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4-1-Zoo: Playoff System Agreed Upon; Money Flying Around Everywhere

PITTSBURGH (93-7 The FAN) -- What could grab a ton of money and give us a true national champion?

A playoff system!

BCS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick agreed to a four-team playoff system Wednesday that could start in 2014.

The four-team playoff model must be approved June 26 when the BCS presidential oversight committee meets in Washington D.C., which is expected to happen. Once it is, a system that has the nation's top four teams competing the national championship will be in effect.

The four teams will be broken up into two semi-final games -- most likely with the top seed playing the fourth seed and No. 2 and No. 3 facing off -- with the winners playing for the national title.

The two semi-final games will be played at the sites of two of the current BCS bowl sites -- Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl. The semi-final games will be on a rotating basis every year between those four sites.

The national championship game will be played in the highest-bidding city (ahem, Dallas. You know Jerry Jones is salivating over this).

Here's the kicker.

Wondering how much this will gross? So was I.

The four-team playoff model is estimated to earn between $400 million and $500 million.

This is good news for Pitt fans, as the Panthers will always have a chance to play for a national championship. However, this model will be based on overall record and strength of schedule, which means there's a high likelihood we see multiple SEC teams in the playoff every year.

There are a lot of details to work out, but it appears college football has found a more fair way to determine its national champion while still earning a crap load of money.

And in the end, that's what we all wanted. Right?

--

Chris Gates | Area 4-1-Zoo Blog
Twitter.com/Chris_Gates
Chris.Gates@cbsradio.com

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