(2003-12-08) -- Officials of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) today reversed a previous decision and ruled that the No. 3 USC Trojans will face the No. 2 LSU Tigers in the Sugar Bowl for the national championship of NCAA Division I football.

Initially, BCS computer calculations had pitted the No. 1 University of Oklahoma Sooners against Louisiana State University (LSU) in the battle for the national title.

However, that was before BCS officials added football player graduation rates to the calculations. While LSU graduates 57 percent of its players and USC issues diplomas to 48 percent, the Sooners' graduation rate is only six percent.

"Everyone knows that the NCAA cares more about academics than athletics," said a BCS spokesman. "This just proves that we let nothing stand in the way of promoting a quality education for every student athlete. If we were to let the Sooners contend for the title, what would that say about what's important in the National Collegiate Athletic Association?"