Pac-12 Announces Change to Football Championship Game Format

On3 imageby:Erik McKinney05/18/22

ErikTMcKinney

The Pac-12 Conference announced today that it will change the selection process for participants in the conference championship game.

The two teams with the highest conference winning percentage will now meet in the championship game. Previously, the winners of the Pac-12 North and South divisions met for the conference title. This change will go into effect for the 2022 season.

“Our goal is to place our two best teams in our Pac-12 Football Championship Game, which we believe will provide our conference with the best opportunity to optimize CFP invitations and ultimately win national championships,” Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff said in a statement released by the Pac-12. “Today’s decision is an important step towards that goal and immediately increases both fan interest in, and the media value of, our Football Championship Game.”

This decision by the conference comes immediately on the heels of the NCAA Division I Council announcing that conferences were no longer limited in determining their championship game participants. The Pac-12 was at the front of this movement, bringing the motion. And it was supported by all FBS conferences.

Changes to Previous Games

Of the 11 previous Pac-12 Championship Games, nearly half of them would have been affected by this rule. A Pac-12 South team would not have made the title game in the first two years. Stanford would have taken on Oregon both in 2011 and 2012.

In 2015, USC would have been bumped by Oregon, which again would have taken on Stanford. That means that over the first five years of the Pac-12 championship game, Oregon and Stanford would have each appeared four times.

USC’s first appearance would have been in the 2017 season, a matchup against Stanford that would be unchanged by these new rules.

The 2018 version would have been another Pac-12 North showdown. And a rivalry one at that, with Washington taking on Washington State.

The 2020 edition was already thrown into disarray when Washington was held out due to Covid protocols. But it would have been a USC – Colorado matchup that wasn’t played during the regular season.

Last year’s Oregon – Utah matchup would have been held even with this rule change.

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