More than 80 percent of the presidents of the 120 FBS schools felt that the costs are out of control, and even if they did have a solution, they didn’t have the power to make the necessary changes.

And these are the leaders of the schools?

“We need to get to a place where the expenditures of intercollegiate athletics are proportionate to the expenditures at the rest of the university,’’ said William Kirwan, chancellor of the university system of Maryland and a Knight Commission co-chair. “We cannot live with the situation, in my opinion, where the rate of increase in intercollegiate athletics is four times that of the academic program.’’

What the presidents are missing is a money-making venture right in front of them, one that would generate income, increase interest in a sport, and cause minimum disruption.

It is a college football playoff system, even a modified version of, say, eight teams playing three extra games to decide a national championship on the field.

Such a system would take care of the most pressing money concerns of all the FBS schools.

The presidents are opposed to such a notion, however. Oh, they have some ideas. There are always ideas. Like eliminate international travel for teams (mainly in basketball). Or reduce off-campus stays for football teams before home games.

The presidents acknowledge that coaches’ salaries (primarily in football and basketball) are out of control. Is Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops or Florida’s Urban Meyer worth $4 million per year? Is USC’s Pete Carroll, the highest-paid college football coach, worth $4.4 million? Is Hawaii’s Greg McMackin worth $1.1 million?

But that is more of a free market issue, so the administrators will look for something symbolic to show they are addressing the issue. Thus, the practice of having a football team spend the night before a home game at a local hotel could be a hot-button issue.

The Boston College Eagles spend the night before a home game at a hotel in Needham. The only coach who stays is head coach Frank Spaziani. The players double up in rooms, watch a movie, and have a pregame meal.

Spaziani’s room is comped by the hotel, and the players’ room rate is approximately $100 a night.

“In terms of getting a team ready, it’s worth it,’’ said Barry Gallup, BC’s assistant athletic director in charge of football operations. “The cost is minimal. We have everyone together, and the next morning, we have a team breakfast and get ready for the game.

“We know where the players are and we control the environment. What happens if you have a noon game and the kids are in their dorm rooms? There’s a lot of activity on campus on a football weekend. You would have to track them down in the morning, get them ready. It would make things much tougher in terms of preparation, and the cost is not that great.’’

But even that is a minor issue, which brings us back to the big picture - and the P-word.

Just think what college football could have this season if it made two simple changes.

Take the champions from the six BCS conferences (let’s say Florida, Cincinnati, Texas, USC, Georgia Tech, and Iowa) and add two at-larges (let’s say Boise State and TCU).

Then create the following matchups:

Rose Bowl: USC vs. Iowa

Fiesta Bowl: Texas vs. Boise State

Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. TCU

Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Cincinnati.

Have the four winners meet in two games a week later.

Have those two winners meet the week before the NFL’s Super Bowl.

What would this do? Let’s see.

It would give meaning to all four BCS bowls.

It would create a frenzy of interest and settle the issue on the field.

And with open bidding among television networks for the post-bowl three-game package, there could be a billion-dollar-plus bonanza to be shared by the 120 FBS schools.

The second tier of bowls could be preserved for teams not in the top eight.

The regular season would still have as much meaning as ever, with teams vying to make it into the BCS system.

And as for extending the season? Please. It would involve a maximum of four teams playing two or three more weeks, at a time when schools generally haven’t begun the second semester.

Money problem solved.