WASHINGTON, May 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. Justice Department says it wants to know why the NCAA doesn't have a playoff setup for college football as it does for other sports.
Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney sent a letter to NCAA President Mark Emmert in which she says "serious questions continue to arise" about whether the NCAA's Bowl Championship Series violates antitrust laws, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
The current BCS system, much-criticized by detractors, involves a series of five games involving ranked teams, with the Nos. 1 and 2 teams meeting for the championship.
Critics have long contended the rankings are subjective and set up to favor larger schools over smaller ones. Last year, for instance, Texas Christian University -- a small school from the Mountain West conference -- racked up an undefeated season but was left out of the national title game.
BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock told the Journal the setup doesn't break antitrust laws.
"Goodness gracious, with all that's going on in the world right now, and with national and state budgets being what they are, it seems like a waste of taxpayers' money to have the government looking into how college football games are played," Hancock said.
