1996 Big 12 Championship Game
Encyclopedia
The 1996 Dr. Pepper Big 12 Championship Game was held on December 7, 1996 at Trans World Dome
(now Edward Jones Dome) in St. Louis, Missouri
. The divisional winners from the Big 12 Conference
squared off in the 1st edition of the game. The Texas Longhorns represented the South Division and the Nebraska Cornhuskers
represented the North Division. Texas won the contest 37–27, keyed by a daring 4th down conversion from their own 28-yard line with slightly more than 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter when the score was 30-27 in their favor.
. The game was first played in 1996
, when the conference was assembled to include all of the teams from the Big Eight Conference
as well as four teams that had formerly been members of the Southwest Conference. The championship game was modeled on the SEC
format, which was the first conference in college football to have a conference championship game
.
Today, six conferences in the top-level Division I FBS hold championship games—the ACC
, Big Ten
, C-USA, MAC
, SEC, and Pac-12
. However, the Big 12 no longer holds such a game. After the 2010 season
, two Big 12 members, Colorado
and Nebraska
, left for other conferences as part of a major wave of conference realignment. As a result, the 2010 edition
of this game was the last for the foreseeable future. The 2011 season
is the first for the Big Ten and Pac-12 championship games; both conferences reached the total of 12 members required for such a game during the 2010–11 realignment.
Edward Jones Dome
The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome (more formally known as the Edward Jones Dome at America's Center, and previously known as The Trans World Dome (from 1995–2001) is a multi-purpose stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, and home of the St. Louis Rams of the NFL. It was...
(now Edward Jones Dome) in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. The divisional winners from the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
squared off in the 1st edition of the game. The Texas Longhorns represented the South Division and the Nebraska Cornhuskers
1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:...
represented the North Division. Texas won the contest 37–27, keyed by a daring 4th down conversion from their own 28-yard line with slightly more than 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter when the score was 30-27 in their favor.
Selection process
The Big 12 Championship Game matched up the winner of the North and South divisions of the Big 12 ConferenceBig 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
. The game was first played in 1996
1996 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Florida Gators crowned National Champions, but not as unanimously as the Bowl Alliance would have hoped....
, when the conference was assembled to include all of the teams from the Big Eight Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
as well as four teams that had formerly been members of the Southwest Conference. The championship game was modeled on the SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
format, which was the first conference in college football to have a conference championship game
SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game refers to the game determining the Southeastern Conference's football season champion. The championship game pits the SEC Western Division representative against the Eastern Division representative in a game held after the regular season has been completed. Thus far, nine...
.
Today, six conferences in the top-level Division I FBS hold championship games—the ACC
ACC Championship Game
The Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game is an American college football game held on the first Saturday in December by the Atlantic Coast Conference each year to determine its football champion. The game pits the champion of the Coastal Division against the champion of the Atlantic Division in a game...
, Big Ten
Big Ten Football Championship Game
The Big Ten Football Championship Game is a college football game that will be held by the Big Ten Conference each year to determine the conference's season champion. The inaugural game will be held on December 3, 2011. The games during the next two seasons will be held on December 1, 2012 and...
, C-USA, MAC
MAC Championship Game
The Marathon MAC Football Championship is a football game between the winners of the East and West divisions of the Mid-American Conference to determine the conference champion. The game has been played since 1997, when the conference was first divided into divisions and since 2003 has been...
, SEC, and Pac-12
Pacific-12 Football Championship Game
The Pacific-12 Championship Game is a college football game that will be held by the Pacific-12 Conference each year to determine the Pacific-12 Conference's season champion. The inaugural game will be held December 2, 2011 at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT...
. However, the Big 12 no longer holds such a game. After the 2010 season
2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on Thursday, September 2, 2010. The season progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Monday, January 10, 2011.-Rule changes for...
, two Big 12 members, Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
and Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
, left for other conferences as part of a major wave of conference realignment. As a result, the 2010 edition
2010 Big 12 Championship Game
The 2010 Big 12 Championship Game was played at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 4, 2010, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas to determine the 2010 football champion of the Big 12 Conference. It was the final championship game for the conference as two members of the Big 12 had announced their...
of this game was the last for the foreseeable future. The 2011 season
2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season, play of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level, began on Thursday, September 1, 2011...
is the first for the Big Ten and Pac-12 championship games; both conferences reached the total of 12 members required for such a game during the 2010–11 realignment.