Rose Bowl and BCS Contract Update

As written about on Monday, in regards to the Rose Bowl allowing non-BCS teams in the Granddaddy of them all if either the Big 10 or Pac-10 champion is in the BCS title game, there is a clause that just came out. 

In the new BCS contract has a clause in regarding non-BCS and the Rose Bowl that it only has to allow this once, during the new four year cycle

Even if a run of national title appearances that Ohio State had a few years back the Rose Bowl would have to take the non-BCS automatic qualifier only once.

This is still good news for the non-BCS schools, but in reality the Big 10 is not happy. The Big 10 has sent more teams to BCS bowls than any other conference.

That is because whenever Ohio State went to the title game and other Big 10 team was replaced: Michigan 2006 and Illinois 2007. There is some laughter when 'experts' say this will allow more opportunities to play in a BCS bowl (Looking at you Adam Rittenberg).

In reality this opens up the opportunity to play in the Rose Bowl, and not more access to the BCS. Any non-BCS team meets the requirement of being in the top 12 is guaranteed a BCS berth.

For this to mean more access would be to say for example a non-BCS team gets to go to the Rose Bowl if they are ranked 17th - which is outside of any guarantee to a big money game - and the Big 10 or Pac-10 champ is in the BCS title.

That is more access since top 12 guarantees and being ranked 14th does not. Just to recap if a non-BCS team is in the BCS and the Big 10 or Pac-10 champ is in the BCS title then one time during the new four year cycle will they be going to the Rose Bowl.