WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) recently sent a letter to President Obama to express his concerns regarding the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and request that the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division look into the legality and fairness of the system.
 
"Mr. President, as you have publicly stated on multiple occasions, the BCS system is in dire need of reform," wrote Hatch in the letter. "Some may argue that the college football postseason is too trivial a matter to warrant government involvement.  However, given the amount of money involved in the BCS endeavor and its close relationship to our nation's institutions of higher education, it is clear that the unfairness of the current system extends well beyond the football field. 
 
"Furthermore, I do not believe we should lower the standards of legal and ethical behavior simply because a case involves collegiate sports.  If anything, our nation should hold our colleges and universities to a higher standard than we would a purely commercial enterprise.
 
"I believe a strong case can be made that the BCS is in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.  Therefore, I respectfully request that the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division look into this matter."
 
The Senate Antitrust Subcommittee, on which Senator Hatch is the Ranking Member, held hearings on the antitrust implications of the BCS earlier this year.  At the time, Hatch indicated that further government intervention or investigation into these matters could have been avoided by voluntary action on the part of the BCS.