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Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson Proposes A 16-Team Playoff

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Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson has submitted a 16-team playoff proposal to replace the BCS once the contract expires after the 2014 BCS title game. Thompson's plan is a 16-team playoff and could pay out $700 million annually which dwarfs the $182 million the BCS paid out last year.

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Thompson discussed his playoff proposal with the Arizona Republic:

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The Mountain West plan would make it easier for champions of all 11 Football Bowl Subdivison conferences to qualify for the post-season as long as a team is ranked among the top 30 in the country. The rest of the tournament would be filled with at-large selections, and a committee would determine the seeding. Teams not making the tournament could play in minor bowl games.

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The conference commissioners from the current BCS leagues are content with the postseason format because in their opinion it has worked well by placing the top two teams in the country. This is the second playoff proposal that Thompson has presented in as many years. This move is yet another progressive move by the Mountain West who recently joined in an alliance with Conference USA and a move that is a way from keeping the Mountain West being left behind.

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