Big 10 will realign/rename divisions in 2014

#1
TrueOrange

TrueOrange

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#1
Big Ten Conference to realign teams, replace division names with East, West, sources say - ESPN

Legends and Leaders are no more, as the Big Ten will use geography to determine its new divisions and division names beginning in the 2014 season.


The Big Ten will replace Legends and Leaders with East and West when Maryland and Rutgers join the league in 2014, league sources told ESPN.

The proposed Big Ten West includes the six teams located in the Central time zone -- Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern and Wisconsin -- plus Purdue, sources said.

The proposed Big Ten East includes Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers.

"Just take a ruler and a map [and split the 14 teams]," a source said.

Big Ten presidents and chancellors are expected to approve the divisions and division names, along with a move to a nine-game conference schedule beginning in the 2016 season. The presidents and chancellors are expected to vote next week, a league source told ESPN.com.

ESPN.com reported last month that the divisions debate was down to whether Purdue or Indiana would go to the West. Purdue's campus is located west of Indiana's.

The Legends and Leaders divisions will remain for the 2013 season. The Legends: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern; the Leaders: Indiana, Illinois, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin.

With the new division format, rivals Indiana and Purdue will be the only protected game between teams from the East and West divisions, ESPN.com reported last month.

The Big Ten wants to create as much flexibility as possible with its league schedules.

A 10-game conference schedule, once considered by the league, is no longer a possibility because of the necessity of teams needing seven home games a year, a source said.

The Big Ten's initial division alignment for the 2011 season was based primarily on competitive balance rather than geography. Teams such as Wisconsin and Illinois were moved in the opposite division from some of their rivals, and several top rivalries, such as Michigan-Ohio State, were protected with crossover games.

When the Big Ten announced the Legends and Leaders names in 2010, it received some negative feedback.

In January, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany told ESPN he was a "little surprised" by the backlash received when the division names were announced.

"I'm not sure it was a national survey [of people that didn't like the names], but people who hit the 'send' button," Delany said in January. "I don't take umbrage to negative reaction. I don't necessarily change when I hear it. I think on the other hand, we said we would test market it and we have for a couple of years. We have the opportunity to look at it again."

When initially deciding on Legends and Leaders, Delany said the Big Ten "didn't have great options."

"We weren't going to go with 'Bo or Woody,' 'Black or Blue,' or 'Plains or Lakes,'" Delany said. "Obviously we got some acceptance [with Legends and Leaders], but not as much as we would have liked."
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#2
#2
So the new format will be as follows:

East
Indiana
Maryland
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Penn State
Rutgers

West
Illinois
Iowa
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Purdue
Wisconsin



Not sure about the balance there
 
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#3
#3
Well, if further Big 10 Expansion is good for one thing, it's the fact that we won't have to hear the terms "Leaders" and "Legends" again. On a related note, they can start to now think about that other term they like: "Big 10."
 
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#4
#4
volprof said:
Well, if further Big 10 Expansion is good for one thing, it's the fact that we won't have to hear the terms "Leaders" and "Legends" again. On a related note, they can start to now think about that other term they like: "Big 10."
Click to expand...

I may be a Kentucky boy, but I count 14 bigguns.
 
#15
#15
Considering the arrogance of the conference as a whole, I figured that the new divisions would be "Back-Patters and Circlejerkers".
 
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#18
#18
TrueOrange said:
So the new format will be as follows:

East
Indiana
Maryland
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Penn State
Rutgers

West
Illinois
Iowa
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Purdue
Wisconsin

Not sure about the balance there
Click to expand...

According to the article those divisions are being proposed, not confirmed.

I'd be willing to bet the university presidents and ADs at Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State will propose something slightly different.
 
#20
#20
Lawrence Wright said:
According to the article those divisions are being proposed, not confirmed.

I'd be willing to bet the university presidents and ADs at Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State will propose something slightly different.
Click to expand...

and long term.....penn state.

in the short term, penn state will feel the effect of probation, but they will be back.

those four in the same division.

i would not be pleased
 
#21
#21
99gator said:
and long term.....penn state.

in the short term, penn state will feel the effect of probation, but they will be back.

those four in the same division.

i would not be pleased
Click to expand...

On the flip side, with Maryland, Rutgers, and Indiana you may have three teams that, collectively, see 2 or 3 bowl games every decade.
 
#25
#25
North and South would be even competitively and could keep all the big rivalries intact.

North
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Michigan
Michigan State
Iowa
Northwestern
Rutgers

South
Ohio State
Nebraska
Illinois
Penn State
Indiana
Maryland
Purdue

They are going to the nine game schedule so play the other 6 in your division, have 2 rotating cross-division games, and one permanent rivalry.
Illinois-Northwestern
Indiana-MSU
Iowa-Nebraska
Michigan-OSU
Minnesota-PSU
Wisconsin-Purdue
And keep the newcomers together Maryland-Rutgers
 
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