Big 12 would seek new event if CFP changes end conference title games, Yormark says
Commissioner Brett Yormark says the Big 12 values its championship events and would seek a replacement if playoff changes removed one. No CFP decision has been made.
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said at the conference’s media day in Kansas City on October 20 that the league would seek another event if future College Football Playoff changes eliminated its football championship game, ESPN reported. No change to the playoff or the conference title game has been finalized.
Yormark described reports of a possible 24-team playoff as speculation. He said he did not want to discuss details while the playoff’s future remained unsettled, but called the championship game valuable to the league. If an event went away, he said, the Big 12 would replace it with something different. He did not identify a replacement format.
Why the Big 12 values its championship events
The stakes extend beyond the title game itself. Yormark said major events drive fan engagement and excitement, pointing to both the football championship and the conference’s men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. ESPN reported that the previous season’s football championship game between Texas Tech and BYU drew 85,519 spectators at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, a record for a Big 12 title matchup.
The conference has also committed to keeping its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in Kansas City through 2031 under an agreement announced in 2024, ESPN reported. The Big 12’s media-day announcement scheduled Yormark to speak in Kansas City on October 20, the day ESPN reported his comments about protecting major conference events.
Other decisions facing the conference
Yormark also said the Big 12 was discussing whether to return to a 20-game conference basketball schedule. The league tried that format in the 2024–25 season before playing 18 conference games the following season, ESPN reported. Those discussions concern basketball scheduling; Yormark did not present them as a plan to replace a football title game.
Asked about the league’s membership, Yormark said he was happy with its 16 schools and did not want to disrupt their progress. He cited the work of integrating eight new schools over the previous four years and said a cohesive conference board mattered. For now, the football championship remains in place while any playoff expansion and its effect on conference title games remain undecided.
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Sources and context
- Big 12 commish mulls new event if conference title games endESPN
- Big 12 Unites Men’s and Women’s Basketball Programs at 2026 Monster Energy Big 12 Basketball Media DaysBig 12 Conference
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.