Representatives from every FBS conference are meeting this week to discuss the Big 12’s recent proposal to deregulate conference championship games. If it passes, it would allow the conference to hold a title game without splitting into divisions or expanding to 12 teams.
Big 12 ‘likely’ to be able to have championship game without expanding, per source
Changes to deregulation proposals could give the Big 12 what it wants without having to add more teams.
The Big Ten countered with a proposal that would allow conferences to hold championship games with fewer than 12 teams, but would require them to split into divisions, something the Big 12 does not want to do.
Some outlets have reported that if the Big 12 is unable to hold a championship game without expanding or splitting into divisions, it would likely expand.
Sunday night, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby told the Dallas Morning News that he did not expect his total deregulation proposal to pass, which would mean the Big 12 is seeking a compromise. That compromise might be taking shape.
A high-ranking official at a voting conference told SB Nation it is "likely" that the Big Ten proposal will be amended to allow for a conference with round-robin scheduling to hold a football championship of its own, so long as that conference's top two seeds compete in the game. That appears similar to what Dallas Morning News reporter Chuck Carlton floated last night as well.
This could be bad news for fans of BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, UCF and others.
Hypothetically, such a proposal could assuage concerns about a conference with a multi-division format, like the ACC floated. It could also allow the Big 12 to hold a championship without expanding or forming divisions. Multiple sources have told SB Nation that forcing a conference to expand is not a goal of any pending legislation.
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