BCS the Topic as UA Researcher Is Interviewed on Journal’s Debut Podcast

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Steve Dittmore

The Bowl Championship Series was the topic last week when an academic journal focusing on sports invited a University of Arkansas professor to take part in its first podcast. The hour-long discussion eventually led to possible alternatives to the BCS, including a more semi-pro type of arrangement in which college athletes would be paid.

Steve Dittmore, assistant professor of recreation and sport management, wrote several papers in the past year on research he conducted about the BCS and its effect on college football. An article he wrote with colleague Craig M. Crow of West Liberty (W.Va.) University explained their findings that within-season competitive balance in the six founding BCS conferences has improved since the BCS was created in 1998.

The article was published in April in the online Journal of Sport Administration and Supervision. Last week, the journal released its first podcast as it attempts to “break the mold” of academic journals and provide a platform for research to be connected to the industry it examines, in this case sports, the journal’s top staff members said.

Dittmore’s research showed the improvement occurred in within-season competitive balance, which measures how teams in a conference vary in competition standing in a given year. Only three of the six conferences exhibited improved between-season competitive balance, the research showed, however. The lack of between-season competitive balance means the top teams consistently remain strong year to year, resulting in less frequent turnover of championship teams.

The podcast discussion with Dittmore and Dan Wetzel, a national columnist for Yahoo! Sports, being interviewed by journal staffers Colby B. Jubenville, Benjamin D. Goss and Michael Martinez can be heard at the Journal of Sport Administration and Supervision website.