NEW YORK » Don’t expect Mark Cuban’s money to break the BCS.

Bowl Championship Series executive director Bill Hancock doubts "financial inducements," such as the one the Dallas Mavericks’ outspoken owner is considering, will lead to a major college football playoff.

Cuban told reporters this week that he was "actively interested but in the exploratory stage" of trying to bankroll a 12- or 16-team playoff to replace the BCS.

He thinks about $500 million might do the trick.

"Put $500 million in the bank and go to all the schools and pay them money as an option," Cuban was quoted by ESPNDallas.com as saying. "Say, ‘Look, I’m going to give you X amount every five years. In exchange, you say if you’re picked for the playoff system, you’ll go.’"

Hancock responded to Cuban’s comments in an e-mail to the AP yesterday, saying, "Given how much support our current system has among university presidents, athletics directors, coaches and athletes, I don’t think any amount of financial inducement will make people abandon" the BCS.

Cuban said he’s spoken to two athletic directors from conferences with automatic BCS bids who were enthusiastic about his idea.

The BCS is unpopular among fans, but the leadership of the six most powerful conferences — the Big Ten, Big East, Big 12, ACC, SEC and Pac-10 — support it and the bowl system, making any radical changes in the near future unlikely.