After Iowa defeated Illinois on Nov. 18 and Michigan prevailed over Ohio State on Nov. 25, the two respective teams hoisted what will soon be relics of a bygone era: the Big Ten West and East division trophies.
The Big Ten Conference announced that it would ditch divisions and add four teams – USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington — starting in 2024. The league, which is set to be the largest conference in college football history with 18 teams, wants to play each other more often, especially with the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams next season. Starting in 2024, the top two teams at the end of the regular season will play in the Big Ten title game.
The SEC was the first to use a division format after Arkansas and South Carolina became the 11th and 12th teams to join the conference in 1992. The SEC announced in June it will go divisonless in 2024 as the conference adds Texas and Oklahoma and expands to 16 teams.
“They’re very difficult to balance because they’d have to be large,” Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti told The Athletic about keeping divisions with 18 teams. “And secondly, if you’re playing nine conference games and you’re breaking into divisions, you’re playing so much against your own division that you’re not really crossing over. The inability to see other teams and really connect the conference is not ideal. So, there’s a competitive aspect to it, but there’s also a practicality.”
After Nebraska joined the conference in 2011, the Big Ten was divided into two divisions called Legends and Leaders. Three years later, when Rutgers and Maryland joined, the Big Ten divided into East and West groupings. This is how the Big Ten’s current 14 teams fared in the past ten years of the divisions’ existence.
West (Since 2014)
Iowa
88-38 Overall
58-29 Conference
3 division titles
Purdue
48-71 Overall
32-53 Conference
1 division title
Wisconsin
90-37 Overall
59-26 Conference
4 division titles (shared title with Minnesota in 2019)
Nebraska
52-67 Overall
33-54 Conference
0 division titles
Illinois
46-73 Overall
27-60 Conference
0 division titles
Northwestern
62-60 Overall
43-43 Conference
2 division titles
Minnesota
Since 2014
72-50 Overall
41-45 Conference
1 division title (shared title with Wisconsin in 2019)
East (Since 2014)
Ohio State
115-14 Overall
77-7 Conference
8 division titles (shared with Michigan State in 2015, with Penn State in 2016, with Michigan in 2018 and 2021)
Michigan
91-32 Overall
63-22 Conference
4 division titles (shared with Ohio State in 2018 and 2021)
Penn State
88-38 Overall
56-32 Conference
1 division title (shared with Ohio State in 2016)
Rutgers
Since 2014
39-80 Overall
16-72 Conference
0 division titles
Michigan State
Since 2014
72-50 Overall
45-41 Conference
1 division title (shared with Ohio State in 2015)
Indiana
49-70 Overall
25-61 Conference
0 division titles
Maryland
52-65 Overall
27-57 Conference
0 division titles
Big Ten Champions Since 2014
2014- Ohio State
2015- Michigan State
2016- Penn State
2017- Ohio State
2018-Ohio State
2019-Ohio State
2020- Ohio State
2021- Michigan
2022- Michigan
Combined score of all the Big Ten title games since 2014
East 326 West 145
Highest-scoring Big Ten West games
Wisconsin 47, Purdue 44 in 3OT in 2018
Purdue 55, Nebraska 45 in 2015
Lowest-scoring Big Ten West game
Illinois 9, Iowa 6 in 2022
Other memorable Big Ten West games
Iowa goes 10-0 for the first time after a 40-35 over Minnesota in 2015
Wisconsin 35, Nebraska 28 in 2021, Braelon Allen rushes for 228 yards and three touchdowns
Minnesota 12, Iowa 10 in 2023, Cooper DeJean winning punt return TD called back because of invalid fair catch
Highest-scoring Big Ten East game
Ohio State 52, Maryland 51 in 2018
Ohio State 62, Michigan 39 in 2018
Lowest-scoring Big Ten East game
Penn State 13, Indiana 7 in 2014
Other memorable Big Ten East games
Ohio State 30, Michigan 27 in 2OT in 2016
Michigan State 37, Michigan 33 in 2021, Spartans come back from a 16-point deficit
Michigan State 27, Michigan 23 in 2015, Spartans win on fumbled punt return TD
Big Ten Newcomers
Washington
85-37 overall record since 2014
Oregon
89-37 overall record since 2014
UCLA
62-57 overall record since 2014
USC
78-45 overall record since 2014
Records against Big Ten foes since 2014
Washington: 5-3
Oregon: 5-3
UCLA: 0-1
USC: 2-3
Notable incoming players
USC
First-year WR Zachariah Branch (29 catches for 311 yards and two touchdowns)
Second-year QB Miller Moss (309 passing yards in three games this season, is set to take over for starter Caleb Williams next season)
Second-year DL Bear Alexander (26 total tackles and 1.5 sacks in 2023)
UCLA
Second-year RB TJ Harden (5.3 yards per carry on 136 attempts this season)
First-year DB Kamari Ramsey (40 total tackles and an interception this year)
Washington
Second-year WR Ja’Lynn Polk (Texas Tech transfer has caught eight touchdowns so far this season)
Second-year CB Elijah Jackson (49 tackles and two forced fumbles this season)
Second-year PK Grady Gross (perfect on all 54 extra point attempts this season, and was offered a scholarship after kicking a game-winning field goal last week against Washington State)
Oregon
Second-year RB Jordan James (661 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns this season)
Second-year WR Gary Bryant Jr. (Averaging 14.6 yards per catch with three touchdowns in 2023)
Second-year DB Jahlil Florence (21 solo tackles and an interception this season)
