It wasn’t that long ago that the words “Big 12 Championship” used to mean something. Hell, up until this week, it appeared that the words “Big Ten Championship” meant something, but the ticket prices to get into either one of these games would suggest otherwise.
As of Friday night, there are numerous tickets available for the Big 12 Championship for under $20. In fact, on StubHub, the lowest ticket to get into the game is $12 as of 4:00 p.m. on Friday.
Okay, perhaps there’s a chance the Big 12 Championship Game is an outlier? Arizona State and Iowa State aren’t exactly traditional college football powers and are coming in at No. 15 and No. 16, respectively, they aren’t seen as national championship contenders. Maybe that’s the issue?
Conference Championship Get-In Prices
What about the Big Ten Championship? That ticket price has to be steep, with No. 1 Oregon (12-0) and No. 3 Penn State (11-1) going head-to-head, right?
Wrong — a whopping $11 will get you a ticket to see that matchup, and you can find field-level tickets all day for under $80.
In the ACC Championship Game between Clemson and SMU in Charlotte, you can get into that game for well under $40. The SEC Championship Game is priced at around $90 get-in price, but I’d attribute that largely to Georgia basically playing a home game in Atlanta, and Texas being in its first season in the SEC.
So, what gives? Why is the demand for conference championship tickets so low in 2024?
Look no further than the introduction of the 12-team College Football Playoff, and you’ll find your answer.
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Are Conference Title Games Toast?
Conference title games have been around for quite some time, and in many cases, they used to be just as big, if not bigger, than the bowl games that would follow.
Those days are history, though, as we’re seeing unfold this Championship Saturday. Sure, the College Football Playoff committee wants you to believe that those games are still a big deal, but if they were, there would be a demand to get in.
The reality is that these Championship games are barely necessary anymore, thanks to the new CFP format. The value of playing for a conference championship isn’t even centered around being the best team in the Big 12 or the Big Ten. The most valuable thing about winning a conference title in the current format of college football is securing a spot in the playoffs.
Think about it this way.
If Georgia beats Texas in the SEC Championship Game ($85 ticket) this weekend, the Bulldogs will secure a spot in the playoff and take a first-round bye. Meanwhile, Texas will have lost for a second time this season — to the same team, mind you — and will turn around and get to host a College Football Playoff game at home. How in the world would the Longhorns come away feeling like they truly lost something there? Moreover, if Georgia gets in to the playoff and gets bounced in their first game in the quarterfinals, is there really any value to being the SEC Champion, or are they just a disappointment?
Just a few weeks ago, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin made the comment that there are teams in the SEC that would rather miss the SEC Championship and not risk another loss, that way they’re better set up to make the College Football Playoff. In what world is that good for college football?
Is the value of winning a conference championship really about securing a bye in the first round? Is that really where we’re at?
The Cost to the Fans
Lastly, if you’re a fan and you don’t have an unlimited budget, are you really going to make a trek to a conference championship game when you think your team might make it to the College Football Playoff. You can save your budget on those tickets.
Is an Oregon fan going to fly to Indianapolis for a Big Ten Championship when they know they’re going to the Playoff, and likely will have to make another trip on the road to a quarterfinal or semifinal game? And then maybe a National Championship? It won’t be a cheap. And how many of those trips are fans going to make?
Think about this, if you’re team has a first round Playoff game, quarterfinal game, semifinal game and a National Championship, that’s four more games of tickets you might be interested in. And other than the first game that might be at home, the other three are going to be road trips, unless you happen to live in the city that the game is in. This is going to add up quickly for even the well-off fan. Fans are going to have to pick and choose.
And if they keep picking against the Conference Championship Games, then the sport will continue to change, and the future of these games may be in doubt. So enjoy them while we have them, that is if you still enjoy them at all.
