Summary: <p>As we approach championship weekend, here’s a look at how long the Conference Championship games have been around as well as some facts about each championship game. </p> <h2>The Big Ten</h2> <p>Before 2011, the Big Ten did not have a championship game. This was mainly because the NCAA requires a conference have 12 teams and 2 divisions. </p> <p>After adding Penn State in 1990 and Nebraska in 2010, the Big Ten was able to put forth a conference champion by way of top teams competing for the coveted championship. 2014 Rutgers and Maryland were added. Notre Dame being added in 2017, but so far only for ice hockey.</p> <p>Wisconsin leads the way with 4 appearances and 2 wins (back-to-back in 2011/12), with the 2012 win coming from rules about sanctions with OSU and Penn State.</p> <p>OSU has only been in 2 years with one win and one loss. </p> <p>Penn State is the only team with an appearance but no win and no loss. Thank the sanctions. </p> <p>Fun fact, Johns Hopkins University is also in the Big 10 (so soon 16 schools) but only Men’s Lacrosse is a part of the Big Ten.</p> <p>This championship game sported scores of 70-31 in 2012 (Wisconsin over Nebraska) and Ohio over Wisconsin in 2014 59-0.</p> <h2>Pac-12</h2> <p>In 2011, the Pacific-10 Conference added Colorado and Utah, bringing the membership total to 12 teams and causing the conference to change its name. Some people are fine with name changes *cough* BIG TEN *cough*.</p> <p>Has 2 undefeated teams in the championships, Oregon and Stanford, Stanford with 3 wins, Oregon with 2. </p> <p>Currently hosting the game at neutral Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, contract is up after this year.</p> <p>Fun fact: Only 31,622 fans attended the 2012 Championship game, which started at 5:20 p.m. on a weeknight. It was also raining that day at the site of the game in Stanford, California.</p> <h2>SEC</h2> <p>Longest running power 5 championship game, started in 1992.</p> <p>SEC champion plays in the Sugar Bowl unless they have been selected to play in a College Football Playoff semi-final bowl.</p> <p>This is the last year in the Georgia Dome (being demolished after this season) and then it’s off to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, also in Georgia that is under construction until 2027. </p> <p>Florida and Alabama have met 9 times.</p> <p>The best and worst teams; Florida is 7-4, Arkansas is 0-3</p> <h2>ACC</h2> <p>Following the 2004 season, the league added a 12th team—Boston College—and became eligible to hold a championship game at the conclusion of the 2005 season.</p> <p>Charlotte was supposed to have this game from 2014-2019, but due to NC’s Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act it was moved to Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida.</p> <p>In the 2004 season they still had a semi-round-robin style decision to get the champion.</p> <p>In the event of a tie in records within one division, divisional records and the results of head-to-head games are considered.</p> <p>The ACC also has Notre Dame as a non-divisional member.</p> <h2>Big 12</h2> <p>Championship game was played from 1996 (conference formation) through 2010 but Nebraska and Colorado said peace out in 2010 so the championship game had to stop.</p> <p>In April 2015, legislation was developed by the ACC and the Big 12 to deregulate conference championship games. It was announced by NCAA officials as being expected to pass in time for the start of the 2016 season.</p> <p>2016 legislation will allow a conference with fewer then twelve teams to stage a championship game between the top two teams “so long as they play a round-robin schedule.” In late 2016, the Big 12 decided to bring back the championship game in 2017.</p> <p>Oklahoma is 7-1 in bowl appearances with Missouri holding the worst winning percentage at 0-2.</p> <p>Top two in Power Rankings play each other for the championship, this year Oklahoma against Oklahoma State.</p> <h2>Non-Power 5</h2> <h3>Mid-American Conference (MAC)</h3>
