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http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/8023798
AP removes its poll from BCS ratings
Dec. 21, 2004
By Dennis Dodd
SportsLine.com Senior Writer
The Bowl Championship Series has received a Dear John letter from The Associated Press.
BCS and Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg was notified by letter Monday night that the AP has pulled its football poll from being used by the BCS to select the teams for the national title game and the three other BCS bowls.
The move begins next season. Weiberg released a statement saying he is confident the BCS will find a viable alternative for the debut of the '05 ratings, which are first released in October. Sources said the decision by AP was made over the head of sports editor Terry Taylor.
Weiberg was traveling and unavailable for comment.
The eight teams selected for the four major bowls -- Orange, Rose, Sugar, and Fiesta -- are picked by the BCS, which uses a combination of the AP poll (voted on by writers and broadcasters), the coaches poll and several computer rankings. Each segment receives a one-third weighting in picking the teams.
The AP said such use was never sanctioned and had reached the point where it threatened to undermine the independence and integrity of the poll.
The AP sent BCS coordinator Kevin Weiberg a cease-and-desist letter, dated Dec. 21, stating that use of the poll is unlawful and harms the AP's reputation.
"We respect the decision of the Associated Press to no longer have its poll included in the BCS standings," Weiberg said in a statement Tuesday. "Since the inception of the BCS, the AP poll has been part of our standings. We appreciate the cooperation we have received from the organization in providing rankings on a weekly basis. We will discuss alternatives to the Associated Press poll at the upcoming BCS meetings and plan to conclude our evaluation of the BCS standings formula, including any other possible changes, by our April meeting."
In its letter, the AP said some of its poll voters had indicated they might no longer participate because of concerns over having their reporters be so closely involved in the process of determining which teams play where.
"By stating that the AP poll is one of the three components used by BCS to establish its rankings, BCS conveys the impression that AP condones or otherwise participates in the BCS system," the letter said. "Furthermore, to the extent that the public does not fully understand the relationship between BCS and AP, any animosity toward BCS may get transferred to AP. And to the extent that the public has equated or comes to equate the AP poll with the BCS rankings, the independent reputation of the AP poll is lost."
The Associated Press contributed to this report
AP removes its poll from BCS ratings
Dec. 21, 2004
By Dennis Dodd
SportsLine.com Senior Writer
The Bowl Championship Series has received a Dear John letter from The Associated Press.
BCS and Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg was notified by letter Monday night that the AP has pulled its football poll from being used by the BCS to select the teams for the national title game and the three other BCS bowls.
The move begins next season. Weiberg released a statement saying he is confident the BCS will find a viable alternative for the debut of the '05 ratings, which are first released in October. Sources said the decision by AP was made over the head of sports editor Terry Taylor.
Weiberg was traveling and unavailable for comment.
The eight teams selected for the four major bowls -- Orange, Rose, Sugar, and Fiesta -- are picked by the BCS, which uses a combination of the AP poll (voted on by writers and broadcasters), the coaches poll and several computer rankings. Each segment receives a one-third weighting in picking the teams.
The AP said such use was never sanctioned and had reached the point where it threatened to undermine the independence and integrity of the poll.
The AP sent BCS coordinator Kevin Weiberg a cease-and-desist letter, dated Dec. 21, stating that use of the poll is unlawful and harms the AP's reputation.
"We respect the decision of the Associated Press to no longer have its poll included in the BCS standings," Weiberg said in a statement Tuesday. "Since the inception of the BCS, the AP poll has been part of our standings. We appreciate the cooperation we have received from the organization in providing rankings on a weekly basis. We will discuss alternatives to the Associated Press poll at the upcoming BCS meetings and plan to conclude our evaluation of the BCS standings formula, including any other possible changes, by our April meeting."
In its letter, the AP said some of its poll voters had indicated they might no longer participate because of concerns over having their reporters be so closely involved in the process of determining which teams play where.
"By stating that the AP poll is one of the three components used by BCS to establish its rankings, BCS conveys the impression that AP condones or otherwise participates in the BCS system," the letter said. "Furthermore, to the extent that the public does not fully understand the relationship between BCS and AP, any animosity toward BCS may get transferred to AP. And to the extent that the public has equated or comes to equate the AP poll with the BCS rankings, the independent reputation of the AP poll is lost."
The Associated Press contributed to this report
