Bob Bowlsby and David Boren also discussed the likelihood of the league going back to two, five-team divisions.
Advertisement
Since contracting to 10 members in 2011, the Big 12 has staged a round-robin format and has been the only Power 5 league without a championship game.
“Our board unanimously acted to approve in concept the reimplementation of a championship football game”, commissioner Bob Bowlsby said at the Big 12 Meetings Friday.
The conference will implement a championship game for 2017. Last year, OU fell from third to fourth when the Sooners had a bye week and other leagues had championship games on the same weekend. He added that “we’re two years in and we’re batting”.
It’s not a slam dunk to help the Big 12 get into the College Football Playoff, though.
FOX and ESPN will alternate showing the Big 12 championship game, with FOX getting the odd-numbered years and ESPN gaining the even-numbered years.
Nebraska and Colorado left the Big 12 and it was forced to stop playing a championship game due to NCAA rules.
Boren said the Big 12 will continue to examine the merits of expansion and that the league’s presidents could meet again later in the summer to discuss in person further.
Advertisement
That financial windfall is on top of the $30.4 million in revenue distribution each member institution received for the previous year, Bowlsby announced Friday.
