Big Ten will announce division names today at noon
Big Ten officials will unveil the names of its new divisions and the conference's new logo at noon today on the Big Ten Network.
The division names have been a hot topic since the conference announced it would move its football members to a two-division format on Sept. 1. Conference commissioner Jim Delany is expected to join the broadcast.
Although "Bo" and "Woody" were popular division name candidates in early discussions among fans - tributes to Michigan coach Bo Schembechler and Ohio State coach Woody Hayes - the Big Ten indicated earlier it didn't want to ignore the histories of the conference's other 10 schools.
Geographic names are also unlikely candidates. When the conference split into two divisions, it did not do so along geographic lines.
The two divisions are: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin in one division, and Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern in the other.
The division names and logo overhaul are the latest in several sweeping changes in the conference, which added Nebraska as a member and a football championship game starting at the end of the 2011 regular season in recent months.
Last week, the Big Ten announced it had concluded its expansion process for the "foreseeable future."
Pete Bigelow covers Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2556, via email at petebigelow@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @PeterCBigelow.
Comments
D21
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 7:44 p.m.
Today's winner: Michigan's division: Prosecutors osu's division: Defendants Thanks to Theo212 for injecting a dose of sanity into The Insane World of Delaney.
Speechless
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 12:45 p.m.
Create corporate-sponsored divisions the students can identify with: Google  /  Facebook Or, to go a step further, let these entities name their divisions: The Beta Androids  /  The Status Updates Why name divisions for free when that task can be sold to highest bidders? Doesn't this work for stadiums across the country? Or, to take the theme of competitive conflict to a popular political level: Faux News Fair & Balanceds  /  Daily Show Saturday Updates
David Vande Bunte
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 12:33 p.m.
That is just poor planning...Michigan should clearly be in the Leaders division, based on the lyrics to Hail to the Victors.
Sonja
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 12:24 p.m.
Leaders and Legends. U of M and MSU are in the Legends division
rensational
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 11:28 a.m.
It doesn't matter what the Big Ten names the divisions, I'm still using "Bo" and "Woody."
PortageLkBlu
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 11:09 a.m.
Or, "The Maize and Blue Divisions".
heartbreakM
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 10:49 a.m.
Well, given the last 6 years, how about ' "Ohio State division" "The others"