Phoenix – College football coaches would be willing to put their names on final ballots of their top 25 poll, but not until they know what tweaking the Bowl Championship Series will perform, the head of the coaches association said Monday.
Grant Teaff, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, said at the first day of the three-day BCS meetings that the coaches still will not reveal their individual ballots during the season. However, their stance on their last poll has softened in deference to helping the BCS improve its controversial system in determining a national championship game.
“The coaches have made it clear they’re willing to do what it takes to help the BCS,” Teaff said. “We believe the BCS is our championship.”
Last season, The Associated Press, citing conflict of interest, pulled its poll from the BCS formula, which utilized the AP and coaches polls, plus six computers, to determine the top teams.
All 11 Division I-A conference commissioners and BCS commissioner Kevin Weiberg are meeting, hoping to come up with a new plan. They are adamant about making the coaches reveal their votes.
Teaff said the coaches, reluctant to deal with weekly questions about their ballots, would follow the AP’s lead and pull their poll from the BCS formula if they are made to reveal their votes before all bowl games are played.
The BCS also met with potential new poll representatives from the Football Writers Association of America, the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame and the National Association of College Directors of Athletics. Besides a new poll, they also plan to discuss a selection committee, similar to the one used in basketball.
Weiberg has set a July 15 deadline for a new formula.
“We hope to come out of here with a direction,” Weiberg said. “Hopefully, we’ll narrow the options.”
John Henderson can be reached at jhenderson@denvepost.com or 303-820-1299.
