the Big East in the Future

[SoFlaEer]

Yet the NCAA has a rule stating that a conference must have 12 teams to have a championship game.  All they could have to do is drop that stipulation and I bet every conference would be gunning for a championship game.

They have dropped it. The SWAC has only 10 members but has been playing a conference championship game since 1999. You don't think the Big 10 would have a championship game by now, if they wanted one?

Actually the SWAC is a unique situation.  The SWAC (comprised of all 1-AA teams) as a conference choice, does not participate in the 1-AA playoffs.  Instead, they have a championship game between the winners of its 2 divisions which is independent of the NCAA.

If the conference elected to participate in the 1-AA playoffs, the NCAA would prohibit them from having a championship game without 12 members.

[GarySJ]

the SWAC is a unique situation.  The SWAC (comprised of all 1-AA teams) as a conference choice, does not participate in the 1-AA playoffs.  Instead, they have a championship game between the winners of its 2 divisions which is independent of the NCAA.

The game counts in official NCAA statistics. So it's not THAT independent. It's at least equivalent to a bowl game. So the NCAA had to approve the SWAC's decision to play a champ game with 10 members.

If the conference elected to participate in the 1-AA playoffs, the NCAA would prohibit them from having a championship game without 12 members.

Maybe, but the NCAA let SWAC teams play in a bowl game in addition to the conference championship game. That's the past tense form of "let", as the SWAC vs MEAC bowl game is no more, but Southern University won the SWAC Championship Game in 1999 and then played in a I-A-style bowl game. That is sufficient precedent for a I-A league to press for a championship game without expanding to 12 teams... if any I-A league wanted one.

[SoFlaEer]

the SWAC is a unique situation.  The SWAC (comprised of all 1-AA teams) as a conference choice, does not participate in the 1-AA playoffs.  Instead, they have a championship game between the winners of its 2 divisions which is independent of the NCAA.

The game counts in official NCAA statistics. So it's not THAT independent. It's at least equivalent to a bowl game. So the NCAA had to approve the SWAC's decision to play a champ game with 10 members.

If the conference elected to participate in the 1-AA playoffs, the NCAA would prohibit them from having a championship game without 12 members.

Maybe, but the NCAA let SWAC teams play in a bowl game in addition to the conference championship game. That's the past tense form of "let", as the SWAC vs MEAC bowl game is no more, but Southern University won the SWAC Championship Game in 1999 and then played in a I-A-style bowl game. That is sufficient precedent for a I-A league to press for a championship game without expanding to 12 teams... if any I-A league wanted one.

wrong - the rule is CLEARLY stated that only 12 member conferences can have a championship game and still be eligible for full participation in NCAA events.  You are comparing two levels of competition here , 1-AA and 1-A - and your conclusion is mere opinion and would not overrule clearly defined and stated rules in the NCAA for div. 1-A teams.  The SWAC voluntarily gave up its right to participation in the 1-AA playoffs in order to have its championship game, i.e., there is a repurcussion for the conference's decision to have a championship game with only 10 members.