It’s been just two seasons since college football moved to the 12-team playoff, and the disruption it has created is unmatched. There are already demands about moving to 24 or even a playoff with many more teams. Not just that, because the conference title games sometimes lead to a slip in playoff rankings, many teams are calling for removing them entirely. But Urban Meyer’s stance is clear on the issue.

“I have experienced conference championship games, and I have experienced rivalry games. And I can’t imagine those going away,” Urban Meyer said on WRUF-Home of the Gators’ June 27 podcast. ” I just worry if you start making this all about the playoffs and nothing else, you kind of lose those things. The SEC championship game and the Big 10 championship game, those are two of the most incredible moments for players, coaches, and fans that you could experience.”

The debate grew louder after several coaches questioned whether conference title games still make sense in the 12-team playoff era. Curt Cignetti said there is “a lot of sentiment” among coaches that the games should eventually disappear because they can hurt teams that have already earned playoff spots. Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer made a similar point after his team lost the SEC Championship Game last year against Georgia.

He argued that playing an extra elite opponent should not damage a team’s playoff résumé if it already proved itself during the regular season. Their concerns are shared by several people around the sport. Coaches, athletic directors, and conference officials have discussed whether championship games now create an unnecessary injury risk while offering limited playoff benefits. For starters, a loss can knock a team down the rankings. Whereas a key injury can derail a national title run.

“The day that you tell me a ring doesn’t matter, I’m not going to agree with you,” Meyer said. “You deserve to get a ring and go win your conference in the conference championship.” As for Meyer, he might see something much bigger than playoff math. In his coaching career, conference championships became a major part of his legacy.

He won two SEC championships at Florida. At Ohio State, he sealed three outright Big Ten titles. Not just that, his OSU team also played in the inaugural Big Ten championship game during the 2013 season. Overall, Meyer went 5-1 in Power Five conference championship games, a remarkable success rate. That’s starkly in contrast to the Power 4 conference titles Curt Cignetti (1) and Kalen DeBoer (0) have won in their coaching career.

In reality, conference championships are a vital part of the college football culture. The fan sentiment, the tradition, and the excitement attached to it remain unmatched. Not just that, the conference title winners also get an automatic playoff berth. Moreover, there is another factor keeping conference championship games alive.

Recent financial disclosures reveal that individual power conferences generate more revenue on their own than the $200 million figure, with massive television and media rights deals driving the growth. For the SEC, the conference title game generated $50 million in revenue for the conference. Just last year, the conference title game had close to 17 million viewers. As for the Big 10, Curt Cignetti’s game against Ohio State itself drew 18 million viewers. So, removing them won’t be that easy.

In all, despite Urban Meyer’s resistance to the idea of removing the conference title games, the sentiment is growing. The Big 10 this year proposed a 24-team playoff format, without a conference title game. And we might see the championships fade or lose importance like bowl games. They might be on borrowed time.