Boston College (5-2-1) and Syracuse (6-2) are linked to the Bowl Coalition because of their conference, the Big East.
The Bowl Coalition will determine where the two top-ranked Big East teams will play.
This continued throughout the time of the Bowl Coalition, a precursor to the BCS.
The Bowl Coalition did not include the Pacific-10 and Big 10 conferences, whose champions played in the Rose Bowl.
However, like the Bowl Coalition, the bowls not hosting the national championship would retain their traditional tie-ins.
The Bowl Alliance and its predecessor, the Bowl Coalition, featured championship games from 1992 through 1997.
The first was the Bowl Coalition, in place from 1992-94.
Coincidentally, the last year of the Bowl Coalition was the only year that its formula didn't work out at all.
This controversial ending, along with the dual undefeated champions of the following year, led to the creation of the Bowl Coalition.
The Bowl Coalition was also at risk of anti-trust because of the monopoly on the bowls.