Would the expanded Big Ten split up IA, MN and WI?

[UP6936]

Wether the Big Ten expands to 12 or 14, Miller and Deace seem bound and determined that the triumvirate of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin will be split up in some form. Maybe that would happen. Who knows?

I will tell you that I would not like it, not at all, and I am not so sure that the Big Ten would do that.

Minnesota and Wisconsin are officially earmarked by the Big Ten as our rivals who we play every year. Wisconsin and Minnesota are officially tagged as rivals as well by the Big Ten.

All three teams play trophy games against the other two, Floyd of Rosedale, the Heartland Trophy, and Paul Bunyan's Axe.

All three teams have a very long history of playing each other every year and there is definitely a lot of emotion invested on both sides when they play each other. I don't know the answer to this, but is there another team in the Big Ten that Iowa has played more times than Minnesota or Wisconsin? I wouldn't think so.

The three schools are so close to each other geographically, you could practically throw a blanket over all three cities. They are the only three Big Ten schools in upper midwest farm country (Illinois is too close to Chicago).

If any three schools deserved to be in the same division, It would be Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin as much as any others. I think the three schools would lobby quite hard to stick together, as would their fans.

I would personally be very disappointed to not play either Minnesota or Wisconsin every year. They are our closest rivals in the Big Ten, both emotionally and geographically.

 

[JonDMiller]

I am not bound and determined for that to happen.

However, if you think Iowa is going to be any sort of poker chip in how the divisions will be aligned, you are kidding yourself. Same for MN, same for Wisconsin.

Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State, different story. I'd like to see Iowa stay in the same division with those schools. I think Steve and I both agree that Michigan and Ohio State will be in the same division, too...the Big Ten won't make the mistake the Big 12 made by splitting up Nebraska and Oklahoma. I cannot believe they did that. they ruined one of the game's great rivalries. Michigan and Ohio State will NOT stop their annual game....and they also wont want to play the last week of the regular season and have a rematch the next week in the Big 10 title game. Stands to reason that Michigan State would be in their division, too.

Penn State will likely be in the opposite division, as would most of the expansion candidates.

I think with divisional splits, you will still have earmarked rivals. Just might be one, not two. Wisconsin and Minnesota are earmarked rivals, too.

Here are the leagues protected rivals as of now, with some of my comments:

Illinois: Indiana, Northwestern (Illinois can keep NW, but there is no rivalry with Indy)
Indiana: Illinois, Purdue (Indy would keep Purdue)
Iowa: Minnesota, Wisconsin
Michigan: Michigan State, Ohio State
Michigan State: Michigan, Penn State (PSU rivalry can be changed)
Minnesota: Iowa, Wisconsin
Northwestern: Illinois, Purdue (Purdue can be changed)
Ohio State: Michigan, Penn State
Penn State: Michigan State, Ohio State
Purdue: Indiana, Northwestern
Wisconsin: Iowa, Minnesota

I think most of these can be kept intact. If you have seven teams in each division in a 14 team league, you play six division games and play two teams from the other division.

Split the league up like this for right now:

Division A

Michigan
Ohio State
Michigan State
Northwestern
Indiana
Purdue
Expansion 3


Division B

Penn State
Iowa
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Illinois
Expansion 1
Expansion 2

With this, the only 'protected rivalry' game I see being split up that may matter much at all is Illinois-NW...they have been playing for the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk since the late 1940's. But I don't know any Illinois fans that give a darn about that game as a rivalry. it would be way down the list of their give a darn list

 

[UP6936]

Thanks for the response, Jon. In saying that you were "bound and determined" I only meant that none of your previous possible divisional break downs seemed to keep all three schools together in the same division, which, frankly, concerned me.

I know that Michigan and Ohio St. are the bell cows of the league, and I agree that that rivalry needs to be kept intact. That said, this is not the Big 12. I think the Big Ten respects its, shall we say, "less legendary" members a whole lot more than the Big 12 does and will do what they can, even go out of their way, to keep them as happy as possible. I know that the Big Ten can and will only go so far to do so, but I think they will make a good faith effort. A lot depends on who and how many teams join the conference.

 

[woodyk1]

Just for fun, I looked back 20 years to see how often that Ohio State and Michigan ended up with the 2 best records in the league. I did not get into tie breakers or anything. I was just curious how many times the teams finished 1-2 in the league and would possibly matched up in a title game. Here's what I found:

2007 Ohio State (7-1), Michigan (6-2), Illinois (6-2)
2006 Ohio State (8-0), Michigan (7-1), Wisconsin (7-1)
2003 Michigan (7-1), Ohio State (6-2), Purdue (6-2)
1998 Ohio State (7-1), Michigan (7-1), Wisconsin (7-1)
1997 Michigan (8-0), Ohio State (6-2), Penn State (6-2), Purdue (6-2)
1992 Michigan (6-0-2), Ohio State (5-2-1)

6 possible times. 2 of these may have been Ohio State-Wisc (with another OSU-Wisc 1-2 finish in 1993). Northwestern and Ohio State had the best records in 1995 and 1996.

Meanwhile, Ohio State and Penn State finished 1-2 here:

2009 Ohio State (7-1), Iowa (6-2), Penn State (6-2)
2008 Penn State (7-1), Ohio State (7-1)
2005 Penn State (7-1), Ohio State (7-1)
1994 Penn State (8-0), Ohio State (6-2)

I agree it would be important to keep the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry (as well as other rivalries) in tact, things do change. However, it's not like they would play every year.

I think geography will still be taken into account when the Big 10 changes.

Remember too - The Cubs and Brewers had no rivalry when in separate leagues. Now, the fans of each team fill up the other team's stadiums now that they are in the same division. Not exactly the same thing, but it can happen.

 

[Caven]

I think that they will keep Iowa/Wisky/Minny together in any potential alignment for 2 reasons.

1. We are the only self containted 3 team grouping of protected rivalries and thus breaking us up kills 2 of the bigger rivalries in the league and immediately removes BOTH of 1 teams protected rivalries.

2. Doesn't expansion need to pass 8-3? Don't you think that these 3 schools would try to block any move that split them apart? I am sure that any move will get at least 1 no vote so you probably can't add another 3 no votes and get anything passed.

 

[NewMexHawk]

I would definitely like to see these three schools kept together and Illannoy.