How The 2011 BCS Championship Will Avoid Arizona Boycotts

There is undoubtedly a huge debate in the state of Arizona after the recent passing of the new Immigration Law, SB 1070.

Leaders from around the world, including the infamous Al Sharpton, have been calling for a boycott of Arizona, including sports teams and events.

People have protested outside Arizona Diamondbacks games because of former owner Jerry Colangelo's monetary donations to the Republican Party in the past. The Phoenix Suns' GM Steve Kerr and players Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash have all voiced their opinions in opposition to the Bill. Not to mention the Suns made national headlines for  wearing their half-Spanish "Los Suns" jerseys in support for the Latino community.

The latest target for the boycott is the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game that is to be held at Chase Field in Phoenix, in hopes of relocating the money-generating event to another worthy state.

Another huge money making event for Arizona is the BCS Championship, which is to be held at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale next January. One would only assume that this, too, would raise a red flag for the anti-immigration law groups due to the tens-of-millions of dollars that this event would bring in to th estate.

Surprisingly, a boycott is not likely for the BCS Championship game. Why? Because college football is being smart by drawing a line between sports and politics.

So what does college football have to say about the Arizona uproar?

Nothing.

All 120 schools in the Football Subdivision are keeping quiet about the controversial Arizona law, as they should.

BCS Chief Bill Hancock stated last week that the Championship Game "is a sporting event. We're going to leave Arizona politics to the people in Arizona."

Hancock has the right idea: politics should never mix with sports. It is surprising, though, that they take a neutral stance on the subject, as many leaders in the sporting community like to voice their opinion.

College football is getting smart, unlike other professional sports that have started a new trend by incorporating politics with the game.

By FBS schools keeping their personal opinions about this hot topic to themselves, they in turn are letting the public have unbiased views with the game.

Fans do not want to have to decide between their favorite college team based on the school's opinionated stance on the bill, letting them focus on the sport and debate politics in a totally separate realm.

If this boycott were to happen, it would not be the first time Arizona has dealt with such criticism by college football. In the early 1990s, committees, teams, and citizens alike were outraged that Arizona refused to approve a holiday for Martin Luther King, Jr.

In rebuttal, several schools refused to play in the 1991 Fiesta Bowl, leaving only sub-par teams to play in the game. The next year, Arizona made it a holiday. This example shows how much money major college football generates for the state.

The BCS could be avoiding a potential boycott due solely to their neutral stance on the topic, or it could be that collegiate level sporting events are not subject to the same "punishment" as the pros are in regards to major events held in the state.

So far, there have been no major discussions about the boycott affecting the BCS title game, or the Fiesta Bowl which is played at the same location a few days before. But only time will tell if this will be a hot topic for protesters.