The champions of the Big 12 and SEC conferences will meet in a bowl game annually

[SoCal]

The champions of the Big 12 and SEC conferences will meet in a bowl game annually, sources have told ESPN.com.


The five-year agreement will begin with the 2014 season with the champions of each conference meeting provided that neither team is in the BCS national championship game.



"If it's not one of the four semifinalists, the other [champion] will play another deserving team from the other conference," a high-ranking SEC official said of a possible four-team national-title playoff.

The style of the agreement will be similar to the one the Rose Bowl has with the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences.


The site of this bowl game is still undetermined. The Big 12 and SEC conferences are expected to make an official announcement at noon ET

[badger]

Big 12 and SEC: We are better than the rest of you and this is us telling you that.

:D

[MI Sooner]

What are the odds of this ever happening? When was the last time both conference champs were outside the top 4 in the final BCS standings? I don't think it's ever happened.

[colleyvillesooner]

Other stuff from twitter and press conference:

Jerry Jones will bid BIG to get this game in his stadium

Will be a new Years Day primetime tradition.

Big 12, SEC will take the next-best team to participate if champions are in playoff. Selection process is up to each conference. (even runners up would be awesome)

Consider that in future SEC and Big 12 will be sacrificing champions "Rose Bowl" type match-up to allow for Final Four

Big 12, SEC are equal partners. Will share responsibilities. (Revenue, game management, site selection).

Big 12, SEC will continue discussions with Sugar, Fiesta Bowls on current partnertships. Fiesta might still be in Big 12 lineup.

[colleyvillesooner]

I don't see anyway JerryWorld doesn't get this game. Maybe Atlanta, but JerryWorld is made for this type of event.

[PrideMom]

For some reason I have the Sports Animal on ( I never listen to them) and they are dicussing this now. The 4 team play off is also a big discussion......

[Fraggle145]

**** you Rose Bowl!

Clap! Clap! Clap! :mack:

[swardboy]

The Big 12 and SEC champions will meet in a postseason bowl game following the 2014 season.
The conferences announced a five-year agreement on Friday.


The champions of the two conferences will play unless one or both are selected to compete in the new four-team model to determine the national championship. Should that occur, another deserving team from the conference(s) would fill in.

"A new January bowl tradition is born," said SEC commissioner Mike Slive, in a statement released by the Big 12. "This new game will provide a great matchup between the two most successful conferences in the BCS era and will complement the exciting postseason atmosphere created by the new four-team model. Most importantly, it will provide our student-athletes, coaches and fans with an outstanding bowl experience."

Specific details, including host site(s), will be announced at a later date.

"Our goal is to provide the fans across the country with a New Year's Day prime-time tradition," said acting Big 12 commissioner Chuck Neinas, in a statement. "This is a landmark agreement between two of the most successful football conferences during the BCS era to stage a postseason event. The creation of this game featuring the champions of the Big 12 and SEC will have tremendous resonance in college football."

"I am very excited by the prospects for a game between our champion and the champion of the Southeastern Conference," added incoming Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, in a statement.

During the 14-year history of the BCS, the Big 12 and SEC lead the nation with 11 seasons in which each conference has had at least one team ranked in the top four of the final BCS standings. Both conferences share the top spot all-time with 14 teams each that have finished in the top four of the final BCS standings.

The two conferences have combined for 16 appearances in the BCS Championship Game, nine by the SEC and seven by the Big 12.

The two league champions have met twice in BCS bowl games since 1998, both in BCS Championship Games. In 2010, Alabama defeated Texas, 37-21, in Pasadena, Calif., and in 2009, Florida defeated Oklahoma, 24-14, in Miami, Fla.

Playoff? We don't need no stinkin' playoff!!

[swardboy]

On the other hand, either an SEC or B12 team is going to be in the national championship game every year.

And what pray tell is the name gonna be of this new bowl?

[badger]

I don't see anyway JerryWorld doesn't get this game. Maybe Atlanta, but JerryWorld is made for this type of event.

I see one way: If we get a Big 12 championship game again.

Much like you wouldn't want to play two straight games in Atlanta if you're the SEC champ, why would you wanna go to Jerryworld twice in a row?

We need to open up the bidding for the Big 12 title game again if we get it restored... or even better, do what the Pac 12 does and give the rights to hosting to the team that is ranked highest.

[Lott's Bandana]

Didn't this kinda happen last year, KSU v. Arky?

Perhaps Georgia would've been considered the runner-up.

[soonerboy_odanorth]

Two thoughts (yes... I can have more than one... barely)....

Goodbye Fiesta Bowl, and good riddance. Thank God!

Hello Florida State and a Team To Be Named Later.

[49r]

This to me looks like a move to get to 4 conferences. Once the ACC and Big East have been relegated/picked apart by the big 4, we'll have a pretty cut and dried semifinal and championship scenario.

B1G and Pac --> Rose Bowl
SEC and Big XII --> Jerry Bowl?

Also, what it would also amount to is the conference championship games would make this a de-facto 8 team playoff.
It would also lead me to believe that (with 4 16-team conferences) we would likely see the conference championships evolve into two rounds (winners of the 4 4-team divisions meet in conf. semis, then on to the conf. championship), thus we have essentially gotten to our 16-team college football playoff.

This is how I see this. It is a play to get organized (from the top down) into the oft-speculated 4 major conferences. It may take a dozen years to get this all completed, but the playoff is gonna evolve from realignment, not the other way around...

[Salt City Sooner]

What are the odds of this ever happening? When was the last time both conference champs were outside the top 4 in the final BCS standings? I don't think it's ever happened.
Forget the top 4 stat; the only 2 times that at least one of the 2 conferences weren't in the championship GAME were 1999 (FSU vs. Va. Tech) & 2002 (Miami vs. tOSU).

[colleyvillesooner]

I see one way: If we get a Big 12 championship game again.

Much like you wouldn't want to play two straight games in Atlanta if you're the SEC champ, why would you wanna go to Jerryworld twice in a row?

We need to open up the bidding for the Big 12 title game again if we get it restored... or even better, do what the Pac 12 does and give the rights to hosting to the team that is ranked highest.

Maybe. Forgot about New Orleans being in the mix. they will make a big play to I'm sure

[oSuJeff1997]

Didn't this kinda happen last year, KSU v. Arky?

Perhaps Georgia would've been considered the runner-up.

No.

If this would have been in place last year, it would have been OSU vs. Arky.

This announcement means the Fiesta Bowl goes bye-bye.

[badger]

Fiesta Bowl goes bye-bye.

So long and thanks for all the fish, Fiesta Bowl.

Wait a sec... they didn't give us anything, including fish! The only thing the Fiesta Bowl gave us was a reason to dump the bowl system faster. (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7592055/former-fiesta-bowl-chief-plead-guilty-felony-charge)

...

:D THANK YOU FIESTA BOWL!!!!!!!!! :D

[alabama sooner]

This is a long but bear with me.

The questions on the details are flying, even though the announcement is flush with ink. What happens to the Fiesta or the Sugar? Does Jerry’s World have the inside track? Is it the B12/SEC true second place finisher if both champions are in the playoff?

Seems like a little logic could be applied to filter some of this. Key assumptions are:
1. In most years both our champions will not be available, or at least one won’t, because they will be in the 4-team playoff. I cannot imagine a scenario where both are unavailable due to neither being invited to the playoff.

2. The current BCS Bowls (Fiesta, Sugar, Rose and Orange) will be either part of the playoff on a rotating basis as semi-final sites or the playoff semi-finals will be bid out to the highest offerer. Everything I’ve read indicates the championship game will be bid out (in this case a potential financial bonanza, maybe close to the Super Bowl).

3. If the current bowls are part of the playoff (as I believe will happen-too much tradition and dollars there; college football is different than March Madness or the NFL), the playoffs will be rotated away from the Fiesta and Sugar at least every other year. So those bowls (or Jerry’s World as an addition) will have a great chance to highlight their true 2nd place teams most every year, even if their 2nd place team would fall out of the normal BCS bowl structure in a bad year due to losses and rankings. Think of the old North Conference in the B12 who in analogy would still get a BCS bid despite losing by 5 touchdowns to the South Conference champion in the conference championship as well as having 2 or 3 other losses tacked to their record. Note the playoff planners are getting rid of the AQ status as well, so this helps the conferences when we are down.

4. I think this is a bold move, mostly to shore up our conference strengths in the big bowls, but it also inadvertently (or if you are a cynic, by plan) gives Jerry’s World the inside track as a fifth New Year’s Day (or semi-final site) bowl. Think of Alabama, instead of the Pokes, this past year. If the Pokes made it, instead of Bama, the SEC could still sic Bama on another B12 team. We wouldn’t complain about that matchup. We would hoop and holler to get the chance (though we might worry a bit about the outcome). And if that matchup was our Sooners versus Bama, what kind of attention would that get, even if we were both 2nd place finishers? It would still be giant!

5. Because of the disintegration of the Big Least and now what is looming over the ACC, you could argue that adding a fifth big bowl (as in Jerry’s World) is not easier, but much more difficult to do, not because the conferences wouldn’t like it, but because the networks wouldn’t. The Orange doesn’t sell out under the current arrangement, and more often than not, neither does the Fiesta. And even the Sugar didn’t this past year though it was more because an SEC team was not invited. That is reflective of interest and nothing else. Interest is what sells television. What network is willing to offer a bizzilion dollars for new cr**? Still stinks. With the Fiesta having all of its troubles and now this announcement, I think they are the odd man out. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them trade places with the Cotton Bowl in stature, with the Cotton at Jerry’s place getting all of the action.

6. Now what does that mean for the Sugar and new Cotton (or old Fiesta if I’m wrong)? See 3 above. WE WIN EITHER WAY, EVEN IF THE TV JOCKS DON’T!!! The only question is who gets the party. I think that is answered by the announcement itself. It blindsided everyone. Fans. Reporters. None of this was fodder on anything other than a “what if” from some drunken fan at 1 AM in front of his computer. That speaks not only of a bold move but also of conference affiliations that are what the TV jocks want (or the suits really). Cranking out the dollars is good for both conferences’ bank accounts and ability to sustain Grade A football. Consequently, you don’t throw out the baby with the bath water. It’s a marriage (with a list of demands but still a link bound with gold). You work together (at least initially) in a marriage. I think they end up rotating this new Rose Bowl (only between B12/SEC). It would be easy to do. The year the Sugar is in the playoff, the Cotton (also site of B12 offices) gets the bowl. The next year the Cotton is in the playoff, the Sugar gets the bowl. What’s wrong with that? Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. And if I’m West Virginia or FSU, I like Dallas a lot more than Phoenix and a lot more than Miami, simply because it will continue to be filled with empty seats and empty memories. Only a semi-final game will fill it. The Orange Bowl is the ugly cousin at the BCS Ball. No affiliation with either tradition or strength of teams.

7. Last question on true 2nd place teams is easy. I can’t imagine this agreement was inked unless the conference offices agreed that either the loser of the conference championship or the higher ranked conference team (like Alabama this past year) would play in the bowl. The game becomes the conferences’ golden parachute. The TV Suits will buy into this as long as while we protect ourselves, we fill their bank accounts with television ads.

:chuncky:And finally, think of this. Now it will be a rare year that the B12 and SEC WON’T have two teams playing on New Years.

[badger]

Big 12 vs. SEC: Champions

Pac 12 vs. Big Ten: Has beens

Big East vs. ACC: Wannabes

And before any lurkers say I'm being cruel, after football season's over, you can do the exact opposite when basketball season rolls around.

Big 12 vs. SEC: Wannabes

Big Ten vs. Pac 12: Has beens

ACC vs Big East: Champions

See? Balance and sh!t.

PS: Before anyone mentions last year's bball title game, remember that UK and KU basically are the outliers of our respective conferences, in that they are basketball schools in a football conference.

[alabama sooner]

Just saw that Matt Hayes of Sporting News has information that the B12/SEC deal is completely owned by the conferences, and that, consequently, a lot more $ will be gained by them. Who is the "Orange Bowl", the "Rose Bowl", or the "Sugar Bowl", that is who owns them and is now being cut out of the picture? The implication seemed to be this is the wave of the future. And if so, what does PAC12 and B10 do to increase their cut, leave the Rose Bowl?

[alabama sooner]

And by the way, I'm an Okie that moved to Alabama for my career 37 years ago, but can't get the Sooner out of my blood. Hurts my son who was born here is such a rabid Bama fan.

[alabama sooner]

Also, does anyone believe it was chance that this was announced AFTER the annual ACC Conference meeting?

[BBQ Man]

Hopefully, it rotates through "border" cities like
Kansas City
Oklahoma City
Dallas
Houston
New Orleans

[BBQ Man]

Also, I'm sick of hearing about the Rose Bowl. I'm glad two conferences have a tradition, but if it's exclusive to the two of them, then rest of the country shouldn't have to hear about it all the time.

[alabama sooner]

Chuck Neinas just finished a video interview on the agreement. You can see it on Big12Sports.com. He uses the specific sentence "both the Big 12 and SEC are even more committed to making the BCS more successful than it has been in the past." His words-word for word.

Why is that important? It means the conferences are not using the game as a way to KILL the bowls, even as the Big 12 and SEC own all of the rights to this new bowl (and all of the $). Consequently, it also implies by the statement that the Big 12 and SEC both want to use the current bowl structure for the semis. I feel even more strongly than before that the semis will not be bid out but simply use the existing bowl structure. Not necessarily true for the championship game. But now I would like to know who will own the rights to the championship game, the NCAA (hope not, but who do the playoff planners give it to?).

[badger]

Just saw that Matt Hayes of Sporting News has information that the B12/SEC deal is completely owned by the conferences, and that, consequently, a lot more $ will be gained by them. Who is the "Orange Bowl", the "Rose Bowl", or the "Sugar Bowl", that is who owns them and is now being cut out of the picture? The implication seemed to be this is the wave of the future. And if so, what does PAC12 and B10 do to increase their cut, leave the Rose Bowl?

This move suddenly kicks MAJOR arse.

We should just stick the middle finger at everyone else and give it a name of epic soccer-like proportions, like the "Premiere La Liga World Cup Champions... bowl"

:D

[starclassic tama]

Hopefully, it rotates through "border" cities like
Kansas City
Oklahoma City
Dallas
Houston
New Orleanswhere are you going to play a big time football game in oklahoma city?

[badger]

where are you going to play a big time football game in oklahoma city?

If it's whorn versus anyone, how bout the middle of I-35 during rush hour? :P

[TrueBornSooner]

The Big XII and SEC already HAS a New Years Bowl game in the Cotton Bowl. Right now its Division runner ups. All this will do is move the Cotton Bowl to a prime spot on New Years Day instead of an also-ran. I like the idea. There already too many bowls in SEC country. At least this has the chance of being more neutral.

[soonerboy_odanorth]

This is the WILD speculation portion of this evening's program:

Could this be the death knell of bowl games as we know them altogether?

If this is a new "bowl", doesn't it require NCAA certification?

I'd say that rather puts the NCAA in a sticky widget with its longtime bowl relationships. Maybe enough pressure that the only way to save the bowls is to make them part of a playoff plan?

This in fact may be an opening power play/salvo/(bluff, maybe?) to not stop at 4 teams with the playoffs, but rather make it 8 so that the BigXII and SEC have at least two teams "in" virtually every year. And every once in a while... yikes... 3 teams in! Remember... it's all about the revenue.

We aren't in Kansas anymore....CFB is going to look fundamentally different in just a couple of short years from now. And don't kid yourselves, the 16 team super conferences are going to be a part of that picture.

And I think the FBS is going to split between the majors and minors. Six 16 team super-conferences covering 96 teams (or maybe only five for 80 total). The rest are scheduling filler... who probably won't even survive that kind of shift. I think you'll see some programs shut down entirely (think Sun Belt or WAC or Mountain West outliers that can't generate the revenue to keep their programs afloat.)

The only question for schools now is: Are you in, or are you out? And there are bound to be a couple of surprises of schools that opt out. (A Vandy or Duke?)

[Harris County Sooner]

where are you going to play a big time football game in oklahoma city?
My first thought was Taft.

[goingoneight]

Can we play a National Chsmpionship against Florida or LSU in say... Jerryworld?
You know... because proximity supposedly doesn't matter given what we heard in 2004 and 2009 after the fact.

[BigTip]

And by the way, I'm an Okie that moved to Alabama for my career 37 years ago, but can't get the Sooner out of my blood. Hurts my son who was born here is such a rabid Bama fan.

I feel your pain. Both my boys were born here in Austin. :apologetic:

[yermom]

The Big XII and SEC already HAS a New Years Bowl game in the Cotton Bowl. Right now its Division runner ups. All this will do is move the Cotton Bowl to a prime spot on New Years Day instead of an also-ran. I like the idea. There already too many bowls in SEC country. At least this has the chance of being more neutral.

the way i'm seeing this with the 4 team playoff would basically be that the only thing changing is basically the Fiesta Bowl tie-in

it wouldn't be that unlikely see to see the #2 and/or #3 teams from the Big 12 and SEC playing in this game.

how many years have the Big 12 and/or SEC had 2+ teams in the top 4?

[Sabanball]

I think this is part of a bigger chess match being played between Mike Slive and Jim Delaney.

[Chuck Bao]

This is the WILD speculation portion of this evening's program:

Could this be the death knell of bowl games as we know them altogether?

If this is a new "bowl", doesn't it require NCAA certification?

I'd say that rather puts the NCAA in a sticky widget with its longtime bowl relationships. Maybe enough pressure that the only way to save the bowls is to make them part of a playoff plan?

This in fact may be an opening power play/salvo/(bluff, maybe?) to not stop at 4 teams with the playoffs, but rather make it 8 so that the BigXII and SEC have at least two teams "in" virtually every year. And every once in a while... yikes... 3 teams in! Remember... it's all about the revenue.

We aren't in Kansas anymore....CFB is going to look fundamentally different in just a couple of short years from now. And don't kid yourselves, the 16 team super conferences are going to be a part of that picture.

And I think the FBS is going to split between the majors and minors. Six 16 team super-conferences covering 96 teams (or maybe only five for 80 total). The rest are scheduling filler... who probably won't even survive that kind of shift. I think you'll see some programs shut down entirely (think Sun Belt or WAC or Mountain West outliers that can't generate the revenue to keep their programs afloat.)

The only question for schools now is: Are you in, or are you out? And there are bound to be a couple of surprises of schools that opt out. (A Vandy or Duke?)

I agree with soonerboy_odanorth. This is a cleverly designed power play, giving the two dominant football conferences more say in the formation of the emerging playoff system.

There is a lot of history with the bowls. But some of the major bowls have grown very corrupt over the years, giving their sponsors all of the mid-field seats (many of whom sell their tix) and allocating 15-20,000 end-zone seats to each university to distribute. The bowls also take a share of the TV revenues.

In my opinion, the big bowls do not deserve to host play-off games if they continue these current practices. This is a big money sport and it makes no sense to line the pockets of people who basically do nothing but wine and dine sponsors and arrange a parade once a year.

We shouldn't end the bowl system outside of the play-offs. After all, it is a reward to the players and fans. I'm just saying that let the conferences and ultimately the universities get what should be their fair share of the revenues in a play-off system without the bowl middleman taking a big cut.

[picasso]

OK, where's all of the whinebags who threw a ****pants fit when we didn't join the SEC or the effin PACwhatever?

[Chuck Bao]

OK, where's all of the whinebags who threw a ****pants fit when we didn't join the SEC or the effin PACwhatever?

I'm here. And I can't decide what kind of * pants I have on. I still think our players and fans traveling to games deserve a southern plains conference/division close to home. I agree, though, that our homegrown athletes can compete with anyone.

In my opinion, conference and national championships would be so much better than a premature jump ship to somewhere we wouldn't have much say.

[Lott's Bandana]

No.

If this would have been in place last year, it would have been OSU vs. Arky.

This announcement means the Fiesta Bowl goes bye-bye.

M'thinks OSU would've been in the 4-team playoff, no?

[LASooner]

I think this is part of a bigger chess match being played between Mike Slive and Jim Delaney.

Chuck Neinas has a lot to do with all this too, the man is a ninja pimp. He took a conference on the brink of extinction, and has them on the brink of being one the most powerful if not THE most powerful conferences in the country. This would be contingent on Notre Dame and FSU with any combo of 2 remaining teams from the ACC joining, which sounded like a pipe dream a few weeks ago, and is now a possible scenario.

[LVSOONER15]

I am looking forward to this. Has Stoops gave his two cents. (to lazy to look)

[Fraggle145]

I think this is part of a bigger chess match being played between Mike Slive and Jim Delaney.

Seems like Bowlsby (via Neinas) picked the right side to be on...

[Sabanball]

Seems like Bowlsby (via Neinas) picked the right side to be on...

I would agree. We are headed to 4 super conferences.

[8timechamps]

If/When they ask me for my input (and it's only a matter of time):

1. Get rid of the bowls. Waste of money, and money that schools don't really have to waste.
2. Use the Rose Bowl and Big XII/SEC Bowl as the semi-final play-off games.
3. Play the winner of the above bowls at a rotating site (see: how the SuperBowl does it).
4. If other conferences want to join, find a willing partner and go for it. Down the road, if the quality of opponet that the Big East/ACC CCG churns out, is good enough. Expand the play-off from there.

[Sabanball]

A great writeup in the Birmingham News about the new SEC/Big 12 alliance--

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/05/mike_slive_gets_the_better_of.html

[OU_Sooners75]

I think the bowl game should be played a week or two after the regular season....

[Jason White's Third Knee]

I see one way: If we get a Big 12 championship game again.

Much like you wouldn't want to play two straight games in Atlanta if you're the SEC champ, why would you wanna go to Jerryworld twice in a row?

We need to open up the bidding for the Big 12 title game again if we get it restored... or even better, do what the Pac 12 does and give the rights to hosting to the team that is ranked highest.

Maybe. Forgot about New Orleans being in the mix. they will make a big play to I'm sure

Awwww crap. The Hose Bowl.