Matt Sanderson: Even with Utah Utes in the Pac-10, the BCS still needs to go

Since the University of Utah accepted its invite to the Pac-10, U. fans, including myself, have been asking: "Does this mean I have to start liking the BCS?"

I don't know if Utah president Michael Young, a consistent and vocal opponent of college football's anti-competitive postseason, would have accepted the Pac-10's invite if that was a condition of admittance.

Indeed, Utah fans have ample reason to continue fighting the BCS. I'm not talking about altruism. I won't make any appeals to your better angels by suggesting that Utah fans charitably rescue our former Mountain West Conference brethren by helping to overthrow the status quo.

However, Utah fans should realize that the BCS remains a raw deal for the university, even after the Utes' inclusion in a "privileged" conference.

For example, the Utes still won't control their own path to the BCS national championship game after joining the Pac-10. BCS title-game berths are inexplicably determined by pundits rather than on-the-field competition. And history suggests that BCS pundits discount schools in the Utes' new conference in favor of Big Ten, Big XII and SEC teams.

In 12 years of existence, the BCS has allowed only 12 teams an opportunity to play for its championship. Only one of those teams — USC — is in the newly expanded Pac-10. But notably, and contrary to common belief, the Men of Troy haven't had unobstructed access to the BCS championship game.

Three of the past seven seasons, USC sported a record equal to or better than the SEC and Big XII teams that ultimately competed for the national title. Without explanation, the Trojans were shut out. Throw in other BCS debacles that arbitrarily excluded the Pac-10's Washington Huskies and Oregon Ducks, and you start to see a pattern. Until the BCS is disbanded and matters are settled on the field, Utah will never be free of pundits' subjective prejudice.

Another BCS flaw is its revenue scheme. Although Utah will now receive an automatic share of BCS revenue, the system still costs the university money. Why? For one, the secretive BCS holds an enormous pot of school-bound money without fully disclosing how much it earns or how much it spends. The BCS appears to be diverting undisclosed sums to pay for unnecessary lobbyists and high-priced consultants like Ari Fleischer, former Bush White House Press Secretary.