Updated: NCAA will allow Big 12 title game; Vandals’ future on the clock
The Big 12 will be allowed to hold a football championship game in the future if it wants to under a rule change approved at the NCAA’s annual convention.
The change scraps the requirement that leagues have 12 members and play in two divisions in order to hold a title game. The new rule lets a smaller league play a title game pitting its top two teams, provided it plays a round-robin regular season schedule as the Big 12 does now.
The vote by the NCAA Division I Council passed 7-2 on Wednesday. The Atlantic Coast and the American Athletic conferences voted against it and the Pac-12 didn’t vote.
The 10-member Big 12 is the only major conference that doesn’t play a football title game.
The Sun Belt could add a title game now that the vote has passed, which could impact the future of the Idaho Vandals’ football program.
Idaho is one of 11 football programs in the Sun Belt, which will add Coastal Carolina as a full-time member in 2018.
Idaho and New Mexico State are two years into a four-year agreement with the Sun Belt. Commissioner Karl Benson has said if deregulation happens, the league could move forward with 10 teams, meaning geographic outliers Idaho and New Mexico State aren’t needed to fill membership spots.
Idaho will pitch its case to remain in the Sun Belt in February, and league presidents are scheduled to vote on future membership in March.
ORIGINAL STORY
Two days after Alabama’s latest national championship, a vote at the annual NCAA convention could have a huge impact on the future of the College Football Playoff, and even the Sun Belt Conference and Idaho Vandals.
A proposal by the Big 12, set for consideration Wednesday, would deregulate how conferences conduct championship games. It would let the 10-team Big 12 or the 11-team Sun Belt play a title game without being forced to break into divisions or expand.
It would allow the other major conferences to potentially tinker with their championships as well.
If the Big 12 doesn’t get what it wants, it could be forced once again to consider adding teams.
“We’d like the (current) rules to go away in order to set our own,” Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said.
Conferences are currently required to have at least 12 members and two divisions in order to stage a title game between division winners.
The Sun Belt could add a title game if the vote passes, which also could impact the future of the Vandals. Idaho is one of 11 football programs in the Sun Belt, which will add Coastal Carolina as a full-time member in 2018.
Idaho and New Mexico State are two years into a four-year agreement with the Sun Belt. Commissioner Karl Benson has said if deregulation happens, the league could move forward with 10 teams, meaning geographic outliers Idaho and New Mexico State aren’t needed to fill membership spots.
Idaho will pitch its case to remain in the Sun Belt in February, and league presidents are scheduled to vote on future membership in March.
This story was originally published January 12, 2016 at 10:10 PM with the headline "Updated: NCAA will allow Big 12 title game; Vandals’ future on the clock."