The Caveat To CFP Expansion? Conference Championships Conclude After 2026 Season

The official announcement of the 24-team College Football Playoff was announced on Monday, and it came with plenty of changes — including to conference championships. Power Four conferences are officially concluding the playing of conference title games following the CFP expansion starting in 2027, individual conferences announced. Here’s what we know about the final conference championships this season. The Big Ten announced that the conference title game will officially conclude after this year’s championship in Indianapolis. The conference added four new teams at the start of the 2024 season, making it an 18-team conference including UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington. The conference championship will play it’s 16th and final game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 5. Commissioner Tony Petitti released a statement on the decision and what lies ahead with the playoff expansion. “As we look ahead to a new College Football Playoff format, the Big Ten Conference is deeply grateful to the City of Indianapolis, the Indiana Sports Corp, Lucas Oil Stadium and the hundreds of thousands of fans who helped make the Big Ten Football Championship Game a marquee event each season since its inception in 2011,” said Petitti in the statement. “We look forward to our final Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game on Dec. 5 and maintaining our strong relationship with Indianapolis as we host future Big Ten championships across our sports portfolio in the city.” The SEC has also ended its conference title game, held annually at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, following the expansion. The SEC was the first conference to introduce conference championships in 1992, with the inaugural matchup held in Birmingham between Alabama and Florida, where the Crimson Tide clinched the first-ever SEC title with a 28-21 win. Now, the conference will see its final championship game this season. Following two title games held in Birmingham, the event officially moved to Atlanta, where the city hosted 23 consecutive SEC championships leading up to the final edition this year. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey released a statement regarding the future of the conference leading up to CFP expansion. “The SEC Football Championship Game has been a defining event in college football for more than three decades, producing unforgettable moments and crowning legendary champions,” Sankey said in the statement. “What began with the vision and leadership of Commissioner Roy Kramer in 1992 helped reshape the landscape of college football and established a tradition that has endured for 35 years. As the sport evolves with an expanded College Football Playoff, we look forward to celebrating the remarkable legacy of this event with its 35th and final edition and recognizing the city of Atlanta, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and AMB Sports and Entertainment, and the many partners who have contributed to its success.” The final Big 12 conference championship will be held on Friday, Dec. 4, as the conference followed suit and will no longer continue its conference title match. The conference has held the title game for 25 years, including this season, starting in 1996 — the first year of play for the expanded Big 8. Ironically, the first Big 12 title game includes two teams that no longer remain in the conference. The title game, held in St. Louis, was between the Texas Longhorns and the Nebraska Cornhuskers, in which Texas clinched the first-ever championship with a 37-27 win. In 2005, the conference held its first-ever title game in Jacksonville, Florida, where Florida State earned the initial championship against Virginia Tech in a 27-22 victory. The ACC will play its final title game in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday, Dec. 5. The conference was the last of the Power Four conferences to introduce a conference title game at the conclusion of the regular season. The ACC and commissioner Jim Phillips released a statement on Monday explaining the decision to remove that game from the schedule. “The ACC Football Championship Game has been an important and meaningful part of our Conference’s history, and we are deeply appreciative of the student-athletes, coaches, institutions, fans, corporate partners and host communities that have contributed to its success,” said Phillips. “Charlotte has embraced this event and our Conference in a truly special way. We are sincerely thankful to the Carolina Panthers, Tepper Sports & Entertainment, the Charlotte Sports Foundation, the City of Charlotte and the people of this great community for their remarkable partnership, hospitality and passion for ACC Football. As we look ahead, the expanded College Football Playoff presents an exciting new chapter for college football and additional opportunities for ACC programs to compete on the sport’s biggest stage.” Per FOX Sports’ Ben Portnoy, the Mountain West is still undetermined, but is working towards future solutions with the expansion in place. “The Mountain West has been actively engaged in discussions regarding the future structure of the College Football Playoff and the implications of an expanded format. Today’s announcement represents a significant change to the structure of the college football postseason landscape. We will continue the analysis of this development with our member institutions and stakeholders, including consideration of the impacts on student-athletes, scheduling, the bowl ecosystem and the annual Mountain West Football Championship Game,” Portnoy reported.