Would the B1G ever rotate the championship game?
Following the next expansion, if the championship game remains, I’d love to see it rotate between domed stadiums in Detroit, Minneapolis, and Chicago (assuming a new facility is built).
I also think it would be great to include the Rose Bowl, MetLife (NY), and FedEx stadium to appeal to wealthy alums on both coasts.
it seems like the basketball tournament has had success moving it around so it should be considered for football.
What are your thoughts?
November 30th, 2022 at 11:49 AM ^
My thoughts are that conference championship games may have an uncertain future right now. Unless they are actually incorporated into the Playoff they may have overstayed their welcome.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:54 AM ^
I don't like shared conference championships on principle, even though it allows us to claim more than we might otherwise have.
But I dislike championships even more, and I hope that you're right that we can eliminate them. A 12-team adds yet another game (or two if you don't have a bye), and the conf champ game would only matter for establishing the byes (which can be done by ranking instead) or getting an otherwise undeserving team into the playoff.
November 30th, 2022 at 1:07 PM ^
The Big Ten is basically contractually obligated to have it until their new media deal runs out. You could maybe replace it with a "Big Ten Showcase" like Seth proposed, but the networks would have to agree and outright elimination is not an option.
Also, to answer OP's question, the Big Ten has already expressed their intent to rotate the site of the championship game in the future.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:57 AM ^
The Big Ten's new TV contract grants rights to a championship game through at least 2029 (rotating between Fox, NBC, and CBS) so it's going to exist for a while post playoff expansion at least.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:01 PM ^
I really do hope the fear of M-OSU repeats convinces everyone to go with the showcase idea. And if the Champ kicks total ass and finishes undefeated and the best team they've not played is 4 games behind them...maybe give them the week off? Let OSU earn their bid in the showcase.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:21 PM ^
We should just go straight from the regular season to the NCAA playoff. The quarterfinals should be on campus.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:58 PM ^
If there's more money to be made by a 12 team playoff and the additional conference teams (UCLA, USC) the conference playoff game is fungible. Agreements can be modified.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:59 AM ^
CCGs are here to stay. Too much money to pass up. More fanbases would tune in to see if their favorite team gets bounced or slides in due to an upset or two.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:59 AM ^
This seems to be the consensus opinion the last couple of years. This year hasn't helped the cause with most conferences having a clear winner already and teams could potentially be penalized for losing an extra played game therefore missing the playoffs. I have to imagine the profit sharing from expanded playoffs would offset the revenue of Conference Championship games.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:15 PM ^
It would never happen because of business deals but I'd love it if conference championship games were subsumed into the playoff's first round and not played if not needed. so this year, there's a clear top 4 that are all clear conference champs. Congrats! bye to the quarters. But the AAC championship game and ACC championship game would both be playoff games. and your other 2 week 1 games can be Bama and OSU hosting some subset of Tennessee, Penn State or Utah. Probably OSU-UT and Bama-PSU. Utah and LSU would gripe. it'd be fine.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:42 PM ^
You could just make money off both…plus this weekend would be very beneficial for teams fighting to make a 12-team playoff. Only way Purdue gets in is with a win this weekend. KSU would be playing for their playoff lives. Clemson/UNC could potentially be a “win & get in” type game. Conferences are not going to pass up free money so they’ll take the revenue from the conference title game plus the new revenue they’ll get from 1st rd games in the new CFP.
November 30th, 2022 at 2:15 PM ^
You can definitely make money off of both, but when do we start looking at the totality of games played for college athletes? That's pushing an NFL type schedule for the schools at the top. We are headed towards an NFL scenario with the playoff expansion that appears to be going to 12 teams. That mitigates the prestige and need for conference champions. SEC would have 4 or five teams in and BIG would have 3 in for this year. Nobody recalls or cares who wins divisions in the NFL. It's all about how often do you get in the playoffs, make noise in the playoffs and Super Bowl appearances and wins.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:51 PM ^
Exactly. 3 out of 4 teams in the top four are already in regardless of what happens in the conference championship games, they've become irrelevant.
Georgia was already in last year regardless of the SEC title game, Alabama backed in in 2017 and OSU backed in in 2016. Incorporate them into the first round somehow.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:59 PM ^
Right now they have become irrelevant, in the future they become essential! Georgia, Michigan & TCU wouldn’t be able to “take a day off” because they would be playing for 1st rd byes. Remember in the new format only conference champions get the first week off. So Michigan is really playing to earn an extra week to get Mike Morris and Blake Corum back to 100% by staying at home.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:58 PM ^
Conference Championship games are going nowhere. They make the conferences too much money that is guaranteed and not shared among other conferences like playoff money.
The conversation that is happening right now is moving the start of the season up one week in order to keep the semifinals around New Year's. That would move conference championship weekend to Thanksgiving weekend I think.
November 30th, 2022 at 1:52 PM ^
Which also aims to keep any on-campus games away from final week at most universities, not a concern for ADs but very much a concern for university presidents.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:50 AM ^
Rose Bowl's not bad, but for a different reason.
Lifeless pro stadiums don't feel that great for college games, IMO. What if the title game was held at a sufficiently large college stadium that wasn't either team's home?
November 30th, 2022 at 11:54 AM ^
"A sufficiently large college stadium that wasn't either team's home.". May I suggest scheduling future B1G championship games at Ohio Stadium?
November 30th, 2022 at 12:32 PM ^
As the traditional Rose Bowl Game becomes irrelevant due to its mismatch for the new CFP, the Rose Bowl Game should be moved to the first weekend of December as the B1G Championship Game. It would make "we're going to Pasadena!" meaningful again. It would make winning the Rose Bowl the goal of every team in the B1G, rather than the crappy consolation prize it is now.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:49 PM ^
This isn't the worst idea.
November 30th, 2022 at 1:02 PM ^
Love that idea, and I think all of the B1G + new PAC entrants would actually agree
November 30th, 2022 at 7:09 PM ^
I mostly agree, but I think Maryland and Rutgers would be pretty ambivalent.
November 30th, 2022 at 3:01 PM ^
I love that idea. It's too bad the Rose Bowl is now a B1G home stadium, and not a neutral site.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:54 AM ^
For some admittedly selfish reasons - having it in Indy is ideal. The way the city is set up, the ease of getting around the city, the affordability, the parking, the restaurants, and the central location all make Indianapolis tough to beat.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:23 PM ^
I think it'll just depend on what happens with conference expansion. But yes, right now Indy is a great option.
That said, so are Detroit and Minneapolis when it comes to ease of transit, flight access, affordability, etc.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:33 PM ^
if you live in Michigan, Indy is fine. Same with folks who are a day's drive away - basically everyone but Rutgers/Maryland and PSU fans in Philly, but the former never have to worry about going anyway. But if you're coming from further afield, I actually think Detroit or Minneapolis is a bit easier just because they're major airport hubs. They also have downtown domed stadiums. We are fast approaching a coast-to-coast conference, so it's a more relevant thing when UCLA and USC are in the conference.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:43 PM ^
Lucas Oil stadium is not open to the elements - it has a retractable roof. It also not only downtown, the city has a walkable downtown. I’m not sure where the roof fallacy was born. Indy airport is easy access across the country as well. Detroit doesn’t have the same vibe for hosting events like Indy does. Minneapolis is neat, but not central/ drivable for most B1G schools. Not to mention - it is that much colder in December.
November 30th, 2022 at 9:00 PM ^
On the contrary, MPLS has a light rail from the airport to downtown, which neither Indy nor Detroit can claim.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:55 AM ^
They should just remove the championship game when they remove divisions. Having two layers of post-season which can conflict is silly. And if they keep it, that would open up a scenario where we play one team three times in a season (regular season, championship, and playoffs). It could even set up a scenario that forces us to play OSU three times in a row.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:02 PM ^
I like the possibility of beating Ohio State three times in one season.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:36 PM ^
Not going to happen…the championship game is built into the new media deal. It will be played regardless.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:58 AM ^
I would hate to give home field advantage to USC/UCLA at the Rose Bowl. I believe we have an atrocious track record in that spot, especially against USC. Otherwise, so long as they exist, I 100% agree that this would be amazing. People seem not to have great feedback on the Indy B1G Championship experience anyway.
I don't know if it's logistically possible but if we're going #1 v #2 anyway in the future I'd also be interested in playing it at the home of #1. I would give a lot to see USC playing in A2 in December in a blizzard and start to even out that dismal record against them.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:02 PM ^
People seem not to have great feedback on the Indy B1G Championship experience anyway.
Who’s saying this? I absolutely loved my time in Indy for the B1G title last year and am beyond excited to go again this weekend.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:43 PM ^
I didn't see a single Michigan fan not having a great time in Indy last year. That includes the time way before the beatdown of Iowa started.
I've also never heard a bad word from Michigan fans who come for the B1G basketball tournament.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:53 PM ^
The problem with the home site of #1 is it’s all fine and dandy until you have a team that’s #1 who played a completely inferior schedule than the team that’s #2. Neutral sites balance those type of things out. We all would hate if we went 8-1 in conference with wins over USC, OSU, MSU and a close loss to PSU. Yet Wisconsin went undefeated playing only one of those squads on their schedule. Leaving us with an early December trip to Madison to win a title.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:58 AM ^
I've always hated it being played in the same stadium.
Indy gets money pouring in that city every single year regardless of which fan bases make the trip. I get it they dont have many indoor options in the Big, but why does a conf title or playoff game always have to be played in doors? Its football FFS.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:59 AM ^
Fuck domed stadiums. The championship game should be played outside somewhere within the BIG footprint. If the NFL can have playoff games played outside in January, then the BIG can have them outside in December.
November 30th, 2022 at 3:02 PM ^
Lambeau
November 30th, 2022 at 8:28 PM ^
Soldier field
November 30th, 2022 at 12:01 PM ^
Don't fix what isn't broken. Indy is a perfect place and top notch stadium. Large crowds. What if they had us play in the Rose Bowl and it turned out to be Michigan vs. Ohio. They have to choose the place years ahead. Would rather see us boot them again closer to home and save the RB visit for the year we play at UCLA.
November 30th, 2022 at 1:15 PM ^
An Indianapolis/Los Angeles (SoFi or Rose Bowl) rotation sounds great in theory.
Until, as you said, it's a Michigan vs. Wisconsin B1G Final in a year it's in LA.
That game would still get fans in LA, but Indianapolis would make a hell of a lot more sense.
I get it, UCLA/USC aren't going to be thrilled about a permanent Indy spot. But they are the minority here.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:07 PM ^
I rather like the idea of a California Team coming to Michigan Stadium to play football in football weather.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:17 PM ^
With an expanded playoff coming, most regionally local Michigan fans won't jump at the opportunity to fly out to California for a B1G Championship game. Sure, it would give an opportunity for our west coast contingency, but at least when it's held in the Midwest our fanbase can travel affordably travel to Indy for the experience.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:41 PM ^
Agreed, and quite frankly the "wealthy alums on both coasts" can travel back towards the midwest (core B1G country) easier than most B1G fans can leave the midwest to head to the coasts. I understand that its a business, but ticket prices and travel costs already put conference championship and playoff games out of reach for many B1G fans - why cater even more to the wealthiest alums?
November 30th, 2022 at 12:18 PM ^
I actually like Indy for sporting events. In terms of geography, the only schools that have an advantage are Indiana and Purdue. Putting this year aside, we should not expect either of those teams to make it very often (if at all). So it's a nice central location for everyone.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:25 PM ^
I think they need to put a CFP game in the Midwest and the East. Right now the 6 NY6 bowls are all in SEC/Big 12/Pac-12 and sort of ACC territory.
I wouldn’t be opposed to adding Indy/Detroit and maybe Charlotte into the rotation to balance it out a little more
November 30th, 2022 at 12:47 PM ^
Why Charlotte? Plus they host the ACC championship game during the same time slot every season.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:31 PM ^
Indy has relatively good weather, central location, safe location, great facilities. Really no reason to mess with something that works so well. With the NCAA headquarters in Indy they just nail every event they put on.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:34 PM ^
How about we just scrap the game entirely!
November 30th, 2022 at 12:37 PM ^
if Michigan keeps winning the championship game, Indy is just fine by me