There are now conference championships in the Big 12, Big 10, Big East, ACC, Pacific-12 and even the MAC and Conference USA. All of the inter-conference moves of late Maryland and Rutgers to the Big Ten, Louisville to the ACC and East Carolina and Tulane to the Big East were the most recent were all done for money, an indirect response to the original SEC Championship.
FORBES: The SEC Championship Game Is The Reason For The Crazy Conference Realignments In College Football