Andy Katz reporting

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Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Northwestern
Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Illinois, and Indinana

Definitely assures Ohio State of Title game each year...but I love our matchups and potential stadiums to visit annually.

If we lock up Wisconsin on the protected we will have the toughest schedule, but rivalries would be protected.
 



Since they aren't going by geography, I think this is the best setup we could hope for, assuming our crossover game is Sconnie.
 



Jike Spingleton said:
Since they aren't going by geography, I think this is the best setup we could hope for, assuming our crossover game is Sconnie.
Click to expand...

We'll get the Xover with Purdue just to make everyone want to cut somebody.
 


The best part is Wisconsin gets absolutely screwed!
 




Now the question is....what are the protected cross-over games between:

Iowa/Nebraska/MSU vs PSU/Indiana/Purdue

Would be an absolute joke if Iowa gets a free pass against IU every year.
 

Nebraska will get PSU as that would be a high profile game and they have some history.

Would you rather Iowa get Wisconsin and we get IU? It's not always about having the easiest schedule.
 


Why not flip flop WI and IA. Would make a 'little more sense' geopraphicaly and would preserve the long MN/WI rivalry. If we didn't play IA every year, I really wouldn't care as much.
 



A few weeks from now we'll hear that the alignment was determined the minute NE signed on the dotted line.
 

station19 said:
Why not flip flop WI and IA. Would make a 'little more sense' geopraphicaly and would preserve the long MN/WI rivalry. If we didn't play IA every year, I really wouldn't care as much.
Click to expand...

We'll get WI as the protected cross-over game. They aren't letting the longest rivalry die.
 

buddylee853 said:
I hope I just predicted the future.
Click to expand...

I only disagree with your protected crossover games.

The obvious one is that Nebraska will get Penn State, plenty of national attention for that matchup.

Michigan State will get Indiana, the battle for the Old Brass Spitoon.

Purdue doesn't really have a crossover rivalry, so it seems like it would come down to whether Sconnie's crossover is with us, or with Iowa. Whoever is left will get Purdue.
 

If true...

Positives:
1. Keeps our rivals on our schedule every year. Big plus.
2. Geographically, it's about as good as it gets if they're not aligning based on geography.
3. Since I think Ohio St has the best chance of any school at being an annual national contender, I like that they're in the other division.
4. Makes our schedule very interesting in the near future with the deeper of the 2 divisions.
5. Wisconsin gets screwed. I'd hate to be in their position.

Negatives:
1. Our division is deeper than the other. While that's true right now, it may not be true in the future as Illinois or Purdue could be in a completely different state 4 years from now. It just looks deeper right now and that means a more difficult road towards our goals in the near future.
2. Wish we were in the same division as Indiana. That's nitpicking but it would almost be perfect if we swapped NW for Indiana. Of any school, Indiana has the bleakest future while I think Fitzgerald at NW will keep them competitive for a while. I'd rather have Indiana on our schedule annually than NW, though it's an easier road trip to NW than Indiana.
 

By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
Archive
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.

Andy Katz is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

It certainly seems like the Big 10 wanted to preserve the boarders with Minnesota/Iowa/Wisconsin. I would guess the last game of the year will stay as Iowa/Minnesota and Iowa and Nebraska will play earlier in the year.

For Hoops - could set up nice if they played the divisions and 1 cross over game. We would only have Michigan State ahead of us. However not really sure what 2 divisions does for Hoops.
 

Assuming there are no cross-over games allowed in November. Who does Iowa play on the last week of the season...Minnesota or Nebraska?
 

DarrenTheGreek said:
Assuming there are no cross-over games allowed in November. Who does Iowa play on the last week of the season...Minnesota or Nebraska?
Click to expand...

Hmmmm...history and tradition say MN. Marketing says Nebraska. Sadly, something tells me that marketing wins.
 

Jike Spingleton said:
I only disagree with your protected crossover games.

The obvious one is that Nebraska will get Penn State, plenty of national attention for that matchup.

Michigan State will get Indiana, the battle for the Old Brass Spitoon.

Purdue doesn't really have a crossover rivalry, so it seems like it would come down to whether Sconnie's crossover is with us, or with Iowa. Whoever is left will get Purdue.
Click to expand...

Well I was thinking that if that wasn't the case with the crossovers, then Nebraska would indeed get PSU while Iowa would get Purdue every year. The reason why I put it that way is because of the budding rivalry between Iowa and Penn State.

I'd take either one
 

GoAUpher said:
Hmmmm...history and tradition say MN. Marketing says Nebraska. Sadly, something tells me that marketing wins.
Click to expand...

I may be alone on this, but who the last week of the season opponent is doesn't matter to me as much as the fact that Iowa & Wisconsin would be on the schedule yearly. I'm not as hung up as Michigan & Ohio State fans are. Wisconsin has been all over the schedule; early October, middle October, end of October, early November, 2nd to last game of the year, & last game of the year. It's never taken any significance away from me in terms of the rivalry.

My guess: if the rumors are true that Michigan & Ohio State are going to still be the last game of the season, they'll have Minnesota-Wisconsin cross over be the last game of the year & Iowa & Nebraska will be the last game as well. The Big Ten isn't taking nearly as big of a gamble having Minnesota & Wisconsin play the last game of the year & potentially meeting a week later. I'm guessing they like their odds that the game won't be repeated a week later.
 

FireDaveLee said:
I may be alone on this, but who the last week of the season opponent is doesn't matter to me as much as the fact that Iowa & Wisconsin would be on the schedule yearly. I'm not as hung up as Michigan & Ohio State fans are. Wisconsin has been all over the schedule; early October, middle October, end of October, early November, 2nd to last game of the year, & last game of the year. It's never taken any significance away from me in terms of the rivalry.

My guess: if the rumors are true that Michigan & Ohio State are going to still be the last game of the season, they'll have Minnesota-Wisconsin cross over be the last game of the year & Iowa & Nebraska will be the last game as well. The Big Ten isn't taking nearly as big of a gamble having Minnesota & Wisconsin play the last game of the year & potentially meeting a week later. I'm guessing they like their odds that the game won't be repeated a week later.
Click to expand...

It doesn't really matter to me either, but I'd prefer to end the season with a rivalry game. Just a preference. Honestly, if this is the split then everything else is icing on the cake. I thought we'd get the screwjob that Wisky seems poised to receive.
 

NNerland said:
Definitely assures Ohio State of Title game each year...
Click to expand...

Not true at all. WI and PSU will beat IN, PU, and IL every year too.
Those WI vs OSU
PSU vs OSU
WI vs PSU games become huge
the winner of those three games will be in the championship. I guess your statement is true if you assume WI and PSU can't ever beat OSU.
 

Look for the end of the year games to be, IA-NE, MSU-MI, NU-MN
OSU-PSU, WI-IL, PU-IN
 

Katz indicates they may use the divisions for basketball. While Maturi has all but dismissed this, if this is the alignment there's no way they can. NU, Neb, and Iowa simply cannot all be in the same divison. Don't get me wrong, it'd be great for MN. MSU and 4 awful teams.
 

Rosemountian said:
Look for the end of the year games to be, IA-NE, MSU-MI, NU-MN
OSU-PSU, WI-IL, PU-IN
Click to expand...

That well may be correct, but I really hope they let us end with either IA or NE. Nebraska's game won't be 'traditional' no matter who they play, but I believe we've played them more then anyone else. So MN-NE and IA-NU makes more sense to me. IA and NU have a budding rivalry going as well. Otherwise let NU-NE be the end game and let the tradional MN-IA trophy game stay at the end.
 


Tough schedule but if we want to become factor it will be determined by how often we beat Mich and Neb and Iowa? Not if we beat IU or Mich State! Go get um Gophs!
 

Can't remember...is it assured or at least assumed that we're heading towards a 9-game conference schedule or is that still up in the air?

If it stays at 8, we play 2 of the 5 non-guaranteed rivalry team's every year. If it goes to 9, it becomes 3 of 5. Neither is symmetrical but the former means we would go at least 3 years until finally playing one of those teams. If it's the latter, there will be back-to-back years in which we play one of them.

Not sure which model I prefer. Personally, I think our schedule will be difficult enough where staying at 8 might not be a bad thing. At least we would have a bit more control over our schedule. If we go to 9, I fear we'll the administrators will use the 9 game schedule as an excuse to schedule creampuffs and shy away from playing a quality NC-opponent. I know I'm contradicting myself a bit saying that but I like the idea of playing USC's, UNC's, Cal's, etc once a year. I'd take that over one more conference game given that symmetry isn't an option in the conference schedule.
 

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