Could the Big Ten Rotate the Location of their Championship Game?

The Big Ten Championship Game has been hosted in Indianapolis since its inception in 2011. At Lucas Oil Stadium, fans of both participants have an opportunity to witness their team play for one of the biggest prizes in college football. The best part was that the game used to be within a reasonable distance of the fanbases they serve. That is no longer the case.

Oregon's 2024 win in the title game revealed two truths to the conference. Eugene is way too far from Indianapolis for the Ducks to be playing in a championship game, and the four former members of the Pac-12 have come to compete.

The Big Ten did sign an extension to keep the game in Indianapolis till 2028 but beyond that, we could potentially see the game moved elsewhere.

"[I] think you’ll begin to see us expand," said Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti when he addressed the media at Big Ten Football Media Days back in July. "I think it’s important to make sure that markets around the country get to experience Big Ten championships. It’s a really good way to connect the conference. I think over time you’ll start to see the geographic footprint expand, keeping in mind competitive issues."

However, there's no way the Big Ten could move the game permanently West as it would alienate their core fanbase. There may be a solution that would fit the ambitions of the conference while maintaining relations with their homebase. A rotating schedule that alternates venues.

In an ideal situation, the game would take place in Indianapolis for one year and then to Los Angeles the next. SoFi Stadium would be a fantastic venue, Los Angeles is easily reachable from every city a Big Ten program is located in, and the city has more than enough hotels and accommodations for an event of that size.

There's an alternate solution that I personally prefer but many, especially within the conferences' headquarters do not and that's having the team with the best conference record host the title game. The Big Ten will not go for it because they'll lose out on ticket sales as well as other sources of income a neutral site game would create.

While it's likely the game remains in Indianapolis for the long-term future, even beyond 2028, the Big Ten is always looking to improve and to tap into markets not fully utilized. A game out west could lead to more sponsorship money, ticket sales and influence over which conference the top recruits commit too. Winning the war wins the big TV contracts.

In the 13 years of the Pac-12 title game, UCLA, USC, Washington and Oregon made multiple appearances each.

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