NCAA CHIEF SAYS FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NEEDS CONSIDERATION

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, January 14, 1993                   TAG: 9301140096
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BILL BRILL STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DALLAS                                LENGTH: Medium
NCAA CHIEF SAYS FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NEEDS CONSIDERATION
Faced with unrelenting financial problems and forced to deal with gender equity for the first time, NCAA executive director Dick Schultz publicly addressed a potential savior Wednesday:
A college football playoff.
Schultz did not advocate a playoff, certain to be popular with the public, but he did raise the issue in his annual state of the association address at the opening session of the NCAA Convention.
"As we continue to struggle with the financial crisis, we have to be creative in looking at new sources of revenue. We are well aware that one of our primary sources, television revenue, is going to go down.
"A source of new revenue is one that has been obvious for some time, a Division I football championship game. While I realize there are many opposed to a full-blown playoff system, it would be possible to develop a single championship game after the New Year's bowls, which could provide substantial new revenue for our member institutions," Schultz said.
Schultz said he wasn't proposing a playoff, simply pointing out it needed to be considered. He said if such a game was played, he would recommend that the revenue distribution be similar to that of the lucrative basketball tournament, with all Division I-A conferences getting a share.
CBS executive Len DeLuca said a one-game playoff might bring in $30 million, while a complete playoff could exceed $100 million.
Dr. Thomas Hearn, Wake Forest's president, said that the last time the Presidents Commission discussed a playoff, the vote was unanimous against one.
"But because of the way the future looks, with the gender equity issues, now may be the time to consider it," Hearn said.
Schultz also addressed other sticky issues.
"I am concerned that football has become a target for some regarding gender equity. Football is important to the NCAA. Certainly we are smart enough, and committed enough, to resolve the issue of gender equity without damaging the quality of football and other programs. I would personally be opposed to any plan that greatly reduces opportunities for one gender to enhance opportunities for another."
ACC assistant commissioner Tom Mickle, who devised the bowl coalition plan that was used this season, said the coalition had a nine-year contract prohibiting a playoff game.
"It was proposed by the bowls to protect themselves," he said.
College Football Association executive director Chuck Neinas said he always had favored a playoff system, "but we'll want to know where the funds would go."
Neinas said June's meeting would be the most important in CFA history. "We've got to come up with a master plan for college football in view of all the proposed staff and scholarship cutbacks."
Some voiced concern with what would happen to the bowls in the event of a playoff. Cotton Bowl executive Jim Brock said any playoff would moot the importance of any bowl game. The consensus was a playoff of any size would end the coalition immediately. Every official agreed that if a playoff came, it would begin with one game and eventually expand from there.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB