Big Ten Announces Division Alignments For Football, Beginning 2011
Courtesy of the Big Ten
September 1, 2010
(Park Ridge, Ill.) - The Big Ten Conference office announced football division alignments beginning with the 2011 season as recommended by conference directors of athletics and reviewed and supported by the Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors. Nebraska will officially begin conference competition in 2011, giving the Big Ten 12 football programs for the first time in conference history.
The winner of each Big Ten division will meet in the inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game, to be played December 3, 2011, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The championship game will determine the Big Ten Champion and the conference's participant in the Rose Bowl Game or Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game.
Names for each Big Ten football division will be announced at a later date.
The Big Ten football division alignments are as follows:
Un-named Division A
Illinois
Indiana
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Wisconsin
Un-named Division B
Iowa
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Each school will play the other five schools within its division and will also face three teams from the other division, including one cross-division matchup guaranteed on an annual basis.
Guaranteed Cross-division Matchups
Illinois-Northwestern
Indiana-Michigan State
Ohio State-Michigan
Penn State-Nebraska
Purdue-Iowa
Wisconsin-Minnesota
"Over the past several months, Big Ten staff and directors of athletics have met on several occasions to discuss and finalize division alignments," said Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany. "We focused on competitive equality, traditional rivalries and geography. We considered multiple models and countless permutations in an effort to achieve the most competitively balanced divisions while at the same time respecting our traditions, preserving existing rivalries, and creating opportunities for the establishment and growth of new rivalries. We have listened to the feedback from our institutions, alumni and fans, and while we understand that no final alignments could possibly satisfy all of our constituents, we believe that we have achieved a very exciting result."
With the division alignments finalized, the Big Ten also announced updated conference schedules for the 2011 and 2012 football seasons.
2011
Illinois
10/01 Northwestern
10/08 at Indiana
10/15 Ohio State
10/22 at Purdue
10/29 at Penn State
11/05 -
11/12 Michigan
11/19 Wisconsin
11/26 at Minnesota
Indiana
10/01 Penn State
10/08 Illinois
10/15 at Wisconsin
10/22 at Iowa
10/29 Northwestern
11/05 at Ohio State
11/12 -
11/19 at Michigan State
11/26 Purdue
Iowa
10/01 -
10/08 at Penn State
10/15 Northwestern
10/22 Indiana
10/29 at Minnesota
11/05 Michigan
11/12 Michigan State
11/19 at Purdue
11/26 at Nebraska
Michigan
10/01 Minnesota
10/08 at Northwestern
10/15 at Michigan State
10/22 -
10/29 Purdue
11/05 at Iowa
11/12 at Illinois
11/19 Nebraska
11/26 Ohio State
Michigan State
10/01 at Ohio State
10/08 -
10/15 Michigan
10/22 Wisconsin
10/29 at Nebraska
11/5 Minnesota
11/12 at Iowa
11/19 Indiana
11/26 at Northwestern
Minnesota
10/01 at Michigan
10/08 at Purdue
10/15 -
10/22 Nebraska
10/29 Iowa
11/05 at Michigan State
11/12 Wisconsin
11/19 at Northwestern
11/26 Illinois
Nebraska
10/01 at Wisconsin
10/08 Ohio State
10/15 -
10/22 at Minnesota
10/29 Michigan State
11/05 Northwestern
11/12 at Penn State
11/19 at Michigan
11/26 Iowa
Northwestern
10/01 at Illinois
10/08 Michigan
10/15 at Iowa
10/22 Penn State
10/29 at Indiana
11/05 at Nebraska
11/12 -
11/19 Minnesota
11/26 Michigan State
Ohio State
10/01 Michigan State
10/08 at Nebraska
10/15 at Illinois
10/22 -
10/29 Wisconsin
11/05 Indiana
11/12 at Purdue
11/19 Penn State
11/26 at Michigan
Penn State
10/01 at Indiana
10/08 Iowa
10/15 Purdue
10/22 at Northwestern
10/29 Illinois
11/05 -
11/12 Nebraska
11/19 at Ohio State
11/26 at Wisconsin
Purdue
10/01 -
10/08 Minnesota
10/15 at Penn State
10/22 Illinois
10/29 at Michigan
11/05 at Wisconsin
11/12 Ohio State
11/19 Iowa
11/26 at Indiana
Wisconsin
10/01 Nebraska
10/08 -
10/15 Indiana
10/22 at Michigan State
10/29 at Ohio State
11/05 Purdue
11/12 at Minnesota
11/19 at Illinois
11/26 Penn State
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2012
Illinois
09/29 Penn State
10/06 at Wisconsin
10/13 at Michigan
10/20 -
10/27 Indiana
11/03 at Ohio State
11/10 Minnesota
11/17 Purdue
11/24 at Northwestern
Indiana
09/29 at Northwestern
10/06 Michigan State
10/13 Ohio State
10/20 -
10/27 at Illinois
11/03 Iowa
11/10 Wisconsin
11/17 at Penn State
11/24 at Purdue
Iowa
09/29 Minnesota
10/06 -
10/13 at Michigan State
10/20 Penn State
10/27 at Northwestern
11/03 at Indiana
11/10 Purdue
11/17 at Michigan
11/24 Nebraska
Michigan
09/29 -
10/06 at Purdue
10/13 Illinois
10/20 Michigan State
10/27 at Nebraska
11/03 at Minnesota
11/10 Northwestern
11/17 Iowa
11/24 at Ohio State
Michigan State
09/29 Ohio State
10/06 at Indiana
10/13 Iowa
10/20 at Michigan
10/27 at Wisconsin
11/03 Nebraska
11/10 -
11/17 Northwestern
11/24 at Minnesota
Minnesota
09/29 at Iowa
10/06 -
10/13 Northwestern
10/20 at Wisconsin
10/27 Purdue
11/03 Michigan
11/10 at Illinois
11/17 at Nebraska
11/24 Michigan State
Nebraska
09/29 Wisconsin
10/06 at Ohio State
10/13 -
10/20 at Northwestern
10/27 Michigan
11/03 at Michigan State
11/10 Penn State
11/17 Minnesota
11/24 at Iowa
Northwestern
09/29 Indiana
10/06 at Penn State
10/13 at Minnesota
10/20 Nebraska
10/27 Iowa
11/03 -
11/10 at Michigan
11/17 at Michigan State
11/24 Illinois
Ohio State
09/29 at Michigan State
10/06 Nebraska
10/13 at Indiana
10/20 Purdue
10/27 at Penn State
11/03 Illinois
11/10 -
11/17 at Wisconsin
11/24 Michigan
Penn State
09/29 at Illinois
10/06 Northwestern
10/13 -
10/20 at Iowa
10/27 Ohio State
11/03 at Purdue
11/10 at Nebraska
11/17 Indiana
11/24 Wisconsin
Purdue
09/29 -
10/06 Michigan
10/13 Wisconsin
10/20 at Ohio State
10/27 at Minnesota
11/03 Penn State
11/10 at Iowa
11/17 at Illinois
11/24 Indiana
Wisconsin
09/29 at Nebraska
10/06 Illinois
10/13 at Purdue
10/20 Minnesota
10/27 Michigan State
11/03 -
11/10 at Indiana
11/17 Ohio State
11/24 at Penn State
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