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Saturday’s Big 12 Championship game between No. 11 BYU and No. 4 Texas Tech is less than 24 hours away, and yet, the marquee showdown is already setting records as the Cougars and Red Raiders meet in Arlington, Texas at AT&T Stadium — home of the Dallas Cowboys.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel first broke the news on Wednesday that the game was already sold out and that is on-track to be the biggest Big 12 championship game in conference history.
At the moment, the 2023 Big 12 title game between Texas and Oklahoma State — also played at AT&T Stadium — currently holds the record at 84,523. It broke the previous record which took place in 2018, when Oklahoma took on Texas played the conference championship. In that game, 83,114 fans showed out.
At the moment, the 2023 Big 12 title game between Texas and Oklahoma State — also played at AT&T Stadium — holds the attendance record with 84,523 fans. That matchup surpassed the previous mark set in 2018, when Oklahoma and Texas squared off for the conference championship before a crowd of 83,114.
As of today, the Big 12 holds the top two spots for more fans at a conference championship game. Here’s the Top 10 list.
| Rank | Top 10 Conference Championship Game Attendance | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023 Big 12 Championship Game — (Texas vs. Oklahoma State) | 84,523 |
| 2 | 2018 Big 12 Championship Game — (Oklahoma vs. Texas) | 83,114 |
| 3 | 1992 SEC Championship Game — (Alabama vs. Florida) | 83,091 |
| 4 | 2023 SEC Championship Game — (Alabama vs. Georgia) | 78,320 |
| 5 | 2021 SEC Championship Game — (Alabama vs. Georgia) | 78,030 |
| 6 | 2018 SEC Championship Game — (Alabama vs. Georgia) | 77,141 |
| 7 | 2017 SEC Championship Game — (Auburn vs. Georgia) | 76,534 |
| 8 | 2023 Big Ten Championship Game — (Michigan vs. Iowa) | 67,842 |
| 9 | 2023 ACC Championship Game — (Florida State vs. Louisville) | 62,314 |
| 10 | 2023 Pac-12 Championship Game — (Washington vs. Oregon) | 61,195 |
Big 12 Championship: 5 Keys For No. 11 BYU To Upset No. 4 Texas Tech
Come Saturday, that record will more than likely be broken as sources say attendance could possibly hit 90,000. AT&T Stadium hold just over 93,000, which is what the Cowboys have been averaging so far this season.
Last year’s Big 12 game between Arizona State and Iowa State drew just 55,889 fans.
So what makes this year’s game so much better and highly anticipated?
First, this is essentially a Top 10 showdown whereas last years’ game was between No. 15 Arizona State and No. 16 Iowa State. Saturday will also be the first Big 12 title game in program history for both the Red Raiders and the Cougars.
Texas Tech looks to secure a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. On the other side, BYU is hoping to avenge its regular season loss to the Red Raiders and secure an automatic berth in the Playoff.
BYU, at 11-1, should already be a lock for the CFP, however, due to the committee’s bias and hatred towards the Big 12 and the Cougars, Saturday’s game determines a playoff spot or not, and the BYU faithful are doing all they can to give the team a home field advantage.
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BYU-Texas Tech Ticket Price Record
Not only is the game on track to become the highest attended game in Big 12 history — and for any conference for that matter — the game is shaping up to be the most expensive game of the entire season, beating out the likes of Michigan-Ohio State, Alabama-Georgia, Oregon-Penn State, Texas-Texas A&M, Miami-Florida State and Oklahoma-Texas. The BYU-Utah game is currently seventh among all the college football games this year.
When BYU and Texas Tech played back in November, the cheapest ticket available was $528, which still stands as the most expensive ticket of any game so far this season. Ticket prices for the Big 12 Championship game have been hovering around in that same range for most of the week too.
Hopefully the game lives up to the hype this time as Texas Tech looks to earn a Top 4 seed and bye into the playoffs, while BYU looks to get in for the first time and give the Big 12 Conference two playoff bids. Oddsmakers have Texas Tech as a 13 points favorite but I fully expect the game to come right down to the wire and give fans another Big 12 instant classic.
Top 10 Most Expensive College Football Games In 2025 (Cheapest Ticket Available)
- BYU-Texas Tech = $528
2. Ohio State-Indiana = $515
3. Alabama-Georgia = $465
4. Oregon-Penn State = $450
5. Texas-Texas A&M = $412
6. Alabama-Auburn = $387
7. BYU-Utah = $380
8. Texas-Ohio State = $372
9. Georgia-Tennessee = $369
10. Miami-Florida State = $364
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Big 12 Championship: 5 Keys For No. 11 BYU To Upset No. 4 Texas Tech
