Cuban understands hurdles to football playoff

[December 18, 2010]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Mark Cuban acknowledges any attempt to fund a college football playoff would be a "long and difficult and expensive process," but he's committed to examining the idea.

The Dallas Mavericks owner said this week that he was in the exploratory stages of trying to bankroll a 12- or 16-team playoff to replace the often-criticized Bowl Championship Series.

His idea was met with derision from some, including BCS executive director Bill Hancock, who doubted "financial inducements" would lead to an overhaul of the postseason system.

Cuban responded in an online blog Friday by saying, "There is quite a bit of satisfaction in taking on Goliath. This undertaking is no different. Win or lose (and I hate to lose), it will be worth the journey."

Cuban said he has a lot of homework to do before he's ready to take the next step in the process.

"I've got a lot of work to do," Cuban said before the Mavericks' game Friday night against the Phoenix Suns. "There's a lot of learning I have to do before I even begin to think about presenting something."

In his blog, Cuban mentioned an anonymous email he received from someone who claimed to own a patent for a playoff system.

"It's like having a patent on tying your shoes," Cuban said. "But it's all through the technology industry now. It's horrific, and that's not an understatement, and its impact on the economy."

Cuban said he's not surprised that the majority of online feedback he's received has been supportive of his willingness to explore a workable alternative to the BCS.

"That's one of the reasons I said it publicly is because I wanted to get feedback and ideas," Cuban said. "I knew people would have opinions, and that's the goal."

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.