Over the last 232 years, Congress has been told many times to mind its own business — on everything from war and peace, international relations and domestic economics to cracking down on corporate fraud and government corruption. Yet few issues have generated more rapid and rabid reaction than a resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives recently by Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia, Mike Simpson of Idaho and myself to end what many people agree is a significant disparity in college sports.

The resolution declares that the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) — the way our college football "national champion" is determined — constitutes an illegal restraint of trade as it currently operates, and calls for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate. The resolution also encourages the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to establish a true football playoff system to determine the national collegiate football champion in the interest of parity and sportsmanship.

It's interesting that many of the same writers and reporters who are sniffing that Congress should have more important things to do than intrude into college sports totally ignored the Iraq troop redeployment bill I sponsored, which passed the House 377-46, or my legislation to criminalize contract fraud and waste involving hundreds of millions of dollars in Iraq, or my provisions in the 2008 National Defense bill to buy more body armor and armored vehicles for U.S. troops at war. Congress does have better things to do, and many of them are getting done.

But the impact of the BCS system on a lot of colleges and universities is also substantial. It isn't just about which teams get to play for the national championship. Non-BCS schools — those in the five conferences not automatically qualified for the BCS bowls — are at a competitive and financial disadvantage before the first kickoff of the season, a disadvantage that goes far beyond their limited access to the national championship competition. The BCS generates hundreds of millions of dollars annually, and this money is disproportionately awarded to the six BCS athletic conferences. Sixty-six schools — just more than half of Division I-A — shared 85 percent of the $217 million generated by the 2006-2007 post-season bowls, about $185 million.

Money generated by the post-season games help schools cover costs for their athletic departments, facilities, equipment, recruitment and other sports programs. Non-BCS schools must use their general funds to cover costs of their athletic departments, which takes funding from academic and administrative needs.

The lopsided distribution of BCS revenue results in two tiers within the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A): those with access to the BCS, and those without. Those without are unable to change their situation, as the money and prestige associated with the BCS makes it highly unlikely that a non-BCS school will be able to compete for the same recruits, coaches, sponsorships, and national television exposure and the revenue it generates. This disparity locks them into second-class status.

The second reason for our resolution is fundamental fairness: The NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision is the only college team sport without a playoff to determine a national champion. While the NCAA Basketball Championship's format does not transfer perfectly to college football, it is still a model.

In basketball, all Division I schools start with an equal chance of making it to the big dance. The championship is decided on the court by the players and their talent, not rankings and schedule determined before the tournament. The basketball tournament almost always includes a "Cinderella story," an underrated team that defies expectations, upsets traditionally strong opponents and competes deep into the tournament. In 2006, it was George Mason University. This year it was Davidson College from the Southern Conference. Davidson was seeded 10th in its region and made it to the Elite Eight, beating former champion Georgetown University, the University of Wisconsin and Gonzaga University along the way.

College football is a multi-million dollar enterprise, and its impact is far more substantial and tangible than state pride and school spirit. Something must be done to ensure that money and opportunity are more evenly distributed among college football programs. If the current structure insists on protecting parochial interests, then Congress should act in the interest of all colleges and universities, athletes, coaches, staff and supporters to guarantee financial opportunity, parity and true competition.

Neil Abercrombie represents Hawai'i's 1st congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.