Commissioners to give presidents playoff options

CHICAGO — The conference commissioners who have been working on a four-team playoff to determine college football’s national champion plan to present the BCS presidential oversight committee multiple formats from which to choose.

Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said the university presidents will “have options — plural” to consider when they meet in two weeks. Scott spoke before leaving Wednesday’s meeting with conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director.

What those options are is not clear. This is.

“Status quo is not on the table,” BCS executive director Bill Hancock said.

The commissioners have since January been working on ways to hold a four-team major college football playoff, starting in the 2014 season. Among the details that need to be worked out are when and where to play the games, how to incorporate the bowls, and how to select the four teams.

The BCS commissioners and Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick released a statement after the meeting saying they are “approaching consensus on many issues and we recognize there are also several issues that require additional conversations at both the commissioner and university president levels.

“We are determined to build upon our success and create a structure that further grows the sport while protecting the regular season. We also value the bowl tradition and recognize the many benefits it brings to student-athletes. We have more work to do and more discussions to have with our presidents who are the parties that will make the final decision about the future structure of college football’s postseason.”

The commissioners are scheduled to meet again next week in Chicago, and the presidential oversight committee is set to meet June 26 in Washington.