Only the best will do for the Big 12 after the conference announced it is going to forgo the creation of divisions instead going with the two best teams in the conference for its championship game.
"There are a number of advantages to matching our top two teams," Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a statement. "Given our round-robin, nine-game scheduling model, it is expected the Big 12 champion will be uniquely positioned for College Football Playoff consideration.
"I would argue there will be no path more difficult than our champion's, where it will have played every team in the conference, faced at least one autonomy conference non-conference opponent, and then plays in our championship game. The guaranteed No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup will be a great game for our fans, and it's hard to imagine a stronger position for a conference champion."
Officials made the move despite the majority of the league's coaches reportedly voting 7-3 in favor of splitting up into divisions according to ESPN's Brett McMurphy.
The Big 12 will reportedly continue to use its current tiebreaker system with head-to-head matchups being the lone deciding factor when two teams finish with the same record. A three-way tie and the league would consider conference records and then conference-records against the next highest-ranked teams and then scoring differential.
Concerns over whether the lack of a football championship would hamper its chances to qualify for the four-team playoff, Big 12 officials co-sponsored legislation that would allow conferences with less than 12 members to create a championship game.
The NCAA granted the waiver and the Big 12 board of directors approved plans to stage a title game set to begin in 2017.
The conference says a host site will be chosen in the coming weeks.
