Holy crap! Is this really happening?? Is there really going to be a federal inquiry regarding the NCAA and the Bowl Championship Series in Division 1 AA college football?

ESPN is now reporting that this is in fact true. A quote from the new head of the Justice Department, Christine Varney seem to confirm this; "Serious questions continue to arise suggesting the current Bowl Championship Series system may not be conducted consistent with the competition principles expressed in the federal antitrust laws" -- Justice Department antitrust chief Christine Varney, on the BCS.

The major complaint from schools and individuals who are for the Justice Department investigating the NCAA's BCS system is that the BCS "unfairly gives some schools preferential access to the title championship game and top-tier end-of-season bowls" (Associated Press)

What do you guys think? Is the BCS system unfair to smaller schools?

I personally dislike the NCAA. Having been an NCAA student athlete myself, I could never escape the feeling based on their actions and bureaucratic behavior that the NCAA was just another large company making money any way they could off of college athletes. If you ask me, the NCAA is definitely a monopoly, schools must bend over completely too all of their rules and regulations or not be allowed to compete in collegiate sports.

While regulation in college sports is good, I believe the NCAA take this too far. For example, student athletes must sign contracts (even at the division 3 level) stating that the NCAA owns the rights to their image before they are allowed to participate in ANY NCAA regulated sport. This means it would technically be a violation of NCAA conduct to model for free at a charity event, much less get paid. While I know this is a bit of a strange example, I think it is just as strange that the NCAA would find this inappropriate.

What are your thoughts on the NCAA and it's regulations? I for one think it is an organization that has far outgrown its original purpose and has become oppressive to the very student athletes it set out to support.