How the Big Ten will determine the participants for the 2025 football championship has yet to be determined. “Our region, our state continues to build on the great reputation we have developed in executing large-scale events,” Blackshaw said. The request-for-proposal process will cover two years, and Minnesota Sports and Events hopes to throw its hat into the ring. The Big Ten hasn’t officially opened bidding on the football championship, a conference spokesperson said. “Now,” he said, “we have the flexibility to have (basketball tournaments), really, anywhere across the country.” Speaking at the first day of Big Ten media days at Target Center, Commissioner Kevin Warren sounded ready to continue to branch out.

With the pending addition of UCLA and USC in Fall 2024, the Big Ten will have the nation’s biggest media markets to choose from, from the New York Metropolitan Area to Los Angeles and stops in between that include Chicago and the Twin Cities. The Big Ten women’s basketball tournament will be at Target Center this spring and next, and the men’s tournament will be here in 2023, as well. It would be the first year the game - so far - has not been awarded to Lucas Oil Stadium. Minnesota Sports and Events, which has helped secure events such as the 2018 Super Bowl and last spring’s women’s NCAA Final Four, plans to make a bid to bring the Big Ten football championship game to U.S. Since the Big Ten’s football teams split into two divisions in 2011, no city other than Indianapolis has been host to the conference’s football championship game.

Big ten championship game start time