Richard Mackson-USA Today Sports
The Big Ten conference has confirmed that there is still logic and common sense when it comes to conference realignment.
Starting in 2014, the conference will lose the “Leaders” and “Legends” division names for the more simple, straight-to-the-point names of “East” and “West”, according to ESPN.
The realignment of the conference will not only consist of name changes to the divisions but the divisions themselves are actually realigning to agree with the geographical layout of the Big Ten after Rutgers and Maryland join in 2014.
The West division will consist Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin, while the East division will be made up of Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, Penn State, Rutgers and Maryland.
The only protected rivalry game will be the Old Oaken Bucket game between Indiana and Purdue. Due to the split, a 14 team league would alternate the schedule on an every other year basis which would interfere with one of the conferences longest lasting rivalry games, therefore, Indiana and Purdue will play every year while rotating other teams.
I think this is fantastic.
Finally, someone looked at a map and said “hold on. Wait a second…shouldn’t we do this according to geographical location?” I’d imagine everyone in that meeting at that moment probably reacted the same way cavemen did when they first invented fire.
It was a big breakthrough for the NCAA.
“You mean to tell me that we can join other conferences to make more money and STILL do right by the student athletes and fans to make it easier for their school work and travel to away games?!”
Hang on just a second! Did we just invent the wheel here or what. The Big Ten better take it easy before Houston realizes it doesn’t make sense to join the soon-to-be renamed Big East.
Congrats to the Big Ten, a modern day Einstein.
Now, let’s wait this out and see who else catches on to this trend. Regardless, this is one of the first times in the past three years that I think we can all agree a conference is actually trying to do more than just make money.
