The Big 12 Conference has announced that the participating teams for its football championship game will be the two highest placed teams in the conference standings.

“There are a number of advantages to matching our top two teams,” said Commissioner Bob Bowlsby. “Given our round-robin, nine-game scheduling model, it is expected the Big 12 champion will be uniquely positioned for College Football Playoff consideration. I would argue there will be no path more difficult than our champion’s, where it will have played every team in the Conference, faced at least one Autonomy Conference non-conference opponent, and then plays in our championship game. The guaranteed No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup will be a great game for our fans, and it’s hard to imagine a stronger position for a conference champion.”

The Big 12 had co-sponsored legislation allowing conferences with less than 12 members to stage a championship game. With input from the league’s head football coaches, the athletics directors have moved forward with a 1 vs. 2 format. Beginning in 2017, the Big 12 football champion is assured to be on par with other league champions by having 13 data points for CFP selection committee evaluation.

It is anticipated the host site for the 2017 Big 12 Football Championship game will be announced in the coming weeks.