National Title Game in Sight

The ongoing, hotly debated, oft-tabled attempt to assure a true national championship game in college football appears closer to reality.

“We’re very close to some kind of a proposal that will integrate the Big Ten and Pac-10 into the national championship,” John H.B. French, executive director of the Tournament of Roses Assn., said Wednesday.

The issue arose again this week in Chicago during meetings between conference and bowl alliance officials.

French says he thinks a deal could be completed “within 60 days.”

The problem with the current bowl alliance and the “national championship” game is that the Rose Bowl chose not to join the bowl rotation--Orange, Sugar and Fiesta--that is given the opportunity to match the nation’s top two teams each year.

So what happens if either of the top two teams, according to the Associated Press and USA Today-CNN coaches’ polls, hails from the Big Ten or Pac-10? As of now, that team is obligated to play in the Rose Bowl.

Two years ago, Penn State was ranked No. 2 in the polls but had to play Oregon in the Rose Bowl instead of No. 1 Nebraska.

Last year, a similar fate was avoided only because then-No. 2 Ohio State lost to archrival Michigan, allowing the Fiesta Bowl to pair No. 1 Nebraska and No. 2 Florida for the title.

Under a conditional plan that has been discussed, a Pac-10 or Big Ten team ranked either first or second would be able to play in the national title game. If the team were ranked No. 1, the Rose Bowl would have the title game. If the team were No. 2, it would be released to the alliance championship.

French specified, however, that the Rose Bowl would never join the alliance as a full partner or end its partnership with the Big Ten and Pac-10.

“We’re not going to be in a rotation, anything like that,” he said.

The Rose Bowl’s fear is that it might end up with the top two teams when it is not the title game host in the alliance rotation.

“We’d look like idiots,” French said.

Finding a solution that pleases everyone has been difficult because any plan requires unanimous approval of the Rose Bowl, ABC, the Pac-10 and Big Ten, as well as the alliance bowl members.

“It’s really complicated,” French said. “Not only do you need to get everyone to sign on to it, but everyone has his own problems and needs.”

French isn’t sure what form the final plan will take. A USA Today story suggested that ABC, which is contracted to televise the Rose Bowl through 2001, would pay $500 million to take over televising all alliance games beginning in 1999, knocking out CBS, which televised last January’s Fiesta Bowl.

Pac-10 officials, including Commissioner Tom Hansen, were on vacation and could not be reached for comment. ABC spokesman Mark Mandel declined comment and CBS’ Robin Brendle said, “At this point, it’s premature to comment, but we’re confident in our relationships with our bowl partners and the alliance.”

French said the Rose Bowl has given the alliance the conditions under which it would be willing to become a partner.

“There’s no question in my mind that something’s going to change,” French said. “How it’s going to turn out is anyone’s guess. There’s several good proposals.”

French said the Rose Bowl will never allow itself to become a “secondary” bowl. He said in any agreement, there would have to be “something in it for us.”

Times staff writer Larry Stewart contributed to this story.