Big 10 Divisions for 2011

[4 cam tbird]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5519832

The Big Ten will announce its much-anticipated, two six-team divisional setup for the 2011-12 season later Wednesday, with traditional football powers Ohio State and Michigan in opposing divisions and new member Nebraska aligned with the Wolverines.

Multiple sources told ESPN.com that the two divisions in the Big Ten will look like:

• Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern and Minnesota.

• And Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana and Illinois.

The Big Ten issued a press release saying it would announce its divisional alignment at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday. According to sources, the divisions were decided upon Monday.

According to multiple sources, the Big Ten wanted to preserve a number of traditional rivalries such as Michigan-Michigan State, Iowa-Minnesota, Purdue-Indiana and Indiana-Illinois.

The Big Ten is also expected to announce a consistent crossover game in football similar to Ohio State-Michigan that will be played each year. Expect to see longtime rivals Wisconsin and Minnesota playing every season.

In men's basketball, according to sources, the Big Ten could play a 16-game conference schedule by taking a model similar to those used by the Big 12 and Southeastern conferences. In those leagues, teams play each division opponent twice and then single games -- three at home and three on the road -- against teams in the opposing division.

However, the Big Ten has not had complaints with its current 18-game conference schedule and could stick with that format.

The Big 12 will finish such a format this season after it loses Nebraska -- the Cornhuskers are joining the Big Ten as its 12th member -- and possibly Colorado, if the Buffaloes can leave the Big 12 for the Pac-10 while paying its exit fee.

If the Big 12 goes to a 10-team conference then it will play a true round-robin schedule of 18 games in 2011-12. The new Pac-12, with the additions of Colorado and Utah, also will likely use this new format of 16 games after playing a true-round robin of 18 games as a 10-team league. The Big Ten played an 18-game conference season and will finish with that unbalanced schedule this season.

Thoughts from the Michigan/OSU/MSU fans?

I think it looks awesome. With Nebraska being in the same division as U of M and MSU, they nearly certainly will play in the state of Michigan on a yearly basis. Conference schedules for 2011 and 2012 are also supposed to be announced at 7.

 

[hangemhigh]

i like it. GO BUCKS. i like the idea of a play-off......

 

[Swifster]

Well, I think MSU's division is definitely the stronger of the two. 4 strong teams to beat up on the two weak teams. I'm guessing the two UM's will see a bowl once every ten years...

Seriously, does anyone see the stupidity in all of this? They should have just sliced this East & West. PSU, OSU, MSU, UM, Indiana and Purdue in one division and Northwestern, Nebraska, UW, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota & Illinois. Three strong teams in eash (PSU, OSU & MSU in the East and Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin in the West). Why they think this has to be over thought is beyond me. This would also keep all the rivalry games intact (unless someone is worried about the Little Brown Jug).

 

[4 cam tbird]

Nebraska in the Big House in 2011! I've been waiting for that day since I moved to Michigan!

 

[Swifster]

The conference schedule next year will be extremely tough for MSU. If there is one benefit regarding the division alignments, MSU got Indiana as their locked crossover as a rivalry. The only thing I never realized is that MSU is the only Big Ten team to never beat Nebraska (0-5).

 

[4 cam tbird]

Nebraska got PSU as the yearly cross game and has Wisconsin and OSU the first two years. Brutal conference schedule. Plus Washington next year and UCLA in 2012

 

[mrvids]

I would have thought with Penn State and OSU with Wisconsin in the same division that that one might have better teams overall, but Nebraska isn't usually a slouch.
Do these divisions only apply for football?

 

[4 cam tbird]

Yes, football only. You can play every team twice in other sports really so divisions don't matter.

 

[mrvids]

Nebraska & Penn State are both really good in womens volleyball. Maybe with more TV exposure they will have the SEAT team perform during commercial breaks.

 

[4 cam tbird]

I figured I was the only one here that knew Nebraska and Penn State were both awesome in Women's Volley Ball :lol:

 

[Swifster]

Nope. I usually watch when in season.

 

[natzke4]

If RichRod can do halfway decent this year, he should have any easy time next. MSU got the shaft on their schedule. They better win big this year because they won't win very many in 2011.

 

[Swifster]

There was no getting away from OSU. This will be the second year we haven't played them so they were due. But damn, under that new schedule I was hoping they's get two years away from Wisconsin.