MWC chief battles BCS

Whether it was testifying in front of a Congressional committee or submitting a playoff proposal to Bowl Championship Series officials, Craig Thompson became the face of the fight against college football's postseason system.

The Mountain West Conference commissioner took on that role seemingly from the moment Utah finished off Alabama 31-17 in the Sugar Bowl.

The Utes, despite going undefeated, never had a realistic shot at the national championship. Florida and Oklahoma, each with one loss and from more esteemed conferences, played for the title, with the Gators winning, 24-14.

Thompson's fight for now is over, but he hopes it has moved forward with his major push last winter and spring. The newest four-year BCS deal, which is already completed, runs from January 2011 through January 2015, so no major changes will occur in the next five years.

"We feel change needs to be made and inclusion to be broader, and we've communicated that to a lot of people," Thompson said Wednesday at MWC football media days at Green Valley Ranch.

"We did that now because we didn't want to wait four years to begin talking about change."

There is something the Mountain West can do before then, however. Last season began the four-year cycle of evaluating conferences for automatic BCS status.

The Mountain West failed to get in after the first cycle. In 2008, three teams were ranked in the final Associated Press poll, including two -- Utah at No. 2 and Texas Christian at No. 7 -- in the top 10.

Should the conference qualify for automatic inclusion in three years, it will not replace a current league. Instead, there would be seven automatic-qualifying conferences and one open spot.

"Our whole argument this spring is it should be more performance-based," Thompson said. "The automatic qualifying standard is so much higher and so different for the five that don't have the automatic qualification than for the six that have it. It's a challenge, but it's a challenge we're ready to face.

"We're trying to say we're not doing this with smoke and mirrors. We are saying we are performing at a level that equates to automatic qualification. We need to continue to perform. You're not going to talk your way into the BCS."

As for the grand change Thompson envisions, he knows there are plenty of fights ahead. Schools and conferences with power aren't in any hurry to give any of it up, no matter what polls say about the public's overwhelming support for a playoff.

But even among playoff proponents, there are no problem-free solutions. How large is the field? Who qualifies? Do you play the first round or two at home?

"It looks simple on the surface," Thompson said. "It's a complex topic."

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914.