🏈 Should NCAA revise league title game bylaws? ACC/Big12 want changes

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In the current NCAA manual, bylaw 17.5.9.2(c) includes no such notation. The page describing which FBS and FCS conferences can stage an exempt championship game does not offer any indication of when or why the NCAA made a rule that requires a league to have at least 12 football teams -- split into two divisions -- in order to play such a game. The origin of the rule matters now because the ACC and Big 12 have submitted legislation that would loosen the requirements for a title game. That legislation will be discussed at the NCAA level in August. The 14-school ACC wants the option to play without divisions and place its best two teams in its championship game each year. The league might choose not to do this, but would prefer the flexibility. Meanwhile, the 10-member Big 12 would like the option to stage a championship game even though it has fewer than 12 schools and even though its teams play a full round-robin schedule. The league might never actually vote to stage another title game -- no conference got burned by its championship game more than the Big 12 when the league was accurately named -- but Big 12 leaders would also appreciate the flexibility. Before the debate over potential changes begins, someone should probably explain why the rule exists and why it requires 12 teams and two divisions. The reasoning and research behind the requirements should be examined to determine whether they still apply today.


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