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In the opt-out era … saying “Nah” to the conference title game?
Posted on 12/8/25 at 10:21 am
Posted on 12/8/25 at 10:21 am
Is playing the championship game mandatory under conference bylaws?
To my knowledge, a team has never turned down their conference’s championship berth/title game.
Are we getting close to seeing it happen?
Would the leagues even allow it, or would they slap a forfeit/loss on the books?
Look at 2025
- Georgia wins the SECCG + a first-round CFP bye + full week to rest/heal
- A&M, Ole Miss, and OU kicked their feet up last weekend with zero risk of blown knees or rolled ankles
- Bama plays the SECCG, loses, gets physically wrecked (win or lose, that game beats you up), and now has to play Oklahoma in the first round … with no extra rest
Just feels like the balance of power has flipped.
Players and programs are calling more shots than ever on stuff that used to be non-negotiable.
So unless conference title games go extinct, I won’t be shocked to see a team in the near future say “hard pass” and sit out the conference CG.
To my knowledge, a team has never turned down their conference’s championship berth/title game.
Are we getting close to seeing it happen?
Would the leagues even allow it, or would they slap a forfeit/loss on the books?
Look at 2025
- Georgia wins the SECCG + a first-round CFP bye + full week to rest/heal
- A&M, Ole Miss, and OU kicked their feet up last weekend with zero risk of blown knees or rolled ankles
- Bama plays the SECCG, loses, gets physically wrecked (win or lose, that game beats you up), and now has to play Oklahoma in the first round … with no extra rest
Just feels like the balance of power has flipped.
Players and programs are calling more shots than ever on stuff that used to be non-negotiable.
So unless conference title games go extinct, I won’t be shocked to see a team in the near future say “hard pass” and sit out the conference CG.
8
Posted on 12/8/25 at 10:22 am to EKG
It sucks, but the only thing that makes sense is for them to be eliminated completely.
Posted on 12/8/25 at 10:23 am to EKG
conference championship games should be linked to CFP.
win your CCG, you're in the CFP.
lose your CCG, sorry baw, you're out.
win your CCG, you're in the CFP.
lose your CCG, sorry baw, you're out.
Posted on 12/8/25 at 10:27 am to EKG
Good luck with that, the conference could keep you out of the playoffs
Posted on 12/8/25 at 10:27 am to finchmeister08
quote:
lose your CCG, sorry baw, you're out.
Which begs the question … how many teams would choose to take that risk?
This post was edited on 12/8/25 at 10:29 am
Posted on 12/8/25 at 10:27 am to finchmeister08
quote:
lose your CCG, sorry baw, you're out.
Ohio State would be out in that scenario. Are you recommending going back to 4 teams and having the P4 champions play each other?
Posted on 12/8/25 at 10:28 am to EKG
Good question. Say you have some key injuries. Would it be better to stay at home and be healthy?
Posted on 12/8/25 at 10:29 am to finchmeister08
I believe the Big 12 have put teams in the 4 team playoffs that lost the CCG
Posted on 12/8/25 at 10:29 am to EKG
I feel like the conference championships should help your resume if you win, but not negatively impact it if you lose.
Posted on 12/8/25 at 10:32 am to finchmeister08
That’s just dumb. See Ohio State
Posted on 12/8/25 at 10:40 am to FootballFrenzy
quote:
Are you recommending going back to 4 teams and having the P4 champions play each other?
This is how it should be. Indiana, Georgia, Texas Tech and Duke should be the playoff field. Everyone else had their chance to win more games. If you're the acc, come up with better tiebreakers so a five loss team doesnt win your conference while a 2 loss team sits at home.
Posted on 12/8/25 at 10:46 am to FootballFrenzy
quote:
Are you recommending going back to 4 teams and having the P4 champions play each other?
i actually came up with a solution late Saturday night:
https://www.secrant.com/rant/display.aspx?sp=121757481&s=1&p=121757481
if you want 16 teams, just have 1v4 and 2v3, and branch it off from there.
Posted on 12/9/25 at 4:24 pm to AUCE05
Posted on 12/9/25 at 4:30 pm to EKG
Are we getting close to seeing it happen?
If so then I offer a solution . . . swag bags.
If so then I offer a solution . . . swag bags.
Posted on 12/9/25 at 4:34 pm to EKG
It's not the conference game that is the issue. It's the playoff system that rewards record over everything else which in return rewards people for playing the weakest schedules. Meanwhile teams that play tougher games are only punished for it.
And then the AQ crap is even worse.
It's hard to ignore the fact that a game which used to be great for propelling the champion further into the post season has now become a punishment.
Sucks, but I don't want to get rid of the game, I want to get rid of the playoffs that have fricked things up.
And then the AQ crap is even worse.
It's hard to ignore the fact that a game which used to be great for propelling the champion further into the post season has now become a punishment.
Sucks, but I don't want to get rid of the game, I want to get rid of the playoffs that have fricked things up.
Posted on 12/9/25 at 4:35 pm to finchmeister08
quote:
i actually came up with a solution late Saturday night:
Your solution is dogshit because it assumes all conferences are equal.
Posted on 12/9/25 at 4:37 pm to EKG
I think it all depends on the team. OSU last year probably would have been screwed if they had the bye week. All of the teams who had the bye week last year ended up losing. I don’t expect that to happen again.
Posted on 12/9/25 at 4:39 pm to FootballFrenzy
quote:
It sucks, but the only thing that makes sense is for them to be eliminated completely.
Posted on 12/9/25 at 4:39 pm to 3down10
quote:
And then the AQ crap is even worse.
This is the main issue that I have. Nobody who is an avid college football fan wants to see Tulane or James Madison get destroyed in a first round game
Posted on 12/9/25 at 5:03 pm to AUCE05
quote:
Good question. Say you have some key injuries. Would it be better to stay at home and be healthy?
There's another side of the coin to this though too. More often than not, the team coming off a bye in the regular season looks rusty for at least a half. Sometimes no football for 2+ weeks actually hurts a team's momentum
It's a double-edged sword
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