ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Just over an hour before the Big 12 championship game began in front of many empty seats at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium, Commissioner Brett Yormark addressed the dilemma fans face with the new expanded postseason format.
“Fans now have to choose which games they want to attend,” Yormark commented before No. 12 Arizona State triumphed over 16th-ranked Iowa State with a score of 45-19, despite an announced crowd of 55,889 that looked considerably smaller.
The victorious team will secure a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, likely as the 12th seed, and almost certainly as one of four teams that will play at the opponent’s stadium in the first round.
“If you host that first-round game, it takes four games to reach the finals and win the championship,” Yormark stated. “That’s a new dynamic, along with the conference championship. I believe this poses some challenges for the fans right now.”
Despite this, Yormark is still dedicated to the idea of conference title games. In addition to fan-related concerns, there have been discussions regarding whether some conferences might benefit more from skipping a title game in terms of their playoff aspirations.
There’s a possibility that SMU could be left out of the playoff if they lose to Clemson in the ACC championship game. The Sun Devils secured the top seed due to a tiebreaker in the competitive Big 12 race, where the top four teams all finished with two conference losses.
“It’s a tentpole event,” Yormark stated. “For this particular game, it’s win and you’re in. So, it’s a very significant match. This is a crucial part of who we are and our brand.”
The Big 12 has a contract to host its championship game at the 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium through 2031. While it seems unlikely that any of the Power Four conferences would abandon the neutral-site model, Yormark didn’t rule out the possibility of the top seed hosting the league title game.
“We need to consider that,” Yormark said. “We can’t expect our fans to travel for every game, especially given today’s economic climate. We’ll see how things unfold in the first year, but it’s something we must keep in mind.”
Crowd Attendance This marks the 10th Big 12 championship game at AT&T Stadium, following last year’s record attendance of 84,523 when Texas — now in the SEC — defeated Oklahoma State to qualify for the four-team playoff.
Iowa State’s only other appearance in the Big 12 title game was during the COVID-19-affected 2020 season, where only 18,720 fans were allowed to watch the Cyclones lose to Oklahoma.
Aside from that, the smallest attendance for a title game at the stadium with its retractable roof and massive video board was the inaugural one in 2017, which saw 64,104 fans attend when Oklahoma defeated TCU.
Reinforcing His Stance Yormark chose not to elaborate on his earlier comments suggesting that the Big 12 champion deserved a first-round bye more than any champion from a Group of Five conference. However, he didn’t shy away from reaffirming his viewpoint after No. 10 Boise State’s victory over 19th-ranked UNLV.
Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty rushed for 209 yards and a touchdown in that game and is now in contention to break the FBS single-season rushing record in the playoff.
“I don’t want to go into too much detail about how we compare to other conferences,” Yormark remarked. “But from my perspective, there should be no comparison between us and any G5 conference champion. I stand firmly by that. I hope the selection committee takes this into account.”
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