BCS taps Fleischer to make case against college football playoff

Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer will go to work defending the reputation of college football's often-maligned Bowl Championship Series organization.

Fleischer's communications firm was hired by new BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock over the weekend, The Associated Press reported on Monday. 

Fleischer, a former press secretary for President George W. Bush, and his company will be tasked with defending the BCS system, which determines berths in college football's national championship and other top bowl games, in the face of a mounting political campaign to end the system.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has aggressively sought to end the BCS system after his home-state Utes were excluded from the title game last season despite a perfect record, and has held hearings to discuss the BCS system's antitrust status.

President Barack Obama has also said he favors a playoff system over the computer-ranking system the BCS employs to slot competitors for the national championship. 

Adding to the BCS's woes is the Playoff PAC founded by Hatch and several other lawmakers who have pushed for college football to move to playoffs to determine their champion. Other college sports, like basketball, baseball and ice hockey, use playoff systems to crown their champions.

Fleischer's firm also represents some NFL and Major League Baseball franchises, the AP reported.

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