Champions Bowl Could Cause Big 12 Expansion

by srr50 on Jul 20, 2025 11:10 AM CDT in Texas Longhorns and Other Football

The new SEC/Big 12 Champions Bowl doesn't have a home yet, but there are reports that its existence could mean that the Big 12 would have to expand to have enough teams to match its name.

The rumor is that the contract for the new bowl requires a conference championship game for both the SEC and the Big 12, and that means that the Big 12 will need two more members by 2014.

If true, fire up the Florida State to the Big 12 rumors. The ACC is desperately trying to keep everyone in the fold and is hopeful that they can negotiate a "Special Nation's Status" with Notre Dame -- giving the Irish a home in the Orange Bowl if they are not part of the playoff in any given year.

If a conference championship game is in play for the Big 12, then teams like Florida State, Clemson, Louisville -- and yes Notre Dame -- will no doubt be in the expansion discussion.

The request for bids for hosting the new game will go out next week, and SEC Commissioner Mike Slive is on record as saying that the game will have one permanent site.

Atlanta and Dallas are the frontrunners, with Atlanta's Chick-fil-A Bowl eager to get the bowl. The Cotton Bowl has also shown interest, but they are a little more reserved in taking on the game. Cotton Bowl officials (and Jerry Jones) are convinced that with their State-of-the-Art facility the Cotton Bowl would be near the top of the list to be in the semifinals game rotation to begin with. Odds are the SEC would love to have the Cotton Bowl host the new bowl game, giving it another venue in Texas.

The announcement of the playoff beginning in 2014 has put everyone is a hyper mode for putting all these games together, as they also try to figure out just how much money will be generated by the playoff and how to split the money up.

I will have another post about that later today.

Tweet Comment 16 comments | Add comment | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Read More: big 12, sec, cotton bowl, college football playoff, champions bowl, Syracuse Orange, Texas Longhorns

Comments

Just when you thought you had enough realignment talk for one offseason.

@ccommand3r

by CMDR on Jul 20, 2025 11:18 AM CDT reply actions

Has this contract actually been signed by both conferences?

by Horncasting on Jul 20, 2025 11:19 AM CDT reply actions

Cowboys Stadium

Should just permanently host the Champions Bowl, Cotton Bowl/Semifinal and College Super Bowl.

Seems reasonable to me.

by Young Williams on Jul 20, 2025 12:35 PM CDT reply actions

What is the source of the Champions Bowl championship requirement?

Is it one of the people that have been talking about FSU/Clemson for the past few months or a legit news source?

by Texas Wahoo on Jul 20, 2025 1:04 PM CDT reply actions

This tweet claims the Baylor 247 site mentioned it...

But it’s behind a paywall. Haven’t seen anyone confirm it as fact though.

https://twitter.com/PittScript/status/226300039792820226

by cruzerld on Jul 20, 2025 1:28 PM CDT up reply actions

If it's true...

…let me be the first to say hello to FSU and Clemson. I’ve gotta admit that realignment rumors at least keep the summer off-season interesting.

"Where is the church? Who took the steeple? Religion's in the hands of some crazy ass people!" (The gospel according to Jimmy Buffett)

by coolhorn on Jul 20, 2025 1:40 PM CDT reply actions

I agree.

Follow @BarkingCarnival

by Sailor Ripley on Jul 20, 2025 1:51 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm forced to agree with you. Welcome if true

Although I would love to at least try to update our conference academic profile not push it further into MACation land with FSU and Clemson. Two horrible academic schools.

by ShameAndFailure on Jul 20, 2025 10:14 PM CDT up reply actions

Isn't the big question why?

If this is true, and that seems like a big if to me, why would a bowl game care about the quantity of teams in the conference.

The only thing that comes to mind is money distribution and the SEC’s 14 members would want more money than the Big XII’s 10 members.

by DoubleB on Jul 20, 2025 2:39 PM CDT reply actions

well that escalated rather quickly...

If You See Kay, Oh You

by texfan23 on Jul 20, 2025 4:38 PM CDT reply actions

I think it's BS

No way the powers that be at OU and TX would have contractually bound themselves to expansion.

by notsofst on Jul 20, 2025 4:53 PM CDT reply actions

i agree

by 55f100tx on Jul 20, 2025 8:40 PM CDT up reply actions

OU will follow where we lead

if its good for Texas, its good for OU. They know that.

by ShameAndFailure on Jul 20, 2025 10:11 PM CDT up reply actions

We do know that expansion was discussed, do we not?

I recall that the SEC cautioned the Big 12 not to go beyond 12. The split for the game should be 50/50. It’s added revenue, and a conference is responsible for it’s decisions.

Should we go to 12, fine, I just hope it’s DeLoss that makes the decision. I trust his judgement. If we stay at 10, I think the SEC East has the easiest road to the championship. Heresy, maybe, but if the Big 12 stays at 10 and programs stay competitive, the Round Robin is no cakewalk. Expansion to 11 is out of the question.

Hook ’em!

by j_java on Jul 20, 2025 5:36 PM CDT reply actions

Aggies opened the door for $EC into Texas recruiting

The LAST thing we (Big XII) should allow is more opportunities for $EC to recruit into Texas. Screw Slive. The game should be split every other year in SEC territory and Big XII territory so that each conference alternates as the home team host. Not rocket science.
We start recruiting Georgia, Florida, Bama, etc….they continue their move into Texas. Win win. Lose lose.
If Dallas hosts all the games I will be pissed. We need to guard our recruiting borders and the Texas Big XII schools are nuts if they allow $EC further recruiting into the state now that aggie opened the door. Jerry Jones is a Razorback so he is all for the $EC coming into Texas to recruit. The Big XII better put on their big boy britches, cause if they allow it they are screwed in the long run.

We're Texas, We're not OK.

by Wrangler86 on Jul 20, 2025 10:32 PM CDT reply actions

just relax

SEC schools may well try to recruit more in Texas but at the end of the day, SEC schools are still going to be located in poverty riddled shithole towns. Texas has an incredible advantage being located in Austin. Any kid that would rather be in Tuscaloosa, Starkville or College shithole Station as opposed to Austin deserves be in one of those God forsaken places.

by Randolph Duke on Jul 21, 2025 8:56 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions