A Division I football playoff wouldn't be part of a college football study that NCAA president Cedric Dempsey and the football issues committee want to conduct in the sport next year.

Yet, conference commissioners are fighting the idea of simply looking at the sport, and claiming that everything is fine.

The sharp division over a simple study has Dempsey befuddled and the commissioners downright angry.

"I have a hard time understanding the fear that we should study it," Dempsey said. "The health of the game should be looked at. We have seen schools drop the sport like Long Beach and Pacific and Fullerton. It should be preserved. But there are concerns about spiraling costs of football budgets, concern over the number of bowl games, but there isn't a majority who want a (Division) I-A playoff. The board of directors have been consistent on that. That's not the purpose of this study."

Dempsey said the recommendation for a football study came from the football issues committee, made up of administrators, including football-dominated Texas and its athletic director DeLoss Dodds. Dempsey said he wouldn't push for a study if the membership weren't in favor of one.

	“	I have a hard time understanding the fear that we should study it. The health of the game should be looked at. ”
		— NCAA president Cedric Dempsey

An NCAA Championships and Cabinet Committee meeting Sept. 12-14 in Atlanta is expected to endorse a football study, forwarding the measure to the management council in October. If it gets past the management council then it will be sent to the board of directors in April, 2001 for final passage.

"Some of the most heated and vocal arguments with the board of directors have been tied to the lack of control presidents have in postseason football," Dempsey said. "It's a very sensitive issue. But they're not ready to look at a playoff."

The conference commissioners view a study as a threat to their complete control of postseason football. Conference commissioners (and in turn their athletic directors) set up bowl and television agreements, not the NCAA administrators. Presidents sign off on deals, but it's the commissioners who are negotiating the contracts. The NCAA has no say in the matter, other than to be the umbrella for which Division I-A college football works under for its rules and governing structure. Unlike college basketball, the NCAA receives no money from football's Division I-A postseason to divide up with its members. The NCAA does run the championships for Division I-AA, Division II and Division III football.

The NCAA has conducted two previous studies on a Division I-A football playoff. The commissioners view this as a third, even though Dempsey adamantly denies that a playoff is part of the study. The Conference Commissioners Association sent Dempsey a stern letter essentially saying that there is no need for a study again.

"In the current climate, the conferences have been dealing directly with the bowls and the NCAA hasn't been involved," said Conference USA commissioner Mike Slive, who chairs the CCA. "As we look at it, we don't see the need for a study of major college football and the letter was really an effort to say that."

The commissioners contend that they have had no problems dealing with the daily control of college football -- from the game day operations, to the travel, regular season, postseason network and bowl deals. The Bowl Championship Series, which determines the current national champion, has nothing to do with the NCAA. The national champion in Division I-A gets a Sears Trophy, unlike champions in Division I-AA, II and III, which receive a similar NCAA trophy to the ones awarded to teams in every other sport, including men's basketball. The commissioners say they only need the NCAA's involvement in college football for its rules.

"The NCAA is the tent under which you vote on football related rules for playing and eligibility," Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said. "Other than that, the NCAA hasn't had a role for decades. There's no need for that. All of our relationships with the Rose Bowl, Citrus, go back 10-50 years. It's the same with our relationships with ABC, ESPN, Fox and all others. The NCAA's only function in college football is to be the umbrella."

	“	People are happy with the system and there is no need for the NCAA to study its issues. Now, if it wants to do a study, it might want to look at the I-AA level, because it runs a I-AA championship. ”
		— Conference USA commissioner Mike Slive

Dempsey said I-AA football members aren't uniformly in favor of a playoff system. In fact, there is a movement to drop the labels and have one football division with everyone competing for bowl games. Commissioners like Delany don't have a problem if conferences want in, but want it to be understood that averaging 15,000 fans isn't major college football.

"Being labeled I-A has nothing to do with who you play or how you're recognized regionally," Delany said. "The whole discussion about I-A is somewhat empty. People in the stands see what is major college football. College football is healthy, except for those who can't afford it."

But creating bowl opportunities for schools from the Big Sky and the Atlantic 10 may not be more financially rewarding than a I-AA playoff system. Still, Dempsey said some conference commissioners are actually in favor of eliminating the divisions and let the market place take care of itself.

"I-A football is unique," Slive said. "It hasn't been managed by the NCAA and has thrived in terms of revenue, bowls and TV exposure. People are happy with the system and there is no need for the NCAA to study its issues. Now, if it wants to do a study, it might want to look at the I-AA level, because it runs a I-AA championship."

Dempsey said an I-AA study on football playoffs has been conducted. Now the attention has turned to studying college football as a whole. Slive, Delany and the rest of the conference commissioners may not have a choice on the study. If the matter gets through the NCAA's legislative committees over the next few months, a study will occur.

"There's a concern about the health of football within college athletics," Dempsey said. "There are issues that the association and membership wants to look at."

The health and future of men's college basketball is being studied, but the playoff system (NCAA Tournament) isn't being discussed. College football appears next to undergo dissection that touches everything but a playoff system, too, whether the conference commissioners like it or not.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.