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Friday afternoon, news came from the Big 12 summer meetings that the conference would be adding a title game for football beginning in the 2017 season.
Big 12 votes to brings back conference title football game for 2017 after hearing from consultants. Must work on scheduling, choosing, etc.
— Chuck Carlton (@ChuckCarltonDMN) June 3, 2016
The league seems to be headed toward two 5-team divisions, but there is no word on how the lineups might shake out.
Commissioner Bob Bowlsby says Big 12 will likely go to five-team divisions with a full round-robin schedule and title game for 2017.
— Chuck Carlton (@ChuckCarltonDMN) June 3, 2016
It's also not clear if the two division winners would meet in the title game, or if the two highest ranked teams would face off.
Bowlsby: "We could end up playing just like we're playing now and select our two highest teams."
— David Ubben (@davidubben) June 3, 2016
Either way, it's clearly a money grab by the conference.
Boren says annual average value of football title game is estimated at $27-$28 million.
— Chuck Carlton (@ChuckCarltonDMN) June 3, 2016
This probably won't affect Kansas at all over the next couple years, and despite all of the positive vibes coming from various media outlets (check one, check two) that were covering these summer meetings, is this really a good thing for the conference as a whole?
No question about it now: Big 12 has the toughest road to the CFP. Nine-game round robin + title game + Power 5 nonconference requirement.
— David Ubben (@davidubben) June 3, 2016
When you're in the position Kansas football is, I have to think that this isn't the best move for your program. Frankly, I'm surprised that schools like KU, K-State, and Iowa State supported this measure without expansion.
Boren said "strong unanimous support" for bringing back Big 12 conference title game for 2017. He says analytics "very, very convincing."
— Chuck Carlton (@ChuckCarltonDMN) June 3, 2016
Um... you mean, analytics like these?
Suppose the Big 12 added a conference championship game with its current 10 team structure. The simulation finds the top two teams by conference record and has them play in a championship game.
Over the past three seasons, the Big 12's playoff chances drops an average of 17%. This differs from the Navigate Research results that show a 5% increase.
But at least revenues are up! (Not counting third-tier and the future Big 12 Title Game.)
Big 12 will distribute $304 million to members, $30.4 million per member school, about 20 percent over $253 last year.
— Chuck Carlton (@ChuckCarltonDMN) June 3, 2016