Hollywood, Fla. — The BCS, the complicated and much criticized formula that picks two teams to play for college football's national championship, will continue for the next six years.

The commissioners who run the BCS met on Wednesday and discussed a plan that would seed the top four teams at the end of the regular season. There would be two semifinals in two of the current BCS bowls and the winners would advance to the national championship.

But after five hours of talk ACC commissioner John Swofford announced that there was not a consensus.

"The fact is that college football is healthier than it has ever been," Swofford said at the end of the meetings. "We had some very thorough discussions which we thought were very productive. But at the end of the day there was not a consensus to move forward with idea."

In fact, SEC commissioner Mike Slive, who presented the plan, and Swofford were the only ones who supported the idea. The other four BCS commissioners: Jim Delany (Big Ten), Tom Hansen (Pac-10), Mike Tranghese (Big East), and Dan Beebe (Big 12) all said Wednesday that they had reservations.

"I don't know if disappointed is the right word but there is a bit of a letdown," Slive said. "It's not that I'm unhappy with the system. But it's like anything else. I don't think there is such a thing as standing pat."

BCS critics complain the system often freezes out teams with legitimate national championship claims. Slive cautioned that a playoff wouldn't have solved all of the problems.

"What we understand is that this model is not a panacea," Slive said. "It would have helped in 2004 (when Auburn was left out of the BCS championship game at 12-0) but last season Georgia would have been left out at No. 5. What we have to do now is look ahead to the next cycle of the BCS, watch it closely, and keep our options open."

Delany said those who are calling for a playoff may be loud, but they may not represent the majority.

"While certain segments of the public demand a playoff the polling we have done said there is a balance between people who want a playoff and those who like the current system," Delany said.

Ultimately no one could guarantee that a four team playoff wouldn't grow into eight or 16 teams, which would change the landscape of college football.

"I can only tell my presidents what I think and I can't assure them that this kind of format would not grow," Tranghese said.

The current four-year contract between the four BCS games and Fox Television expires with the games of January 2010. Fox has an exclusive negotiating window for a contract extension that begins in September. If the BCS wanted to change its format that decision had to be made by this summer.

"The thing you have to remember about a process like this is that it is a marathon, not a sprint," Slive said. "Will we come back to it? We'll have to see."