University officials from schools in Bowl Championship Series conferences, as well as non-BCS schools, have begun discussions to try and find common ground and bring the two groups together.

Representatives from 12 universities and NCAA President Myles Brand met in Chicago September 8 to discuss the values that should govern Division I-A postseason football and share philosophies on how to achieve the best experience for student-athletes, institutions and fans.

While no specific suggestions for change came out of the meeting, officials said the collegial and candid discussions were a positive backdrop for future talks that will likely lead to some changes in the BCS system.

"I think this was an initial meeting at a very high level of thought about things that would bring us together in terms of agreement around postseason play," said Tulane University President Scott Cowen, whose school is not a member of a BCS conference and has been critical in the past of the BCS system. "We did not try to bring closure because these are very broad principles and we need to reflect on them and think about them with other presidents, as well as conference commissioners and revisit them at our next meeting."

Cowen added that the meeting "probably exceeded all of our expectations of what might be accomplished."

The group will next meet November 16 in New Orleans in conjunction with the National Convention of Colleges and Universities. At that meeting, participants are expected to discuss more specifics on reforms to the BCS that can benefit all Division I-A schools, but there is no timeline for final changes to be put in place, said David Frohnmayer, president of the University of Oregon, whose school is in the BCS.

However, agreements that form the basis for the BCS are open to negotiation starting next year, said Harvey Perlman, chancellor of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, a BCS school. So resolution, at least in some areas, may come relatively quickly, he said.

At issue are claims from some non-BCS schools that the bowl series is exclusionary and does not provide adequate opportunities for non-BCS teams to play in the four lucrative BCS bowls. Those bowls are: the Rose Bowl, the Nokia Sugar Bowl, the FedEx Orange Bowl and the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

The six BCS leagues are the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big 12, Big Ten, Pacific-10 and Southeastern Conferences. The University of Notre Dame also is a part of the BCS. The current BCS contract runs through the 2006 bowl season.

The non-BCS conferences are the Mid-American, Mountain West, Sun Belt and Western Athletic Conferences and Conference USA.

A non-BCS school may receive one of two at-large bids to the four BCS bowls, but since the system was developed in 1998, no team from a non-BCS conference has played in one of those four games. However, it has been noted that in the 20 years before the BCS was established, BCS schools accounted for 159 of the 160 participants in the four bowl games that now make up the BCS.

Still, participants at last week's meeting acknowledged that there is likely some room for modifications to the system.

"I'm convinced that there will be (some changes) just from the standpoint of some of the technical things that some of the conferences want that have traditional relationships with the existing bowl games," said Frohnmayer. "Every single one of us at the table would like to see a system of postseason play that preserves the best of our traditional approach, while adding value and adding interest."

Though Division I-A football is the only NCAA-governed sport without a national championship, Brand has served as a facilitator in the meetings and will continue to do so.

Earlier this month, Brand testified before the House of Representatives' Judiciary Committee hearing on possible antitrust aspects of the BCS.

Brand said that he personally does not favor a full playoff in Division I-A, though there is no official NCAA position on the issue. Brand said he is largely against a playoff system because "it would diminish the benefits of the unique postseason opportunities the bowls have provided."

"This is an exciting feature of Division I-A football worth preserving, and a full-fledged, multi-stage tournament would distract too much from the bowl system," he said.

Brand added that he understood the concern for greater access to the major bowl games.

"Any changes to the current approach must add value for all the participants," Brand said. "This goal, if it is achievable, is to find the tide that will raise all ships."