The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) is a selection system designed to force a "national championship game" between the top-ranking teams (in the BCS rankings) in American college football's top division, the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (known as Division I-A until 2007). This championship is intended as a surrogate for a playoff system since the NCAA does not formally determine a champion in this category.
The BCS relies on a combination of polls and computer selection methods to determine relative team rankings and to narrow the field to two teams to play in the BCS National Championship Game held after the other college bowl games. The winner of this game is crowned the BCS national champion, and is guaranteed at least a share of the national championship.
The system also selects matchups for the other prestigious BCS bowl games. The ten teams selected include the conference champion from each of the six BCS conferences plus four others ("at-large" selections). The BCS was created by formal agreement among the six "major" conferences, and has evolved to allow other "mid-major" conferences to participate. It is not formally recognized by the NCAA as a collegiate championship.
It has been in place since the 1998 season, but a number of controversial selections have spurred changes in the system that continue into the present. Prior to the 2006 season eight teams competed in four BCS Bowls. The BCS replaced the Bowl Alliance (in place from 1995-1997), which followed the Bowl Coalition (in place from 1992-1994). As of the 2006-07 season, the BCS will air primarily on FOX while only the Rose Bowl will continue to be shown on ABC.
