S.J.R. 11

1

JOINT RESOLUTION URGING FOOTBALL
2 PLAYOFF
3 2009 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Chief Sponsor: Scott K. Jenkins
6 House Sponsor: Brad L. Dee
7
8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This joint resolution of the Legislature urges the National Collegiate Athletic
11 Association to abandon the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) structure in favor of a
12 college football playoff system.
13 Highlighted Provisions:
14 This resolution:
15 . urges the National Collegiate Athletic Association to abandon the Bowl
16 Championship Series (BCS) structure in favor of a college football playoff system
17 to ensure that the best college football team is crowned as champion.
18 Special Clauses:
19 None
20
21 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
22 WHEREAS, the University of Utah football team finished the 2008 football season as
23 the only undefeated football team in Division I-A, with a perfect 13-0 record;
24 WHEREAS, the University of Utah football team capped a season-long string of
25 victories at the Sugar Bowl with an impressive 31-17 win over the University of Alabama,
26 which held the number one ranking in the nation for five weeks;
27 WHEREAS, during the regular season, the Mountain West Conference had three teams

28 in the Top 25 and had a 6-1 record against Pac-10 teams;
29 WHEREAS, in the 2008 season, the University of Utah football team defeated six bowl
30 teams, defeated three teams ranked in the Top 25, and won seven games away from home;
31 WHEREAS, as the matter currently stands, the University of Utah could go undefeated
32 indefinitely and still not compete for a national title;
33 WHEREAS, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) began in 1998 with the intent of
34 crowning a definitive national champion;
35 WHEREAS, the BCS relies on a combination of polls and computer rankings to
36 determine which teams play in the BCS national championship game and help set the lineups
37 for the most prestigious bowl games;
38 WHEREAS, although the BCS may be an improvement over past championship
39 determinations, the system is still widely acknowledged as falling short of its goal of
40 establishing a definitive college football champion;
41 WHEREAS, many experts have candidly criticized the flaws in the BCS system and
42 often use the 2008 University of Utah football team as the strongest argument for the failings of
43 the system; and
44 WHEREAS, a national playoff is the only way to be certain that the team crowned as
45 national champion has earned the designation on the gridiron:
46 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah
47 strongly urges the National Collegiate Athletic Association to abandon the Bowl Championship
48 Series (BCS) structure for determining the Division I-A national football champion in favor of
49 a playoff system so that all can be assured that the best college football team is the one
50 crowned as national champion.
51 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the National
52 Collegiate Athletic Association, the BCS, the University of Utah football team, and to the
53 members of Utah's congressional delegation.




Legislative Review Note
as of 2-4-09 9:39 AM

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel