Redshirt
Analysis

Conference-Title Value: Big Ten and SEC Lead the Board

Conference-title value concentrates in the Big Ten and SEC, where Ohio State (11.4%) and Texas (9.6%) top national-title fair value, while Notre Dame sits out.

By Redshirt Editorial · 2026-08-09
Analysis
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Key takeaways
  • The model's deepest conference-title value sits in the Big Ten, led by Ohio State at 11.4% national-title fair value and Oregon at 10.3%.
  • Texas (9.6%) and Georgia (9.1%) headline the SEC, the only other conference carrying two top-tier national-title contenders.
  • Notre Dame ranks second overall at 11.2% fair value but has no conference title to win, so its entire path runs through the at-large route.
  • Miami leads the ACC field at 6.8% fair value, the clear front on that board with best price 8c on Polymarket.
  • Ohio State's best price is 13c on Kalshi, roughly 1.6 cents of vig over the 11.4% model fair value.

The model sees the richest conference-title value in the Big Ten and SEC. Ohio State (11.4% national-title fair value) and Oregon (10.3%) headline the Big Ten, while Texas (9.6%) and Georgia (9.1%) top the SEC. Those two conferences are the only ones fielding multiple contenders inside the national-title top eight.

Conference-title contracts are not quoted directly in this dataset, so national-title fair value serves as the cleanest proxy for where each conference race stands: a team's title equity already prices in its strength, schedule and playoff path, and the top of that equity ladder maps closely to the top of each conference board.

Which conference has the deepest title market?

The Big Ten runs deepest. Ohio State at 11.4%, Oregon at 10.3% and Indiana at 8.4% give the conference three teams the model rates as serious national contenders, and by extension three live conference-title candidates. No other conference stacks that many names near the top.

The SEC is the closest rival for depth, led by Texas (9.6%) and Georgia (9.1%), then a gap down to LSU at 5%. Texas A&M (2.8%), Alabama (2.5%) and Oklahoma (2.1%) fill out the tail, which reads as a two-team front with a long field behind it.

The chart below ranks the conference leaders by the model's national-title fair value, the same ordering that governs where value sits on each conference board.

National-title fair value, conference leaders
Ohio State11.4%
Oregon10.3%
Texas9.6%
Georgia9.1%
Indiana8.4%
Miami6.8%

Where does the Big Ten title race sit?

Ohio State prices as the model's overall front at 11.4% fair value, with a best price of 13c on Kalshi. That leaves roughly 1.6 cents of vig over fair value, a tight spread for the most heavily traded contract on the board.

Oregon at 10.3% and Indiana at 8.4% round out the Big Ten's live trio, both showing their cheapest price on Kalshi (11c and 9c respectively). For traders reading the conference race, the model's stance is that value clusters at the top of this group rather than in the field behind it.

How does Notre Dame's independence change the math?

Notre Dame ranks second overall at 11.2% fair value, best price 13c on Polymarket, yet it carries no conference title. As an Independent, its entire path to the playoff and beyond runs through the at-large route, so none of that equity shows up on any conference board.

That absence matters for how the conference markets should be read. Notre Dame's 11.2% competes for national-title and playoff share without ever touching a conference contract, which effectively concentrates the priced conference value among the Big Ten and SEC front-runners.

What about the ACC?

Miami leads the ACC at 6.8% national-title fair value, best price 8c on Polymarket, and stands clear of the rest of that conference's field on the model. On a conference board that thins out quickly behind the leader, that gap makes Miami the cleanest single-team read available among the non-Big Ten, non-SEC groups.

The takeaway across boards: the model points conference-title value toward a small set of names, the Big Ten's top three, the SEC's top two, and Miami in the ACC. Prices and the model can both be wrong, and vig varies by venue, so the cheapest route matters. Cross-venue shoppers can weigh Kalshi (promo FADE) against Polymarket (promo TGSWC) when the two disagree on best price.

TeamsOhio StOregonTexasGeorgiaNotre DameMiami
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Frequently asked questions

Which conference has the most title-market value this season?

By the model, the Big Ten carries the most concentrated value: Ohio State (11.4%), Oregon (10.3%) and Indiana (8.4%) all price inside the national-title top eight, giving that conference three live contenders.

Why isn't Notre Dame in a conference-title market?

Notre Dame is an Independent and plays no conference schedule, so there is no conference title for it to win. Its 11.2% national-title fair value runs entirely through the at-large playoff route.

Who leads the SEC in the model's fair value?

Texas at 9.6% and Georgia at 9.1% lead the SEC, the two highest-rated teams on that conference board, with LSU next at 5%.

Which team fronts the ACC on the model?

Miami leads the ACC at 6.8% national-title fair value, well clear of the rest of that conference's field, with a best price of 8c on Polymarket.

Where can these contracts be traded most cheaply?

Best venue varies by team: Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia and Indiana price cheapest on Kalshi, while Texas, Notre Dame, Miami and LSU show their best price on Polymarket.

About the author
Redshirt Editorial

Redshirt Analytics editors cover college football prediction markets: how contracts price the season, where the value sits, and how the platforms compare.