Slive favours 4-team football playoff, not plus-1

HOOVER, Ala. (AP) Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive is standing by a four-team playoff to settle college football's national championship, not a plus-one system.

Pac-12 Conference Commissioner Larry Scott told The Wall Street Journal this week that the new bowl matchup between the Big 12 and SEC champions revives the possibility of a plus-one championship game following the bowls. Slive doesn't think so.

``It's interesting because clearly what we did created a lot of thinking by a lot of people,'' Slive said Saturday while taking in a game at the SEC baseball tournament. ``I appreciate people thinking about that.

``I think what's in the best interest of college football is a four-team playoff. I think it's better for everyone involved in the game. The plus-one narrows the postseason in a way that's not necessarily in the best interest of all the conferences.''

A new playoff format will be a hot topic next week when the SEC presidents, coaches and athletic directors convene for spring meetings in Destin, Fla.

Slive said he's ``wide open'' to considering ideas about how to select the four teams.

One that probably won't be among his favorites: Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney has said the new format shouldn't include a team that doesn't win its conference division - an obvious reference to national champion and SEC West runner-up Alabama.

``I'm very open to a thorough analysis and review of how teams are selected,'' said Slive, who didn't address Delaney's comments directly. ``It seems to me that if that is the issue, then we ought to address that and not compromise the national championship by gerrymandering who plays. I am very much open to a thorough analysis of the selection process, and whatever changes people recommend that are worth looking at.''

Slive doesn't expect much opposition to a playoff within the league that has won the past six BCS national titles.

``I've been talking about it for a long time,'' he said, ``and no one's criticized me for talking about wanting a four-team playoff.''

Slive said the issue of safety and concussions is also on the agenda for the meetings starting Tuesday in Florida.

He said the SEC will propose a task force chaired by someone with a medical background to develop information. He said league officials met several weeks ago with trainers, doctors and others ``and are beginning to restructure how they function so that they can play a significant role in this analysis.''

``There's no doubt in my mind that that task force will be appointed and be operational very quickly,'' he said.