Big Ten exploring football playoff

The Big Ten Conference, which helped squash the notion of a four-team playoff to crown a national champion in college football several years ago, is taking another look.

BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock said Tuesday night that's good news.

"Our process is working perfectly," Hancock said. "One of good things about our process is that there's no timetable so that a deliberate and thoughtful decision can be reached.

"The tricky part is our 11 conference commissioners and the Notre Dame AD may have 12 different opinions about the direction we should go over the next six to eight months."

Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis said all of the Big Ten athletic directors are comfortable exploring the possibility of a four-team playoff.

"Four is better than two," Hollis said.

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith agreed and said the discussions stem from feedback "that we need to do something different," especially after the recent BCS title game between LSU and Alabama drew lower ratings that other championship games.

"The fans have been loud and clear," Smith said. "We also recognize that structurally there's things that we want to try and change with the bowl system — how teams get in the bowls. It's time to be curious about everything."

The BCS title game pits the nation's top two teams based on poll and computer rankings. The Chicago Tribune reported Monday that one idea before the Big Ten calls for playing the two semifinal games on the campuses of the higher seeded teams, with the national championship held in a city awarded hosting rights — like the Super Bowl.

The so-called plus-one format — two semifinals plus the title game — was proposed in 2008 by the commissioners of the Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference. It was shot down by the leaders of the Big Ten, Pac-10, Big East, Big 12 and Notre Dame.

MEMPHIS IS JOINING BIG EAST:Memphis is the latest school to sign up for a spot in the new Big East Conference.

A person familiar with the decision says Memphis is joining the Big East for all sports in 2013. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because an official announcement would be made today.