Fox awarded TV rights to BCS games

NEW YORK (AP) -- Fox will be the new television home of the Bowl Championship Series.
The network and the BCS announced a four-year, $80 million deal Monday that gives Fox the broadcast rights to the Fiesta, Orange and Sugar bowls from 2007-10 and the national title game from 2007-09.
ABC has held the broadcast rights to the BCS since college football's major conferences implemented the system to crown a national champion in 1998.
ABC withdrew from the bidding last week, with network officials saying they were unhappy with the new BCS structure, which added a fifth game. Starting with the 2006 season, the national title game will be played at the site of either the Fiesta, Orange, Sugar and Rose bowls the week after those games are played.
The new structure would allow greater access to the BCS and increase the number of teams involved from eight to 10.
"We totally accepted what was being offered by the BCS," Fox Sports chairman David Hill said.
The national title game will rotate on a four-year basis between the four bowl games. ABC still holds the rights to the Rose Bowl, and the national title game when it is played at the site, through 2014.
The money in the BCS's new TV deal is up from the $76.5 million ABC paid over four years.
BCS coordinator and Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg said all the Division I-A conferences and Notre Dame were involved in the negotiations.
"This agreement does allow us to have increased revenue for distribution in our system,' Weiberg said.