IU football players were learning for the first time on Thursday the Big Ten Championship game might soon become a thing of the past.
Commissioner Tony Petitti confirmed at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago last week the 24-team College Football Playoff he is pushing necessarily means the end of early December conference title games.
“We won’t be playing a championship game if we go to 24,” Petitti said. “I think that’s been pretty settled in terms of when we make this decision as a league, are we going to support 24, that’s where you start the conversation.”
In the playoff era, conference championship games have often been cast aside as a necessary evil that carry injury risks. But last year’s Big Ten final in Indianapolis had significant meaning.
In addition to claiming the program’s first outright Big Ten title in 80 years, Indiana clinched the No. 1 overall seed in the CFP, and Fernando Mendoza clinched the Heisman Trophy.
For Indiana players and fans alike, some of their greatest sports memories were forged on that Saturday evening at Lucas Oil Stadium when IU beat Ohio State 13-10 to win the Big Ten crown.
“Those games matter man. Those are big games,” defensive tackle Tyrique Tucker said upon learning the league championship game might be eliminated. “I wouldn’t do away with them.”
As Ohio natives with Ohio State connections in their families, the 2025 Big Ten title game meant something extra to offensive tackle Carter Smith and linebacker Isaiah Jones.
Both expressed disappointment when learning the game might fall victim to a 24-team playoff.
“Well that’s kind of a shame isn’t it?,” Smith said after also just learning of the potential new approach to the postseason. “How are you gonna know who runs the conference then?”
Jones, whose father played for Ohio State, said the game helps prepare teams for the CFP. “It’s important man,” he said.
It’s not as if the conference title game lacks interest.
The 2025 Big Ten Football Championship Game drew 18,332,000 viewers on FOX — the most-watched college football conference championship game of all time. At the broadcast’s peak, 19,993,000 viewers witnessed Indiana capture the crown.
Whatever changes come, they won’t impact the 2026 Big Ten Championship, set for Dec. 5 in Indianapolis. But that could be the last one.
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