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News Corp.'s Fox Sports Network won't match an offer made by Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN network to broadcast college football's Bowl Championship Series from 2011 through 2014, the company said in a news release.

No terms have been disclosed by the networks. The Sports Business Daily reported that ESPN had bid $125 million a year and Fox had bid $100 million.

The decision may send three of the premier college football bowl games and the national championship game to cable television. BCS spokesman Bill Hancock and ESPN spokesman Mike Humes declined to comment in e-mails.

``Fox Sports made a very competitive bid to keep broadcasting BCS games free to every home in America,'' Fox spokesman Lou D'Ermilio said in a statement. ``Unfortunately, the university presidents and BCS commissioners were not satisfied.''

Fox was paying $82.5 million annually over four years to show the Orange, Sugar and Fiesta bowls, plus the BCS championship game. The other BCS game, the Rose Bowl, has been shown by Walt Disney's ABC for the past 21 years.

The new agreement would come amid an economic slump that's damaged consumer confidence and led to a jump in unemployment. The jobless rate in October rose to the highest level since 1994.

If rights to the bowl games and championship are awarded to ESPN, it will mark the first time in U.S. sports history that a major team sports championship game won't be shown on broadcast television, leaving about 15 million households unable to view the game.

Birth of the BCS

The BCS grew out of a desire to crown a national college football champion without creating a playoff system or undermining the traditional post-season bowl games. The first BCS championship game was held in January 1999, when the University of Tennessee beat Florida State, 23-16.

Football teams from 11 conferences, plus independents Notre Dame, Army and Navy, are ranked using a combination of polls and computer standings. At the end of the season, the top teams are pitted against one another in the Fiesta, Orange, Sugar and Rose bowls. The national championship game between the two highest- ranked teams is rotated among the four bowl sites.

This year's title game is in Miami on Jan. 8.

Current Agreement

Fox's current four-year agreement gives the network the right to televise the Fiesta, Orange and Sugar bowl games following the 2006-2009 regular seasons and the national championship game after the 2006-2008 regular seasons.

ABC's current four-year agreement gives it the right to televise the Rose Bowl after the 2006-2009 regular seasons and the national championship when it is played at the Rose Bowl at the conclusion of the 2009 regular season.

Louisiana State's 38-24 victory over Ohio State in last season's national championship was seen by 24.8 million viewers, according to Fox.

(Source: Bloomberg)