Big Ten ends championship game after 2026 season
The Dec. 5 finale adds urgency for 9-0 UCLA before the conference drops the game in 2027.
NOV 10, 2026
UCLA record; only Big Ten team without a conference loss
Wins UCLA needs to reach the final championship game
UCLA overall record last season before this run
01 · The NewsBig Ten Ends Championship Game After 2026
The Big Ten announced Monday that its Dec. 5, 2026, championship game will be its last, putting the conference’s final title race under added pressure before the game disappears in 2027.
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petiti thanked Indianapolis, Lucas Oil Stadium and the fans who supported the championship game since its 2011 launch.
“As we look ahead to a new College Playoff format, the Big Ten Conference is deeply grateful to the city of Indianapolis, the Indiana Sports Corp, Lucas Oil Stadium and the hundreds of thousands of fans who helped make the Big Ten football championship game a marquee event each season since its inception in 2011,” Petiti said. “We look forward to our final Discover Big Ten football championship game on Dec. 5 and maintaining our strong relationship with Indianapolis as we host future Big Ten championships across our sports portfolio in the city.”
The decision adds urgency to UCLA’s finish. The Bruins are 9-0 and the only Big Ten team without a conference loss. They will reach the final championship game by winning two of their last three regular-season games against Illinois, Michigan and USC.
UCLA has already beaten Oregon 17-15 and Wisconsin 17-7 this season. The run comes after a 3-9 overall record and a 3-6 conference mark in 2025.
Josh Pate’s preseason bracket placed Indiana in the Playoff field. Future Big Ten teams in that position will have no post-regular-season championship game to strengthen or damage their cases. The format and selection rules behind the change remain unspecified, so its effects on bids and seeding are not settled.
For Bob Chesney and UCLA, the route to the final Big Ten championship game is clear: two wins from the Bruins’ last three regular-season games.
02 · The StakesWhat the Change Costs
The expanded College Football Playoff eliminated the need for the game, according to the conference. Beginning in 2027, Big Ten teams will have no championship game to settle the race or provide a final résumé win; regular-season results and Playoff selection judgments will carry more weight, and one late loss could decide a postseason case. The expanded Playoff also makes the championship game a potential liability. A contender could lose its final game and weaken its postseason position; removing the game takes away that risk but also removes a chance to add a decisive win.
“The expanded Playoff also makes the championship game a potential liability.”
From the story03 · The Watch ListWhat We're Watching
Can UCLA close the deal?
The Bruins reach the final championship game by winning two of their last three regular-season games against Illinois, Michigan and USC.
What does the final game do to a contender’s case?
A loss could weaken a postseason position, while a win could add a decisive résumé result; beginning in 2027, there will be no championship game to strengthen or damage that case.