WWE, Big 12 Create New Title Belt for Football Championship Game MVP

The Big 12 champion will be all-but assured an automatic bid into the College Football Playoff when the format changes to 12 teams next season, but the MVP of the conference championship game is going to have a childhood dream unlocked this season.

WWE and Big 12 announced a partnership Thursday to award the title game MVP — Most Valuable Player, not Montel Vontavious Porter — with a championship belt this December. Now, the MVP will channel the energy of their favorite WWE champion.

"WWE is a global brand that connects with a wide array of audiences," Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said. "With this partnership, we will integrate WWE and its brand power into one of the Conference's biggest moments, further strengthening the bridge between sports and entertainment throughout the Big 12."

Who knows? Maybe 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin will show up to his home state of Texas to share a beer with the MVP before delivering a Stone Cold Stunner. Or maybe the MVP will just have a souvenir to bring home.

The Big 12 and WWE will also collaborate to introduce exclusive Big 12 Championship merchandise, which will be available for purchase online and throughout AT&T Stadium team stores.

The conference isn't the first to award a championship belt in its title game, though, as the Sun Belt has awarded its title game MVP a belt since 2018.