04-19-2013, 09:05 PM
East
Indiana
Maryland
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Penn State
Rutgers
West
Illinois
Iowa
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Purdue
Wisconsin
PASADENA, Calif. -- 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.
Big Ten Blog
ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg and Brian Bennett write about all things Big Ten in the conference blog.
⢠Blog network: College Football Nation
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 like Wisconsin and Illinois were moved in the opposite division from some of their rivals, and several top rivalries, like 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 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."
http://espn.go.com/college-football/stor...ources-say
Indiana
Maryland
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Penn State
Rutgers
West
Illinois
Iowa
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Purdue
Wisconsin
PASADENA, Calif. -- 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.
Big Ten Blog
ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg and Brian Bennett write about all things Big Ten in the conference blog.
⢠Blog network: College Football Nation
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 like Wisconsin and Illinois were moved in the opposite division from some of their rivals, and several top rivalries, like 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 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."
http://espn.go.com/college-football/stor...ources-say