The wild card in the deal is that the Big 12 only has six bowl-eligible teams (Kansas State needs to beat West Virginia on Saturday to make it seven). The Cactus gets either the sixth or seventh pick in the conference, depending on how many Big 12 teams are selected for the New Years Six games. Projections right now have Oklahoma being part of the four-team playoff and the conference should have a New Year's Six team as well.

That would leave just four bowl-eligible Big 12 teams (currently), which would put the Cactus on the outside looking in. The bowl has a backup agreement with the Mountain West.