BCS looking into four-team playoff

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., April 26 (UPI) -- The Bowl Championship Series, which awards a college football championship, said Thursday it is considering a four-team playoff system.

The BCS has come under much criticism, mostly for allegedly overlooking teams from smaller conferences. But also a concern has been having one game decide its title, which was seen as having the potential to leave out deserving teams.

The BCS issued a statement that officials meeting this week made "substantial progress" and said, "We will present to our conference a very small number of fourth-team options, each of which could be carried out in a number of ways."

BCS conference commissioners and the Notre Dame athletic director said they have considered a "number of concepts regarding the post-season structure for the BCS."

A statement from the BCS said officials discarded eight-team or 16-team playoffs since they "would diminish the regular season and harm the bowls."

The other NCAA football-playing divisions have multi-round playoff systems.

Any BCS changes wouldn't go into effect until the 2014 season.