Big Ten Conference

Member schools participate in baseball, men's and women's basketball, cross country, field hockey, football, golf, gymnastics, indoor and outdoor track, rowing, men's and women's soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, volleyball and wrestling.

The University of Chicago was a founding member of the Big Ten (1895-1946), but left when it decided to deemphasize varsity athletics just before World War II. Chicago discontinued football in 1939 and left the Conference in 1946. However, the University of Chicago continues its relationship with the conference as a member of the academic Big Ten.

The Big Ten was founded in 1895 as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives. The first reference of the Conference as The Big Nine was in 1899 after Iowa and Indiana had joined the Conference. The first reference as the Big Ten was in 1917 after Michigan rejoined the conference (Ohio State had been added in 1912). It again was known as the Big Nine after the University of Chicago’s departure in 1946, and back to the Big Ten in 1950 when Michigan State joined. The Conference’s official name throughout the time was still the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives and was also known as the Western Conference. It did not formally adopt the name Big Ten until 1988 when it was incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation. Membership in the Big Ten conference also entitles member schools admission to the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, a leading educational consortium. When Penn State was added in the early 1990s, it was decided that the name of the conference would stay as the Big Ten, but a logo was adopted that made it clear that the conference has 11 teams. The number eleven is disguised in the white areas of the traditionally blue Big Ten logo.

Commissioners

• Major John L. Griffith 1922-1944 (Died)
• Kenneth L. "Tug" Wilson 1944-1961 (Retired)
• Bill Reed 1961-1971 (Died)
• Wayne Duke 1971-1989 (Retired)
• James E. Delany 1989-
  

  College football rivalries within the Big Ten

  
  The members of the Big Ten have long-standing rivalries with each other, especially on the football field. Many of them have travelling trophies at stake. The annual Michigan-Ohio State matchup at the end of the season (which has no trophy at stake) is probably the most well-known Big Ten rivalry. Some other Big Ten rivalries include (with their respective travelling trophy in parentheses):

• Illinois-Northwestern (Sweet Sioux Tomahawk)
• Purdue-Indiana (Old Oaken Bucket)
• Indiana-Michigan State (Old Brass Spittoon)
• Iowa-Minnesota (Floyd of Rosedale)
• Iowa-Wisconsin (Heartland Trophy)
• Wisconsin-Minnesota (Paul Bunyan's Axe)
• Michigan-Michigan State (Paul Bunyan Trophy)
• Michigan-Minnesota (Little Brown Jug)
• Illinois-Ohio State (Illi-Buck)
• Illinois-Purdue (Purdue Cannon)
• Penn State-Minnesota (Governor's Victory Bell)
• Penn State-Michigan State (Land Grant Trophy)

External link