The Big Ten Conference, formerly Western Conference and Big Nine Conference, is the oldest Division I college athletic conference in the United States. Its twelve member institutions (which are primarily flagship research universities in their respective states, well-regarded academically, and with relatively large student enrollment) are located primarily in the Midwest, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east, and from Illinois in the south to Minnesota in the north. The conference competes in the NCAA's Division I; its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, the highest level of NCAA competition in that sport. Member schools of the Big Ten (or, in two cases, their parent university systems) also are members of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, a leading educational consortium.
Despite the conference's name, the Big Ten actually consists of 12 schools, following the addition of Pennsylvania State University in 1993 and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 2011. In 2014, the conference will expand to 14 members with the additions of the University of Maryland, College Park and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. It is not to be confused with the Big 12 Conference, which has only ten schools and represents a different region of the country.
Read more about Big Ten Conference: Sports, History, Commissioners, Academics, Awards and Honors, Conference Records, Conference Championships, Football, Men's Basketball
Famous quotes containing the words big, ten and/or conference:
“It does make a big difference, it is why Robin Hood lives,
crime if you know the reason if you know the motive
if you can understand the character if it is not a
normal one is not interesting a crime in itself is
not interesting it is only there and when it is there
everybody has to take notice of it. It is important
in that way but in every other way it is not
important.”
—Gertrude Stein (1874–1946)
“We had an inspection today of the brigade. The Twenty-third was pronounced the crack regiment in appearance, ... [but] I could see only six to ten in a company of the old men. They all smiled as I rode by. But as I passed away I couldn’t help dropping a few natural tears. I felt as I did when I saw them mustered in at Camp Chase.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
“Politics is still the man’s game. The women are allowed to do the chores, the dirty work, and now and then—but only occasionally—one is present at some secret conference or other. But it’s not the rule. They can go out and get the vote, if they can and will; they can collect money, they can be grateful for being permitted to work. But that is all.”
—Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876–1958)