ARLINGTON, Texas — As the Big 12 championship game was set to begin in AT&T Stadium, which was notably dotted with thousands of empty seats, Commissioner Brett Yormark addressed the growing concern among fans regarding the new expanded postseason format.
“What games do fans choose to attend?” Yormark posed this question before the matchup between No. 12 Arizona State and 16th-ranked Iowa State on Saturday.
The victor of this game secures a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, likely entering as the 12th seed and expected to compete against higher-seeded teams in the first round at their home stadiums.
Yormark emphasized the significance of these developments. “If you host that first-round game, you’re looking at four games on the road to the finals and ultimately to claim the championship,” he remarked. He further acknowledged the added complexity for fans navigating through their choices, especially during the conference championships.
Despite these challenges, Yormark is steadfast in his support for conference title games, although some have proposed that specific conferences may benefit from opting out of championship games concerning playoff eligibility.
This discussion emerges amid the potential scenario for SMU, which could find itself excluded from the playoff scene should it face a defeat against Clemson in the ACC championship match. In contrast, Arizona State has secured a top seed in a highly competitive Big 12 race, with the top four teams in the league having wrapped up the season with two conference losses each.
“It’s a tentpole event,” Yormark declared, underscoring the critical nature of today’s matchup in the context of playoff opportunities. “This game is key; it’s a win-and-you’re-in situation. It really symbolizes an important aspect of our identity and brand.”
The Big 12 holds a contract to host their championship games at the grand AT&T Stadium, accommodating 80,000 fans, through 2031. While abandoning the neutral-site framework for major conference games is unlikely for Power Four conferences, Yormark did not rule out the potential of top-seeded teams hosting league title matches in the future.
“We need to evaluate this,” he stated. “Our fans shouldn’t be expected to travel extensively for every game, especially considering today’s economic landscape and discretionary income constraints. We’ll observe how this first year unfolds, but we have to stay aware of these factors.”
In terms of attendance, Saturday marked the 10th occasion that the Big 12 championship was held at AT&T Stadium, following a record turnout of 84,523 fans for the previous year’s game, which saw Texas, now part of the SEC, defeat Oklahoma State to secure a playoff berth.
Iowa State’s previous appearance in the Big 12 title game came during the pandemic-affected 2020 season, where only 18,720 spectators were permitted to attend their match against Oklahoma, which they lost.
To date, the lowest recorded attendance for the championship at AT&T Stadium occurred in 2017, with 64,104 fans present as Oklahoma triumphed over TCU.