PHOENIX -- The Big 12's best chance to reach the College Football Playoff is to expand to 12 teams and stage a conference championship game, according to research by an analytics firm hired by the league.

The numbers run by Chicago-based Navigate Research show the Big 12 has a 4-5 percent better chance of reaching the top four in the CFP by adding two teams, playing one less conference game and holding a championship game, commissioner Bob Bowlsby said Monday.

The Big 12 is one of only two Power Five leagues to be left out the CFP in its first two seasons. Baylor and TCU came close in 2014. The Pac-12, whose highest ranked team was No. 6 Stanford, was left out last season.

The new information will be formally presented to the entire league later this month. The Big 12 is in the process of deciding whether it will stay in its current figuration of 10 teams playing a round-robin nine-game conference schedule. A decision could be reached by the end of the summer.

“This will probably persuade some people one way or the other,” said Bowlsby, who is in town for Big 12 spring meetings at the annual Fiesta Summit.

The rest of the Big 12's officials, including school presidents who will ultimately make the decision, will meet in Dallas from May 31 to June 3.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...for-league

And the $$$$ quote from Bowlsby:

“If we do nothing, we'll fall behind the SEC and the Big Ten in terms of [revenue],” Bowlsby said. “We may be every bit as competitive as we are today, but we'll fall behind financially.”

Bowlsby previously told CBS Sports that, if the league stands pat, it will be “$20 million [per school]” behind the SEC and Big Ten in 12 years.



“If we do nothing, we'll fall behind the SEC and the Big Ten in terms of [revenue],” Bowlsby said. “We may be every bit as competitive as we are today, but we'll fall behind financially.”

Bowlsby previously told CBS Sports that, if the league stands pat, it will be “$20 million [per school]” behind the SEC and Big Ten in 12 years.