Big Ten History
The Big Ten Conference was established in 1896 is the oldest collegiate sports conference still in existence. Its history, which spans over three centuries, is one of the proudest and most distinguished in all of sports. The “Big Ten” moniker has become outdated with recent. Despite the additions of Penn State in 1993 and Nebraska in 2011, the conference has retained the Big Ten title due to its powerful recognition and long legacy. The conference fields a total of twenty-five sports, with twelve men’s and thirteen women’s athletics. The Big Ten is most known for its strength in football, with many of its universities being known as powerhouses in the NCAA. It also has many highly regarded universities with great academics. The annual Big Ten Champion has played in the Rose Bowl since 1946, unless the conferences champion is to play in the BCS National Championship Game. The Rose Bowl, the oldest bowl game in college football, pits the Big Ten Champion against the Pac Ten Champion on New Year’s Day. The Big Ten Conference has accounted for fourteen Heisman Trophies in its existence, including recent winners Eddie George, Charles Woodson, and Ron Dayne. While the Big Ten doesn’t offer the same pure speed of many SEC universities, it has a great reputation in the trenches and a great pedigree of NFL linemen on both sides of the ball.
Big Ten Teams
Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, and Michigan State have been longtime members and cornerstone universities of the Big Ten. The additions of Penn State and, most recently, Nebraska have bolstered the reputation of the Big Ten as a football power. Ohio State and Michigan have been the most dominant schools in the conferences history, winning thirty-four and forty-two conference championships respectively. The two universities also have one of the fiercest and longest running rivalries in the history of college sports. In recent years, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan State have been among the most competitive teams in the Big Ten. Meanwhile, Indiana, Minnesota, and Northwestern have rarely been in contention for the conference title.
Big Ten Divisions and Championship
Prior to the 2011 college football season, the Big Ten was divided into two divisions: the Leaders and the Legends. The Leaders Division (Wisconsin, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, Ohio State, and Penn State) and Legends Division (Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern, Michigan, and Michigan State) were created to maintain many of the Big Ten’s rivalries and create a fair and competitive balance in the conference. The divisions were also constructed with slight geographical leanings; the Leaders schools are more eastern while the Legends schools are more western. The winners of each division play against each other in the Big Ten Championship Game, located in Indianapolis, to decide the Big Ten Title and a berth in the Rose Bowl.
Big Ten Region
The Big Ten’s twelve teams span over eight states in America’s Midwest. The additions of Penn State and Nebraska have spread the Big Ten outward both east and west, though the conference is still fairly tight geographically in relation to many of the NCAA’s other sports conferences. The closeness of the universities has helped to fuel more intense rivalries in the Big Ten. The Midwest also provides a strong geographic base for Big Ten recruiting, with much of the conferences talent being homegrown.
Big Ten Conference Betting
With so many competitive teams and a conference that’s among the NCAA’s best every year, Big Ten Football offers great betting opportunities online throughout the college football season. Follow Big Ten recruiting classes, conference news, and the in-season performance of its twelve teams at FootballBetting.org in order to know when and where to bet on Big Ten Football. The many rivalries and conference matchups offer great betting during the regular season, while the Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl offer a great chance to make money on the Big Ten’s top teams. With some of the best talent in college football, Big Ten players are always in consideration for Heisman prop bets and are consistently drafted high and frequently in the NFL draft. Big Ten Football is one of the proudest traditions in college sports and offers a great opportunity for football bettors to win money.