Everyone Loves Tradition, But Enough Is Enough

Tradition runs deep throughout various cultures. In general American lore holidays tend to take the cake. Many are considered national holidays where millions of Americans have the day off from work. The day off usually has a routine for each holiday. The Fourth of July usually consists of picnics and the customary fireworks. Thanksgiving is filled with turkey and football, Christmas with lights and presents, and New Year's with parties and champagne (for people of age, of course). Traditions also become more personal from family to family and they even exist in sports.

I'm sure you can think of many sports traditions just off the top of your head. How about the singing the National Anthem before all sporting events? The seventh inning stretch? Designated captains in hockey? The coin toss and pregame handshake prior to football games? Dallas and Green Bay playing on Thanksgiving? These traditions are woven into the fabric of the professional game and, in some instances, have become rules. Traditions are rampant on lower levels as well, more specifically in the college ranks.

College football is one of the most popular sports in the United States. Not only is football the most liked team sport but combining it with colleges breeds a type of fan not often seen in the NFL. College football fans are seethe with pride and support for their alma mater. This is why the largest stadiums in the U.S. are on college campuses and why, more often than not, they reach capacity. Alumni and current students want to cheer their team on; they feel they are a part of the team, in a sense. The pride runs deep. So do traditions on each campus. Speaking from experience, the Beaver Stadium yelling "We Are" and "Penn State" is a tradition. As is the student section standing during the entire game. Or the flips performed by the Blue Band drum major. Legend even has it that if he lands both flips Penn State will win. This actually holds true more often than not (though that could be because Penn State almost always wins at home). Of course this isn't just true at Penn State. Tennessee has the Pride of the Southland Band, ROTC members at Texas A&M wear their uniforms, Notre Dame players tap their famous "Play Like A Champion Today" sign, Alabama's infamous "We're gonna beat the hell out of you" chant, Wisconsin's moshing between the 3rd and 4th quarters to "Jump Around", Clemson's run down the Hill, and there are countless more. Perhaps the most notorious college football traditions lie with the end of the year Bowl games.

For the 2007 season there are 32 Bowls culminating with the BCS National Championship Game on January 7th (like it or not), pitting LSU vs Ohio State. Most Bowls have contracts with conferences or even teams (Hawaii Bowl, New Mexico Bowl). The most prestigious bowls have always been the Orange, Sugar, and Fiesta, now a part of the Bowl Championship Series which began in 1998. The most famous Bowl, also a part of the BCS, is the Rose Bowl. The "Grandaddy of Them All" is almost always played on January 1st in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA and. The Rose Bowl was once held in Durham, NC due to World War II and the war in the Pacific (January 1, 1942). It has been played 12 times on January 2nd, the last being Penn State's victory over Oregon in 1995, due to the 1st being a Sunday (reserved for the NFL). The only other instances of a non-New Year's Day Rose Bowl is the two times it was the National Championship Game (2001-2002 and 2005-2006 seasons). The Rose Bowl game has contracts with the Big 1o and Pac 10 Conferences and has featured teams from both conference in every game from 1947 through 2001. The 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006 games did not include both conferences because of BCS stipulations. Despite amazing games in 2005 and 2006 that buckled tradition, the Rose Bowl wasn't truly happy; they yearned for the prescribed Big 10/Pac 10 matchup. The Rose Bowl loves tradition. It insists on it. And, unfortunately, the biggest and most recognizable Bowl Game is one of the biggest reasons there won't be a "Plus One" system or, better yet, a college playoff until 2010-2011 season at the earliest.

The Rose Bowl needs to realize that a new tradition must be started. A Division 1-A (FBS) playoff.

For those of you unaware of what the "Plus One" proposal is, here's a brief summary. The BCS reverts back to just the four BCS Bowls (Orange, Sugar, Fiesta, Rose) and selects as they always have. The conference champions from the ACC, Big East, Big 10, Pac 10, and SEC are guaranteed a spot. There would be three at large bids. The eight teams would be seeded sending them to the bowls so that 1 plays 8, 2 plays 7, 3 plays 6, and 4 plays 5. The Bowls would most likely rotate each year so that the #1 team isn't always at one game. The winners of those matchups would be considered for the "Plus One" game, which is the actual National Championship. I'm assuming the two lowest seeded Bowl champs get the "Plus One" invite. If 1 and 2 win, they go. If, for instance, the 1, 3, and 4 seed win but 2 loses, 1 and 3 would go. This obviously brings up more controversy since there are always 4 eligible teams, but it is a little better than the current system.

The reason the "Plus One" format can't begin next year is because of the Rose Bowl. They adamantly refuse the reseeding because - as you may have guessed long ago - tradition will be lost. The odds of a Big 10 vs Pac 10 matchup will be remote. First teams from each conference would have to be the appropriate seeds (i.e. 1 and 8) and then the Rose Would have to be hosting those seeds that year. Chances are remote. The Rose Bowl, backed by the Pac 10 and Big Ten commissioners, won't bend. The BCS has a contract with the major bowls through the 2009-2010 season. Complicating matters is that the Rose Bowl has a contract with ABC through 2014. FOX has the rights to all of the BCS excluding the Rose Bowl.

I love the Rose Bowl, the game and the parade. It is a great event. But it is the main reason that college football is such a controversial topic each year. Who is the best team? Who is the National Champion? A playoff is needed. Division 1-AA, 2, and 3 all have them. This article from Sports Illustrated debunks all the other roadblocks towards a Division 1-A playoff. The Rose Bowl is holding college football hostage. Tradition is wonderful. But enough is enough. The Rose Bowl must relent and welcome the chance to determine a true National Champion.