement an eight-team playoff system to determine a national champion in football.

Adams, who is chair of the NCAA executive committee, has for 20 years been an opponent of a football playoff system. But he said today that the current BCS system is "undercutting the sportsmanship and integrity of the game."

At a press conference this afternoon in Athens, Adams said "this year's experience with the BCS forces me to the conclusion that the current system has lost public confidence and simply does not work."

Adams' plan is sketchy on details as he intends for a special NCAA committee to work out the particulars. But it calls for the winners of the four major bowls--Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta--to play semifinals at least one week later and the championship game to follow one more week later.

Georgia was ranked fourth in the BCS entering the last week of the season, behind Missouri, West Virginia and Ohio State. When both Missouri and West Virginia lost, instead of rising to second behind Ohio State, Georgia dropped to fifth in the BCS. Southeastern Conference champion LSU vaulted from seventh to second. LSU defeated Ohio State 38-24 last night to win the BCS title.

Georgia routed previously undefeated Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl, 41-10.

Adams maintains that he was prepared to advance the proposal even if Georgia had played in the title game.