BYU athletic director Val Hale said on Tuesday that the Cougars are seriously considering legal action against the BCS for alleged antitrust violations.

BYU was notified on Monday that the Cougars will not be considered for one of the four major BCS bowls despite a perfect 12-0 record. Instead, BYU will play Louisville in the Liberty Bowl.

Hale said the Mountain West Conference university presidents might consider such a move after BYU's final game against Hawaii on Saturday.

BYU (No. 8 ESPN/USA Today, No. 9 AP) is 12th in the BCS standings. The Cougars will earn about $1.25 million to share with the rest of the Mountain West Conference, instead of the $13 million they would have received for playing in the Rose, Orange, Fiesta or Sugar bowls.

"Their opinion is that if BYU or the conference or whomever were to proceed with an antitrust lawsuit, that we would have a great case," Hale said.

The BCS guarantees berths in those top four bowl games to the champions of the six major conferences -- the Mountain West is not among them -- and two "at-large" teams. The at-large teams usually are from the six majors. Hale said that amounts to unfair exclusion and that he has received legal advice saying as much.