La Conferencia Big Ten (estilizada B1G , anteriormente Conferencia Oeste y Conferencia Big Nine , entre otras) es la conferencia atlética universitaria de la División I de la NCAA más antigua de los Estados Unidos . Fundada como la Conferencia Intercolegial de Representantes de la Facultad en 1896, es anterior a la fundación de su organización reguladora, la NCAA . Tiene su sede en el área de Chicago en Rosemont, Illinois . Durante muchas décadas, la conferencia estuvo compuesta por diez universidades destacadas, lo que explica su nombre. El 2 de agosto de 2024, la conferencia se expandió a 18 instituciones miembro y 2 instituciones afiliadas. [1] [2] La conferencia compite en la División I de la NCAA y sus equipos de fútbol compiten en la Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), anteriormente conocida como División IA, el nivel más alto de competencia de la NCAA en ese deporte.
Las instituciones miembros de Big Ten son importantes universidades de investigación con grandes dotaciones financieras y sólidas reputaciones académicas. Un gran cuerpo estudiantil es un sello distintivo de sus universidades, ya que 15 de los 18 miembros inscriben a más de 30.000 estudiantes. Todas son universidades públicas , excepto la Universidad Northwestern y la Universidad del Sur de California , ambas universidades privadas . En conjunto, las universidades de Big Ten educan a más de 520.000 estudiantes en total y tienen 5,7 millones de exalumnos vivos. [1] Los miembros participan en $9.3 mil millones en investigación financiada cada año; [2] 17 de las 18 son miembros de la Asociación de Universidades Estadounidenses (excepto Nebraska) y la Asociación de Investigación de Universidades (excepto USC). Todas las universidades de Big Ten también son miembros de la Alianza Académica de Big Ten , anteriormente el Comité de Cooperación Institucional. [3]
Aunque la Big Ten ha sido principalmente una conferencia del Medio Oeste durante casi un siglo, la huella geográfica de la conferencia se ha extendido desde el Atlántico Medio hasta las Grandes Llanuras desde 2014. En 2024, la conferencia ganó presencia en la Costa Oeste con la incorporación de cuatro antiguas escuelas de la Conferencia Pac-12 . [4]
Notas:
Notas
La Universidad de Chicago es el único miembro de pleno derecho que ha abandonado permanentemente la Conferencia Big Ten. [a]
Miembros de pleno derecho Miembros de pleno derecho (no relacionados con el fútbol) Afiliados a deportes Otra conferencia Otra conferencia
A medida que el fútbol intercolegial aumentó rápidamente durante la década de 1890, también lo hizo la naturaleza despiadada del juego. Los ánimos se caldearon, estallaron peleas y las lesiones se dispararon. Entre 1880 y 1905, los jugadores de fútbol universitario sufrieron más de 325 muertes y 1149 lesiones. [ cita requerida ] Para lidiar con las crecientes críticas al juego, el presidente de la Universidad de Purdue , James Henry Smart [8], invitó a los presidentes de la Universidad de Chicago , la Universidad de Illinois , el Lake Forest College , la Universidad de Minnesota , la Universidad Northwestern y la Universidad de Wisconsin a una reunión en Chicago el 11 de enero de 1895, para crear políticas destinadas a regular los deportes intercolegiales. La elegibilidad de los estudiantes-atletas fue uno de los principales temas de discusión. [9] La Conferencia Intercolegial de Representantes de la Facultad se fundó en una segunda reunión el 8 de febrero de 1896. [10] Lake Forest no estuvo en la reunión de 1896 y fue reemplazada por la Universidad de Michigan . En ese momento, la organización era más comúnmente conocida como la Conferencia Oeste , compuesta por Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Chicago, Purdue y Northwestern. Estas escuelas fueron los siete miembros originales.
La conferencia es una de las más antiguas del país, es anterior a la fundación de la NCAA por una década y fue una de las primeras conferencias universitarias en patrocinar el baloncesto masculino.
La primera referencia a la conferencia como Big Nine fue en 1899, después de que Iowa e Indiana se unieran. Nebraska solicitó por primera vez unirse a la liga en 1900 y nuevamente en 1911, [11] pero fue rechazada en ambas ocasiones.
En 1905, la conferencia se constituyó oficialmente como la "Conferencia Intercolegial de Representantes de la Facultad". [8]
En abril de 1907, Michigan fue expulsado de la conferencia por negarse a adherirse a las reglas de la liga que limitaban a los equipos de fútbol a no más de cinco juegos y a los jugadores a tres años de elegibilidad. [12] Ohio State se unió en 1912. Las primeras referencias conocidas a la conferencia como Big Ten fueron en diciembre de 1916, cuando Michigan se reincorporó a la conferencia después de una ausencia de nueve años. [13] [14]
La conferencia fue nuevamente conocida como Big Nine después de que la Universidad de Chicago decidiera dejar de enfatizar el atletismo universitario justo después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. En 1939, el presidente de la UChicago, Robert Maynard Hutchins, tomó la decisión de abolir el programa de fútbol, basándose en sus opiniones negativas sobre los excesos del fútbol universitario de primer nivel y los problemas asociados de la época. [15] Chicago se retiró de la conferencia en 1946 después de luchar por obtener victorias en muchos enfrentamientos de la conferencia. Se creía que una de varias escuelas, en particular Iowa State , Marquette , Michigan State , Nebraska , Notre Dame y Pittsburgh , reemplazaría a Chicago en ese momento. [16] El 20 de mayo de 1949, [10] Michigan State puso fin a la especulación uniéndose y la conferencia volvió a ser conocida como Big Ten. [ aclaración necesaria ] La membresía de Big Ten permanecería sin cambios durante los siguientes 40 años. El nombre oficial de la conferencia durante este período siguió siendo Conferencia Intercolegial de Representantes de la Facultad. No adoptó formalmente el nombre de Big Ten hasta 1987, cuando se constituyó como una corporación sin fines de lucro.
En 1990, las universidades Big Ten votaron para expandir la conferencia a 11 equipos y extendieron una invitación a la Universidad Estatal de Pensilvania, miembro de Atlantic 10 e independiente del fútbol , que la aceptó. [17] Cuando Penn State se unió en 1990, se decidió que la conferencia continuaría llamándose Big Ten, pero su logotipo se modificó para reflejar el cambio; el número 11 se disfrazó en el espacio negativo de las letras tradicionalmente azules "Big Ten".
Missouri mostró interés en ser miembro de Big Ten después de que Penn State se uniera. [18] Alrededor de 1993, la liga exploró la posibilidad de agregar Kansas , Missouri y Rutgers u otras escuelas potenciales, para crear una liga de 14 equipos con dos divisiones de fútbol. [19] Estas conversaciones murieron cuando la Conferencia Big Eight se fusionó con los antiguos miembros de la Conferencia del Suroeste para crear la Big 12 .
Tras la incorporación de Penn State, se hicieron esfuerzos para alentar a la Universidad de Notre Dame , en ese momento la última academia independiente que no era de servicio, a unirse a la liga. En 1999, Notre Dame y la Big Ten iniciaron negociaciones privadas sobre una posible membresía que incluiría a Notre Dame. Aunque el senado de la facultad de Notre Dame respaldó la idea con una votación casi unánime, la junta directiva de la escuela decidió no unirse a la conferencia. [20] (En 1926, Notre Dame había considerado brevemente la entrada oficial en la Big Ten, pero eligió mantener su estatus independiente. [21] ) Notre Dame posteriormente se unió a la Conferencia de la Costa Atlántica en todos los deportes excepto fútbol, en el que Notre Dame mantiene su estatus independiente siempre que juegue al menos cinco partidos por temporada contra oponentes de la ACC. Se creía que este era el principal obstáculo para que Notre Dame se uniera a la Big Ten, ya que Notre Dame quería conservar su contrato de transmisión independiente de juegos locales con NBC Sports , mientras que la Big Ten insistía en una membresía completa sin exenciones especiales.
En diciembre de 2009, el comisionado de la Conferencia Big Ten, Jim Delany, anunció que la liga buscaba expandirse en lo que luego sería parte de una tendencia nacional como parte de la realineación de la conferencia NCAA 2010-2014 . [22] El 11 de junio de 2010, la Universidad de Nebraska solicitó su membresía en la Big Ten y fue aprobada por unanimidad como la 12.ª escuela de la conferencia, que entró en vigencia el 1 de julio de 2011. [23] La conferencia mantuvo el nombre "Big Ten". Esto condujo brevemente al interesante e irónico resultado de la Big Ten que consta de doce equipos, y la Big 12 que consta de diez equipos (con el traslado del ex miembro de la Big 12 Colorado a la Conferencia Pac-12 ). Como parte del acuerdo para unirse a la Big Ten, Nebraska no recibiría una parte completa de los ingresos de los medios durante los primeros seis años de su membresía, hasta el otoño de 2017. [24]
El 1 de septiembre de 2010, Delany reveló la división divisional de fútbol de la conferencia, pero señaló que los nombres de las divisiones se anunciarían más tarde. Esos nombres de división, así como el nuevo logotipo de la conferencia, se hicieron públicos el 13 de diciembre de 2010. Para su nuevo logotipo, la conferencia reemplazó el logotipo del "11 oculto" por uno que utiliza la combinación de caracteres "B1G" en su marca. Delany no hizo comentarios sobre el logotipo ese día, pero fue evidente de inmediato que el nuevo logotipo "permitiría a los fanáticos ver 'BIG' y '10' en una sola palabra". [25]
Para los nuevos nombres de las divisiones de fútbol, la Big Ten no pudo utilizar nombres geográficos, porque habían rechazado un arreglo geográfico. Delany anunció que las nuevas divisiones se conocerían como "División Leyendas" y "División Líderes". En la división Leyendas estaban Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska y Northwestern. La división Líderes estaba compuesta por Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue y Wisconsin. Los funcionarios de la conferencia declararon que se habían centrado en crear equidad competitiva en lugar de dividir por ubicación geográfica. [26] Sin embargo, las nuevas divisiones "Leyendas" y "Líderes" no fueron recibidas con entusiasmo. Algunos rivales tradicionales, incluidos Ohio State y Michigan, fueron colocados en divisiones separadas. [27]
Para la temporada de fútbol, cada equipo jugó contra los demás en su división, un juego de rivalidad "cross-over" y dos juegos rotativos entre divisiones. Al final de la temporada regular, los dos ganadores de división se enfrentaron en un nuevo Juego de Campeonato de Fútbol Big Ten . [28] La alineación divisional de Leyendas y Líderes estuvo en vigencia para las temporadas de fútbol de 2011 , 2012 y 2013 .
El 19 de noviembre de 2012, la Junta de Regentes de la Universidad de Maryland votó retirarse de la ACC y unirse a la Big Ten como su 13.º miembro a partir del 1.º de julio de 2014. [29] El Consejo de Presidentes de la Big Ten aprobó la medida más tarde ese día. [30] Un día después, la Universidad Rutgers de la Big East también aceptó una oferta de membresía de la Big Ten como su 14.º colegio miembro. [31] Al igual que Nebraska, ambas escuelas no recibirían la totalidad de los ingresos de los medios hasta seis años después de su incorporación. Sin embargo, ambas escuelas pidieron préstamos a la conferencia, retrasando así la fecha en la que recibirían la totalidad de los ingresos. [24]
El 28 de abril de 2013, los presidentes y cancilleres de Big Ten aprobaron por unanimidad una realineación divisional de fútbol que entró en vigencia cuando Maryland y Rutgers se unieron en 2014. [32] Bajo el nuevo plan, las divisiones Legends y Leaders fueron reemplazadas por divisiones geográficas. [32] La División Oeste incluía a Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue y Wisconsin (de los cuales todos excepto Purdue están en la zona horaria central ), mientras que la División Este incluía a Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State y Rutgers (todos los cuales están en la zona horaria oriental ). La cuestión final para determinar las nuevas divisiones fue cuál de las dos escuelas de Indiana sería enviada al Oeste; Purdue fue elegida porque su campus de West Lafayette está geográficamente al oeste de la ciudad natal de Indiana, Bloomington . [33] La alineación divisional protegió permanentemente la rivalidad de fútbol entre divisiones Indiana-Purdue . [32] Como antes, los dos ganadores de división se enfrentaron entre sí en el partido por el campeonato de fútbol Big Ten. La alineación de las divisiones Oeste y Este estuvo vigente durante diez temporadas de fútbol, desde 2014 hasta 2023.
El 3 de junio de 2013, la Big Ten anunció el patrocinio del lacrosse masculino y femenino. Para que cualquier conferencia califique para una oferta automática para el torneo de la NCAA, al menos seis escuelas miembro deben practicar el deporte. En el lacrosse femenino, la incorporación de Maryland y Rutgers a la Big Ten elevó la conferencia a los seis participantes necesarios, uniéndose a los programas de Michigan, Northwestern, Ohio State y Penn State. [34] En el lacrosse masculino, Ohio State y Penn State eran los únicos participantes existentes. Coincidiendo con la incorporación de Maryland y Rutgers, Michigan acordó mejorar su exitoso equipo de club al estado universitario, lo que le dio a la Big Ten cinco escuelas patrocinadoras, una menos del mínimo de seis para una oferta automática. La Universidad Johns Hopkins optó por unirse a la conferencia como su primer miembro afiliado a partir de 2014. Johns Hopkins había sido independiente en el lacrosse masculino durante 130 años, obteniendo 44 campeonatos nacionales. [35] A medida que los equipos independientes de larga data se unieron a las conferencias (por ejemplo, Syracuse se unió a la Conferencia de la Costa Atlántica), otras escuelas que competían como independientes en algunos casos concluyeron que la incapacidad de obtener una invitación automática al torneo de la NCAA se estaba convirtiendo en una desventaja competitiva más grave en la programación y el reclutamiento.
El 23 de marzo de 2016, la Conferencia Big Ten y Notre Dame anunciaron que los Fighting Irish se convertirían en una filial de hockey sobre hielo masculino a partir de la temporada 2017-18. [36] Notre Dame había sido miembro de Hockey East , y la medida ahorraría tiempo de viaje y renovaría rivalidades con antiguos miembros de CCHA y WCHA .
En 2013, la conferencia trasladó su sede desde su ubicación en Park Ridge, Illinois a la vecina Rosemont . El edificio de oficinas está situado dentro del distrito de entretenimiento Parkway Bank Park de Rosemont (entonces llamado MB Financial Park Entertainment District), junto a la Interestatal 294. [ 37] [38] [39]
El 30 de junio de 2022, UCLA y USC anunciaron que se unirán a la Conferencia Big Ten a partir del 2 de agosto de 2024, lo que permitirá que ambas escuelas permanezcan en la Conferencia Pac-12 durante la duración de los acuerdos de derechos de medios existentes de Pac-12. [40] [41] A diferencia de la expansión anterior con Nebraska, Rutgers y Maryland, USC y UCLA se unirían con una parte completa de los ingresos de los medios desde el comienzo de su mandato en Big Ten. [24]
En agosto de 2022, la conferencia alcanzó nuevos acuerdos de derechos de medios con CBS, Fox y NBC por un total estimado de 7 mil millones de dólares. [42] [43] [44] [45]
El 4 de agosto de 2023, Oregon y Washington anunciaron que se unirían a la Conferencia Big Ten junto con UCLA y USC. [46] A diferencia de UCLA y USC, las dos escuelas recibirían una participación reducida en los ingresos de los medios de comunicación de $30 millones cada una, y la participación aumentaría en $1 millón para cada escuela cada año, hasta la temporada 2029-30. En lugar de reducir las participaciones en los ingresos de los otros miembros de la conferencia, Fox está contribuyendo con el dinero necesario. [47] Las escuelas recibirán una parte completa con el próximo acuerdo de medios. [48]
En junio de 2023, después de que UCLA y USC fueran confirmados como miembros entrantes pero antes de que se agregaran Oregon y Washington, la conferencia anunció que a partir de 2024, las divisiones Este y Oeste de fútbol serían eliminadas. Cada equipo jugaría nueve partidos de conferencia y tres partidos fuera de conferencia, como antes. Dentro de un período de cuatro años, cada equipo jugaría al menos dos partidos contra todos los demás equipos, uno en casa y otro fuera. Este plan requería que se llevaran a cabo 11 enfrentamientos protegidos cada año; estos incluían Michigan-Ohio State y otras diez rivalidades regionales. Al final de cada temporada, los dos mejores equipos en la clasificación de la conferencia se enfrentarían entre sí en el Juego de Campeonato de Fútbol Big Ten . [49]
La incorporación de Oregon y Washington agregó un enfrentamiento protegido más a este recuento, lo que elevó el total a 12 enfrentamientos protegidos: Illinois-Northwestern , Illinois-Purdue , Indiana-Purdue , Iowa-Minnesota , Iowa-Nebraska , Iowa-Wisconsin , Maryland-Rutgers, Michigan-Michigan State , Michigan-Ohio State , Minnesota-Wisconsin , Oregon-Washington y UCLA-USC , dejando a Penn State como la única escuela sin enfrentamientos protegidos. El calendario también se actualizó para que los equipos jueguen con todos los demás oponentes de la conferencia al menos dos veces, una vez en casa y otra fuera, y jueguen con oponentes rotativos no más de tres veces en un período de cinco años. [50]
Todos los miembros actuales del Big Ten son universidades que otorgan doctorados.
El ex comisionado de la conferencia Jim Delany dijo en 2010 que la membresía en la Asociación de Universidades Estadounidenses es "una parte importante de quienes somos". [51] Todos los miembros actuales de la Big Ten, excepto la Universidad de Nebraska-Lincoln , son miembros de la AAU. Nebraska era miembro de la AAU cuando fue admitida en la Big Ten, pero perdió este estatus poco después. [51]
La siguiente tabla muestra la clasificación de las universidades nacionales según US News & World Report en 2023. [update][ 52]
También se indica su membresía en la Asociación de Universidades Americanas . [53]
La oficina del comisionado de atletismo se creó en 1922 "para estudiar los problemas deportivos de las distintas universidades miembros y ayudar a hacer cumplir las reglas de elegibilidad que rigen los deportes de Big Ten". [9]
Todos los miembros de Big Ten son miembros de la Big Ten Academic Alliance , anteriormente conocida como el Comité de Cooperación Institucional. [54] [55] [56] La Universidad de Chicago , ex miembro de la Conferencia Big Ten, fue miembro del CIC desde 1958 hasta el 29 de junio de 2016. [57] [58] [59] [60]
Los ingresos totales incluyen las ventas de entradas, contribuciones y donaciones, derechos y licencias, cuotas de estudiantes, fondos escolares y todas las demás fuentes, incluidos los ingresos de televisión, los ingresos del campamento, las concesiones y las novedades.
Los gastos totales incluyen salarios de entrenadores y personal, becas, edificios y terrenos, mantenimiento, servicios públicos y tarifas de alquiler, reclutamiento, viajes del equipo, equipamiento y uniformes, cuotas de conferencias y seguros.
La siguiente tabla muestra los informes institucionales al Departamento de Educación de los Estados Unidos tal como aparecen en el sitio web Equidad en Atletismo del DOE para el año académico 2022-23. [61]
La siguiente tabla muestra los ingresos específicamente provenientes de distribuciones de la NCAA/Conferencia, derechos de medios y fútbol de postemporada informados por la Comisión Knight para el año académico 2021-22. [62]
El comisionado Jim Delany comenzó a explorar la formación de un canal específico de Big Ten en 2004 después de un intento fallido de buscar una tarifa de derechos significativamente mayor de ESPN para renovar sus acuerdos existentes. Esto se materializó en 2006, cuando la conferencia anunció la formación de una red de cable dedicada, Big Ten Network , en una asociación de 20 años con Fox Sports , que se lanzaría oficialmente en 2007. [63] La red transmite cobertura de atletismo de Big Ten (incluidos eventos que no transmiten los otros socios de medios de Big Ten), programas de estudio, así como otros programas originales y documentales que perfilan la conferencia y sus miembros. [64] El impacto de Big Ten Network influyó en la expansión de la conferencia en la década de 2010, y algunos de sus miembros más nuevos se ubicaron cerca de los principales mercados de medios como Baltimore y Washington, DC (Maryland) y el área metropolitana de Nueva York (Rutgers). [65] [66]
Junto con el anuncio de la nueva red se firmó un nuevo acuerdo de derechos de medios por diez años, comenzando con la temporada 2007-08 y terminando con la temporada 2016-17, que dividiría la cobertura de Big Ten entre las cadenas ESPN, CBS Sports y Big Ten Network, poniendo así fin a la cobertura regional de la conferencia por parte de Comcast Chicago. [67] [68]
En 2010, la Big Ten anunció la creación del campeonato de fútbol Big Ten a partir de la temporada 2011 y firmó un acuerdo de transmisión con Fox para transmitir el juego desde 2011 hasta 2016. [69]
En 2016, la conferencia anunció un nuevo acuerdo de derechos de medios de seis años por un valor de 2.640 millones de dólares con Fox Sports, CBS Sports y ESPN que entrará en vigor con el inicio de la temporada 2017-18 y finalizará con la temporada 2022-23. El tamaño del acuerdo se tradujo en una casi triplicación de la participación en los ingresos de medios por escuela. [70]
El nuevo acuerdo permitiría que los partidos de fútbol de la temporada regular de la Big Ten se transmitieran por primera vez en Fox y Fox Sports 1. Como parte del acuerdo, Fox mantendría su cobertura del Campeonato de la Big Ten y obtendría prioridad sobre ESPN al seleccionar los partidos de fútbol de la temporada regular antes de cada temporada. También pondría fin a la cobertura de ESPN del torneo de baloncesto masculino de la Big Ten.
El 18 de agosto de 2022, la Big Ten anunció que había llegado a acuerdos de derechos de transmisión por siete años con Fox, CBS y, por primera vez, NBC Sports , a partir del año académico 2023-24, poniendo fin a una asociación entre la conferencia y ESPN que se remonta a la década de 1980. Un objetivo principal de los nuevos contratos era establecer ventanas de transmisión específicas para los juegos de fútbol de la Big Ten entre sus tres socios, con Fox, CBS y NBC principalmente teniendo derechos para el mediodía ET, las 3:30 pm ET y los juegos en horario estelar, respectivamente, [43] [44] [45] y las tres emisoras alternando la primera selección de juegos. [71] Se estimó que los contratos valían al menos $ 7 mil millones, [43] [72] pero también se informa que incluye una "cláusula de escalera mecánica" que aumentará el valor de los contratos si Notre Dame Fighting Irish se uniera específicamente a la Big Ten. [73]
La Conferencia Big Ten patrocina competiciones de campeonato en 14 deportes masculinos y 14 deportes femeninos sancionados por la NCAA. [74]
Notas:
* Notre Dame se unió al Big Ten en el año escolar 2017-18 como miembro afiliado en hockey sobre hielo masculino. [75] Sigue presentando sus otros deportes en el ACC excepto en fútbol, donde seguirá compitiendo como independiente.
° Johns Hopkins se unió al Big Ten en 2014 como miembro afiliado en lacrosse masculino, y luego al lacrosse femenino en 2016. Sigue presentando sus otros deportes en la Conferencia Centenaria de la División III de la NCAA . [76]
Deportes universitarios femeninos no patrocinados por la Conferencia Big Ten que se practican en escuelas de Big Ten
Los miembros de la Big Ten tienen rivalidades de larga data entre sí, especialmente en el campo de fútbol. Cada escuela, excepto Maryland y Rutgers, tiene al menos un trofeo itinerante en juego. La siguiente es una lista de rivalidades activas en la Conferencia Big Ten con totales y récords hasta la finalización de la temporada 2022 .
[78]
Beginning in 2024, the conference will eliminate divisions but will protect certain matchups. The following are the conference's 12 protected matchups.[79]
From 1993 through 2010, the Big Ten football schedule was set up with each team having two permanent matches within the conference, with the other eight teams in the conference rotating out of the schedule in pairs for two-year stints. Permanent matches were as follows:[citation needed]
This system was discontinued after the 2010 season, as teams became grouped into two divisions, and would play all teams in their division once, with one protected cross-over game, and two games rotating against the other five opponents from the opposing division.
Most of the above permanent rivalries were maintained. By virtue of the new alignment, a handful of new permanent divisional opponents were created, as all pairs of teams within the same division would face off each season. Furthermore, three new permanent inter-divisional matches resulted from the realignment: Purdue–Iowa, Michigan State–Indiana, and Penn State–Nebraska. The following past permanent matches were maintained across divisions: Minnesota–Wisconsin, Michigan–Ohio State, and Illinois–Northwestern.
The new alignment, however, caused some of the above permanent rivalries to be discontinued. These were: Iowa–Wisconsin, Northwestern–Purdue, and Michigan State–Penn State. These matchups would continue to be played, but only twice every five years on average. More rivalries were disrupted, and some resumed on a yearly basis, when the league realigned into East and West Divisions for the 2014 season with the addition of Maryland and Rutgers. The two new schools were placed in the new East Division with Penn State, and the two Indiana schools were divided (Indiana to the East and Purdue to the West). With the move to a nine-game conference schedule in 2016, all cross-division games will be held at least once in a four-year cycle except for Indiana–Purdue, which is the only protected cross-division game.[32] The conference later announced that once the new scheduling format takes effect in 2016, members will be prohibited from playing FCS teams, and required to play at least one non-conference game against a team in the Power Five conferences (ACC, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC; presumably, this would also allow for non-conference games against Big Ten opponents that are not on the conference schedule). Games against independents Notre Dame (an ACC member in non-football sports) also count toward the Power Five requirement, as did games against BYU before it joined the Big 12 in 2023.[80]
Four Big Ten teams-Purdue, Northwestern, Michigan State and Michigan-had rivalries in football with Notre Dame. After the University of Southern California with 35 wins (including a vacated 2005 win), the Michigan State Spartans have the most wins against the Irish, with 28. The Purdue Boilermakers follow with 26, and Michigan ranks fourth all-time with 24. Northwestern and Notre Dame had a yearly contest, with the winner taking home a shillelagh, much like the winner of the USC–Notre Dame and Purdue–Notre Dame contests now receive. The Northwestern–Notre Dame shillelagh was largely forgotten by the early 1960s and is now solely an element of college football's storied past.[81]
Penn State has a longstanding rivalry with Pittsburgh of the ACC, but the two schools did not meet from 2000 until renewing the rivalry with an alternating home-and-home series from 2016 to 2019. Penn State also has long histories with independent Notre Dame; Temple of The American; Syracuse, and Boston College of the ACC; and West Virginia, of the Big 12 Conference. Additionally, Penn State maintains strong intrastate rivalries with Patriot League universities Bucknell in men's basketball and men's lacrosse, and Lehigh in wrestling. Most of these rivalries were cultivated while Penn State operated independent of conference affiliation; the constraints of playing a full conference schedule, especially in football, have reduced the number of meetings between Penn State and its non-Big Ten rivals.
Iowa has an in-state rivalry with Iowa State of the Big 12, with the winner getting the Cy-Hawk Trophy in football. Iowa and Iowa State also compete annually in the Cy-Hawk Series sponsored by Hy-Vee (as of 2011 this series is now sponsored by The Iowa Corngrowers Association), the competition includes all head-to-head regular season competitions in all sports. Iowa also holds rivalries in basketball with the state's other two Division I programs, Drake and Northern Iowa.
Indiana has an out-of-conference rivalry with Kentucky of the SEC (see Indiana–Kentucky rivalry). While the two schools played in football for many years, the rivalry was rooted in their decades of national success in men's basketball. The two no longer play one another in football, but their basketball rivalry continued until a dispute about game sites ended the series after 2011. In the last season of the rivalry (2011–12), the teams played twice. During the regular season, then-unranked Indiana defeated then-#1 ranked Kentucky 73–72 at Assembly Hall. The Wildcats avenged the loss in the NCAA tournament, defeating Indiana 102–90 in the South Regional final in Atlanta on their way to a national title. The teams next played in the 2016 NCAA tournament, with Indiana winning.
Illinois has a longstanding basketball rivalry with the SEC's Missouri Tigers, with the two men's teams squaring off annually in the "Braggin' Rights" game. It has been held in St. Louis since 1980, first at the St. Louis Arena and since 1994 at the Enterprise Center. This rivalry has been carried over into football as "The Arch Rivalry" with games played at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis in 2002 and 2003 and four games in 2007 through 2010.[1]
Wisconsin has a long-standing in-state basketball rivalry with Marquette. The series has intensified as of late with both teams having made the Final Four in recent years. The schools also played an annual football game before Marquette abandoned its football program in 1961. The school also has minor rivalries in basketball with the two other Division I members of the University of Wisconsin System, which include the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and University of Wisconsin–Green Bay.
Similarly, Nebraska has an in-state rivalry with another Big East school in Creighton, mostly in basketball and baseball.
Minnesota men's ice hockey has a prolific and fierce border rivalry with the University of North Dakota. The two teams played annually between 1948 and 2013 as members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association prior to the inception of the Big Ten Conference. The rivalry resumed in 2016 in non-conference action.
Maryland has many rivalries outside of the conference, most notably Duke, Virginia, West Virginia, and Navy. Maryland left the Duke and Virginia rivalries behind in the ACC when it joined the Big Ten.
In the early days of the Big Ten, the Chicago-Michigan game was played on Thanksgiving, usually with conference championship implications. It was considered one of the first major rivalries of the conference.
Three Big Ten football stadiums seat over 100,000 spectators: Michigan Stadium (Michigan), Beaver Stadium (Penn State), and Ohio Stadium (Ohio State). Only five other college football stadiums have a capacity over 100,000 (as of the 2024 season, all in the Southeastern Conference (SEC)).[82] Michigan Stadium and Beaver Stadium, respectively, are the two largest American football stadiums by capacity in the United States,[82][83] and all three of the Big Ten's largest venues rank among the ten largest sports stadiums in the world. UCLA plays in the Rose Bowl as its home stadium, which is the location of the Rose Bowl Game for the Big Ten champion. USC plays in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a publicly owned stadium that is managed and operated by the university, which has hosted two summer Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984, and will again in 2028.
Big Ten schools also play in two of the 10 largest on-campus basketball arenas in the country: Ohio State's Value City Arena and Maryland's Xfinity Center. Additionally, arenas at Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Penn State rank among the 20 largest on-campus basketball facilities in the United States. As of the upcoming 2024–25 season, the Big Ten Conference has the most on-campus basketball arenas with seating capacities of 15,000 or more of any NCAA conference, with seven. (Of the other conferences considered "power conferences" in men's basketball, the ACC has two such arenas, the Big East none, the Big 12 four, and the SEC five. Outside of these conferences, the Mountain West Conference has four such arenas.)
When Maryland and Rutgers joined the Big Ten in 2014, the division names were changed to "East" and "West", with Purdue and the six schools in the Central Time Zone in the West and Indiana joining the remaining six Eastern Time Zone schools in the East. The only protected cross-division game is Indiana–Purdue. Beginning in 2016, the Big Ten adopted a nine-game conference schedule.[33][86] All teams have one cross-division opponent they play annually that changes every six years except for Indiana and Purdue, whose crossover is permanent. The other six opponents are played every three years during that cycle. For 2016–2021, the pairings are Maryland-Minnesota, Michigan-Wisconsin, Michigan State-Northwestern, Ohio State-Nebraska, Penn State-Iowa, and Rutgers-Illinois, and for 2022–2023 the pairings are Maryland-Northwestern, Michigan-Nebraska, Michigan State-Minnesota, Ohio State-Wisconsin, Penn State-Illinois, and Rutgers-Iowa.[87] In 2016, the Big Ten no longer allowed its members to play Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams and also requires at least one non-conference game against a school in the Power Five conferences (ACC, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC). Contracts for future games already scheduled against FCS teams would be honored. However, in 2017, the Big Ten started to allow teams to schedule an FCS opponent during years in which they only have four conference home games (odd-numbered years for East division teams, even-numbered years for West division teams).[88] At the time this policy was first announced, games against FBS independents Notre Dame and BYU would count toward the Power Five requirement.[80] ESPN, citing a Big Ten executive, reported in 2015 that the Big Ten would allow exceptions to the Power Five rule on a case-by-case basis, and also that the other FBS independent at that time, Army, had been added to the list of non-Power Five schools that would be counted as Power Five opponents.[89]
When the Big Ten expands to 18 teams in 2024 with the arrival of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington, the football divisions will be eliminated. A schedule of nine conference games and three non-conference games will be maintained. At the end of the season, the top two teams in the conference standings will play each other in the Big Ten Football Championship Game. For at least 2024 and 2025, the conference was to adopt what it called the "Flex Protect Plus" model, which called for each conference member to play all the others at home and away at least once during a four-year cycle. Initially, the 11 "protected" matchups were to be played each season. The announcement was made before Oregon and Washington were announced as incoming members.[90][91] After the expansion to 18 teams was announced, the scheduling model was tweaked into the "Flex Protect XVIII" model, which will maintain the original 11 protected rivalries while adding Oregon–Washington. This model is planned to operate from 2024 to 2028.[92]
This list goes through September 9, 2024.
† Ohio State vacated 12 wins and its Big Ten title in 2010 due to NCAA sanctions.
†† Numbers of division and conference championships shown reflect Big Ten history only and do not include division and conference championships in former conferences. Washington, Oregon, USC and UCLA join the Big Ten in 2024, Maryland and Rutgers joined in 2014, and Nebraska joined in 2011.
Number of Claimed National Championships, as well as win–loss–tie records, include all seasons played, regardless of conference membership.
Since 1946, the Big Ten champion has had a tie-in with the Rose Bowl game. Michigan appeared in the first bowl game, the 1902 Rose Bowl. After that, the Big Ten only allowed one other team to participate in the Rose Bowl (the 1920 Ohio State Buckeyes football team), until the agreement struck with the Pacific Coast Conference for the 1947 Rose Bowl. The spread of civilian air travel plus the fact that the US military had publicly encouraged college football during World War II were primary causes of the Big Ten finally allowing the Rose Bowl.[93] From 1946 through 1971, the Big Ten did not allow the same team to represent the conference in consecutive years in the Rose Bowl with an exception made after the 1961 season in which Minnesota played in the 1962 Rose Bowl after playing in the 1961 Rose Bowl due to Ohio State declining the bid because of Ohio State faculty concerns about academics.
It was not until the 1975 season that the Big Ten allowed teams to play in bowl games other than the Rose Bowl. Michigan, which had been shut out of the postseason the previous three years, was the first beneficiary of the new rule when it played in the Orange Bowl vs. Oklahoma. Due to the pre-1975 rules, Big Ten teams such as Michigan and Ohio State have lower numbers of all-time bowl appearances than powerhouse teams from the Big 12 Conference (previously Big Eight and Southwest Conferences) and Southeastern Conference, which always placed multiple teams in bowl games every year.
Since the 2020–21 season, a new slate of bowl game selections has included several new bowl games.[94]
* If the conference champion is picked for the College Football Playoff in years the Rose Bowl does not host a semifinal, the next highest-ranked team in the committee rankings, or runner-up, shall take its place at the Rose Bowl.
^ The Big Ten, along with the SEC, will be eligible to face the ACC representative in the Orange Bowl at least three out of the eight seasons that it does not host a semifinal for the Playoff over a 12-year span. Notre Dame will be chosen the other two years if eligible.
† The Big Ten will switch between the Las Vegas Bowl and Duke's Mayo Bowl on odd-numbered and even-numbered years, respectively.
Although the pick order usually corresponds to the conference standings, the bowls are not required to make their choices strictly according to the win–loss records; many factors influence bowl selections, especially the likely turnout of the team's fans. Picks are made after CFP selections; the bowl with the #2 pick will have the first pick of the remaining teams in the conference.
For all non-College Football Playoff partners, the bowl partner will request a Big Ten team. The Big Ten will approve or assign another team based on internal selection parameters.
When not hosting a semifinal, the Orange Bowl will select the highest-ranked team from the Big Ten, SEC or Notre Dame to face an ACC opponent. (However, in an 8-game cycle [12 years due to not counting when the Orange Bowl is a semifinal], the Big Ten must be selected at least three times and no more than four times; the SEC similarly will be selected between three and four times while Notre Dame may be selected up to two times.)[96] The Big Ten Champion cannot play in the Orange Bowl. If a Big Ten team is not selected by the Orange Bowl, the Citrus Bowl will submit a request for a Big Ten team.
Guaranteed compensation is due to the coaches regardless of performance. Though most of the pay is directed from the university, some also comes in the form of guaranteed endorsements and other income streams. Most coaches also have performance-based bonuses that can significantly raise their salaries.[97]
In 2024, three Big Ten member schools—Northwestern and USC, private institutions, and Penn State, exempt from most open records laws due to its status as what Pennsylvania calls a "state-related" institution—are not obligated to provide salary information for their head coaches. Both Penn State and Northwestern typically choose to provide this information, although Northwestern has not announced the salary of its current coach.
All Big Ten member schools have marching bands which perform regularly during the football season. Eleven of the member schools have won the Sudler Trophy,[98] generally considered the most prestigious honor a collegiate marching band can receive.[99] The first three Sudler trophies were awarded to Big Ten marching bands—Michigan (1982), Illinois (1983) and Ohio State (1984).[98] The Big Ten has more Sudler Trophy recipients than any other collegiate athletic conference.[98]
Coaches and media of the Big Ten Conference award individual honors at the end of each football season.
The Big Ten has participated in basketball since 1904, and has led the nation in attendance every season since 1978.[100] Although, they have slightly higher average capacity basketball venues, the attendance edge is largely because Big Ten Conference fans fill a higher percentage of seats than other conferences.[101] It has been a national powerhouse in men's basketball, having multiple championship winners and often sending four or more teams to the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Previous NCAA champions include Indiana with five titles, Michigan State with two, and Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio State with one each. Maryland, which joined the Big Ten in 2014, won one NCAA championship as a member of the ACC.[102][103] Ohio State played in the first NCAA tournament national championship game in 1939, losing to Oregon. Despite this, Jimmy Hull of Ohio State was the first NCAA tournament MVP. The first three tournament MVPs came from the Big Ten (Marv Huffman of Indiana in 1940 and John Katz of Wisconsin in 1941).
Big Ten teams have also experienced success in the postseason National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Since 1974, 13 Big Ten teams have played in the championship game, winning nine championships. Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and Minnesota have won two NIT championships, while Indiana and Purdue have won one each. Two other members, Maryland and Nebraska, won NIT titles before they joined the Big Ten. In addition, in 1943 the defunct Helms Athletic Foundation retrospectively awarded national titles to Northwestern for 1931 and Purdue for 1932; then in 1957, it selected Illinois for 1915, Minnesota for 1902 and 1919, and Wisconsin for 1912, 1914 and 1916.[104] Former member Chicago won a post-season national championship series in 1908.
From 1999 to 2022, the Big Ten took part in the ACC–Big Ten Challenge with the Atlantic Coast Conference. The ACC held a 13–8–3 record against the Big Ten; Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Purdue, and Wisconsin are the only Big Ten schools without losing records in the challenge.
From 2015 to 2023, the Big Ten took part in the Gavitt Tipoff Games with the Big East Conference. The Big Ten did well in the challenge, holding a 3–1–4 record against the Big East, only losing the challenge in 2021.
This list is updated through March 1, 2022 and is listed by win percentage in NCAA Division I men's college basketball.
† Minnesota vacated its 1997 Big Ten Conference regular season title, Michigan vacated its 1998 Big Ten tournament title, and Ohio State vacated its 2002 Big Ten tournament, as well as 2000 and 2002 regular season titles, due to NCAA sanctions. Minnesota was the champion for both the Premo-Porretta Power Poll and the Helms Athletic Foundation in 1902, but was only the Premo-Porretta champion in 1903 and only the Helms champion in 1919.
Big Ten Conference basketball programs have combined to win 10 NCAA men's basketball championships as Big Ten members, with another current member having won a national championship before joining the conference. Indiana has won five, Michigan State has won two, while Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin have won one national championship each as Big Ten members. Maryland won one national championship while a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Two future members have won at least one national championship—UCLA has won 11 championships, matching the total of all pre-2024 Big Ten members, and Oregon won the first NCAA tournament in 1939. Eleven teams have advanced to the Final Four at least once in their history, as have all four future members. Nine Big Ten schools (Indiana, Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue, Ohio State, Maryland, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin) plus future member UCLA are among the national top 50 in all-time NCAA tournament appearances.
Seasons are listed by the calendar years in which they ended. Italics indicate honors earned before the school competed in the Big Ten.
† denotes overtime games. Multiple †'s indicate more than one overtime.
Teams in bold represented the Big Ten at the time of their appearance. Those in bold italics made appearances before joining the conference.
Guaranteed compensation is due to the coaches regardless of performance. Though most of the pay is directed from the university, some also comes in the form of guaranteed endorsements and other income streams. Most coaches also have performance-based bonuses that can significantly raise their salaries.[97]
In 2024, three Big Ten member schools—Northwestern and USC, private institutions, and Penn State, exempt from most open records laws due to its status as what Pennsylvania calls a "state-related" institution—are not obligated to provide salary information for their head coaches. Despite this, both Penn State and Northwestern typically choose to provide this information.
Big Ten women's basketball teams have played a total of 17 championship games of the three most prominent national postseason tournaments—six in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament (since 1982), one in the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (since 2024), and 10 in the Women's National Invitation Tournament (since 1998). Three other championship game appearances (two in the NCAA, one in the WNIT) were made by current Big Ten members before they joined the conference, and the 2024 arrivals have combined for five championship game appearances (three in the NCAA and two in the WNIT). Purdue is the only Big Ten member to have won the NCAA women's basketball national title while a member of the conference. Both schools that joined in 2014, Maryland and Rutgers, won national titles before joining the Big Ten—Rutgers won the final AIAW championship in 1982, when it was a member of the Eastern 8, and Maryland won the NCAA title in 2006 as a member of the ACC. Big Ten women's basketball led conference attendance from 1993 to 1999.[105]
Like the men's teams, the women's basketball teams in the Big Ten participated in the Big Ten–ACC Women's Challenge, which was founded in 2007 and ended in 2022. The Big Ten's record in the challenge was 1–11–3, with Indiana, Maryland, and Michigan being the only Big Ten teams without a losing record in the challenge.
Seasons are listed by the calendar years in which they ended. Italics indicate seasons before the school competed in the Big Ten.
Bold type indicates teams that competed as Big Ten members. Bold italics indicates teams that later became Big Ten members.
Bold type indicates teams that competed as Big Ten members. Bold italics indicates teams that later became Big Ten members.
Big Ten field hockey programs have won 11 NCAA Championships, although only three of these titles were won by schools as Big Ten members. Maryland won eight national championships as a member of the ACC, second most in the sport all-time. Penn State's two AIAW championships were also won before it became a Big Ten member and before the NCAA sponsored women's sports.
The Big Ten fields five of the remaining 13 Division I men's gymnastics teams. In 2014, Michigan edged out Oklahoma for their 6th NCAA men's gymnastics championship, the school's third in five years.[106]
†–Chicago left the Big Ten in 1946.
††–Finishes prior to Penn State and Nebraska joining the Big Ten.
†††–Michigan State no longer competes in gymnastics.
The Big Ten began sponsoring men's ice hockey in the 2013–14 season, the only Power Five conference to do so.[107][108] The inaugural season included six schools: Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State joined from the disbanded CCHA; Minnesota and Wisconsin joined from the WCHA; and Penn State joined after playing its first NCAA Division I season (2012–13) as an independent.[107][108] Notre Dame joined the league as an affiliate member beginning with the 2017–18 season.[109] Arizona State had a scheduling agreement with the conference for the 2020–21 season as an all-away game team, playing all seven Big Ten squads four times, but was not part of the conference and therefore was ineligible for the conference tournament or associated NCAA tournament automatic berth.[110] ASU joined the National Collegiate Hockey Conference effective in 2024–25.[111]
This list is updated through the 2022–23 season. Totals for conference regular-season and tournament championships include those won before the schools played Big Ten hockey.
Team's records against conference opponents (as of the end of the 2018–19 season).
Note: games where one or more of the programs was not a varsity team are not included.
At the conclusion of each regular season schedule the coaches of each Big Ten team, as well as a media panel, vote which players they choose to be on the three All-Conference Teams:[112] first team, second team and rookie team. Additionally they vote to award the 5 individual trophies to an eligible player at the same time. The Big Ten also awards a Tournament Most Outstanding Player which is voted on after the conclusion of the conference tournament. Each team also names one of their players to be honored for the conference Sportsmanship Award. All of the awards were created for the inaugural season (2013–14).
The Big Ten began sponsoring men's lacrosse in the 2015 season. The Big Ten lacrosse league includes Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, and Johns Hopkins, which joined the Big Ten conference as an affiliate member in 2014. The teams that compete in Big Ten men's lacrosse have combined to win 13 NCAA national championships.[113]
With the addition of Johns Hopkins and Maryland to the league, Big Ten men's lacrosse boasts two of the top programs and most heated rivals in the history of the sport. Johns Hopkins (29) and Maryland (29) combine for 58 NCAA men's lacrosse Final Four appearances. The media and both schools have called Johns Hopkins–Maryland rivalry the greatest and most historic rivalry in men's lacrosse. Since 1895, the two teams have matched up more than 100 times.[114][115][116]
This list goes through the 2022 season.
Women's lacrosse became a Big Ten-sponsored sport in the 2015 season. As of the upcoming 2025 season, the Big Ten women's lacrosse league includes Johns Hopkins, Maryland, Michigan, Oregon, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, and USC. Big Ten women's lacrosse programs have 23 of the 38 all-time NCAA championships, including 12 of the last 15. Maryland has earned one pre-NCAA national title and has won 14 NCAA national championships, including seven straight from 1995 to 2001 and most recently in 2019. Northwestern has claimed seven NCAA titles, including five straight from 2005 to 2009. Penn State has earned three pre-NCAA national titles and two NCAA titles in 1987 and 1989. Johns Hopkins became the seventh women's lacrosse program in the Big Ten as of July 1, 2016, with the roster increasing to nine with the 2024 arrival of Oregon and USC.
This list goes through the 2024 season.
As of the current 2024 season, the Big Ten men's soccer league includes Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, UCLA, Washington, and Wisconsin. Big Ten men's soccer programs have combined to win 15 NCAA national championships.
This list goes through the 2013–14 season.
The Big Ten Athlete of the Year award is given annually to the athletes voted as the top male and female athlete in the Big Ten Conference.
Big Ten Medal of Honor (annual; at each school; one male scholar-athlete and one female scholar-athlete)[117]
The NACDA Learfield Sports Directors' Cup is an annual award given by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics to the U.S. colleges and universities with the most success in collegiate athletics. Big Ten universities typically finish ranked in the top-50 of the final Directors' Cup annual rankings.
The Capital One Cup is an award given annually to the best men's and women's Division I college athletics programs in the United States. Points are earned throughout the year based on final standings of NCAA Championships and final coaches' poll rankings.
For Big Ten records, by sport (not including football), see footnote[119]
Totals are per NCAA annual list published every July[120] and NCAA-published gymnastics history,[121] with subsequent results as of March 31, 2024, obtained from NCAA.org, which provides intermittent updates throughout the year.
Excluded from this list are all national championships earned outside the scope of NCAA competition, including Division I FBS football titles, women's AIAW championships (34), men's rowing (27), and retroactive Helms Athletic Foundation titles.
Notes: † 276 National Titles from UCLA, USC, Oregon & Washington were won as members of the Pac-12 Conference
See also:List of NCAA schools with the most NCAA Division I championships andList of NCAA schools with the most Division I national championships
For Big Ten championships, by year, see footnote.[122] Totals do not include Big Ten tournament championships.
‡ Denotes national champion
The new Big Ten logo was developed to symbolize the conference's future, as well as its rich heritage, strong tradition of competition, academic leadership, and passionate alumni," said Gericke. "Its contemporary collegiate lettering includes an embedded numeral "10" in the word "BIG", which allows fans to see "BIG" and "10" in a single word. Memorable and distinctive, the new logo evolved from the previous logo's use of negative space and is built on the conference's iconic name, without reference to the number of member institutions. The new logo also provides the flexibility of multiple versions which can be used horizontally, vertically and within new media.
... followed its 2009 win of the Sudler Trophy, the highest award for a university marching band.