BCS commissioners reach consensus on playoff plan

CHICAGO - The BCS commissioners reached a consensus on a model four-team seeded playoff that will be presented to the university presidents next week for approval.

The commissioners who have been working on reshaping college football's postseason to create the first major college playoff met for four hours and emerged together with a commitment to stand behind a plan. Though they were stingy about providing specifics of that plan.

They said they were reluctant to share too many details before they had a chance to discuss them with their bosses, the university presidents. Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott did say the two semifinals would be worked into the existing major bowls and the site of the national championship game will be bid out similarly to the Super Bowl.

The BCS Presidential Oversight Committee meets Tuesday in Washington, and the commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick all stressed that ultimately the decision lies with their bosses. And that the presidents will have more than just one model to talk about.

The Big Ten and Pac-12 presidents have both expressed support for the so-called plus-one model, which gives the BCS a new look by selecting the championship game participants after the bowls are played instead of creating a pair of national semifinals, which is what the commissioners came away from the latest meeting in Chicago backing.

"I'm comfortable both of those will still be discussed at the president's meeting," Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said.

He added: "I think we're very unified. There are issues that have yet to be finalized."