Momentum to "resurrect a Big 12 championship game in football" yesterday "gathered significant steam" after Commissioner Bob Bowlsby met with CFP officials, according to Jimmy Burch of the FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM. Bowlsby said that his discussions at the CFP meeting "convinced him the league is 'disadvantaged' in pursuit of a national championship without one." He added, "All things being equal, 13 (games) is better than 12. And so, if we don’t make changes, we’re potentially going into the season with a short stick in our hand." Burch notes the Big 12, as a 10-member league, is "prohibited under NCAA rules from holding a conference championship," but that could change by the '16 season amid "strong indications that the NCAA is amenable to approving a waiver." Bowlsby said that he "made a point" in yesterday's talks to "seek clarification from [CFP Selection Committee Chair Jeff Long] about the significance of the extra game in committee deliberations." Bowlsby "cited it as a factor that conference commissioners 'did not hear about ... until the last day of the season' when Long cited it as a tiebreaking tool that separated Ohio State, Baylor and TCU" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 4/30). In Dallas, Chuck Carlton notes Bowlsby "plans to relay the information" to his coaches and ADs in Phoenix on May 5-6. The Big 12 -- the only Power 5 conference without a title game -- was "scheduled to discuss three-way tiebreakers as part of doing away with co-champs." Carlton: "Now things moved to a new level." Bowlsby said that he would not "prejudge the return of a conference title game." But he added, "I surmise we will be moving in that direction, knowing what we now know" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 4/30). CFP Exec Dir Bill Hancock said that the commissioners "discussed the importance of a 13th game, but there is 'certainly no movement' to mandate a league title game." Hancock: "Everyone in that room -- particularly Bob -- understands the rewards and the risk of a conference championship game." He added that the CFP "needs to further educate the public on the importance of conference championships -- not championship games" (ESPN.com, 4/29).
