Big Ten Divisions Announced

                 Division I:                                                              Division 2:

                  Illinois                                                                   Northwestern

                  Indiana                                                                  Michigan State

                  Ohio State                                                            Michigan

                  Penn State                                                           Nebraska

                  Wisconsin                                                            Minnesota

                  Purdue                                                                  Iowa

• Disaster has been averted, folks. The Game shall remain! Ohio State and Michigan will continue to play in the last week of the regular season, in November, presumably forever. And Indiana and Purdue fans can relax as well, for the Old Oaken Bucket will remain in the last week of the regular season.
• Each team listed above will have a protected cross-divisional rival, listed directly across from it in this format, i.e. Illinois and Northwestern will continue to play yearly.
• Within the next 90 days, Jim Delany is hopeful that a new conference mark will be unveiled, along with divisional names.
• A possible ninth game will be decided upon at a later date. Delany does caution that the 5/4 home and away game split will make adding a ninth conference game challenging.
  
• Basketball divisions will be set up between the Athletic Directors at a later date. Delany believes there are multiple options available, including no divisions with a round-robin schedule.
• A long-term commitment  to a site for the Big Ten Championship Game will be determined at a later date.
• Delany leaves open possibility for an outdoors conference championship game.
  
• Indianapolis and the Big Ten should have an official agreement on this year's conference championship game within thirty days.
• Delany says that the conference heads called this period "a pause" in conference expansion, allowing for possibility of future expansion.

Gene Smith Interview

• Fans feedback confirmed what he already knew- no one wanted The Game to move.
• The announcement does not affect the non-conference schedule, unless the Big Ten changes to a 9 game conference schedule.
• "Go Big Ten Network"

Tom Osborne Interview

• Believes the three main goals were achieved; competitiveness, rivalries preserved, and basic geographical sense all satisfactory.
  
• Tom Osborne received emails from Ohio State and Michigan fans blaming him for the possibility of The Game being moved up on the schedule.
  
• Rivalries occur naturally, and it's important to preserve the ones that have built up over time.
• It's hard to predict who will  be a power in the future, but he believes traditional powers were split evenly.
• Delany and the conference heads have been spending time in Lincoln learning about Nebraska football history, and Osborne appreciates that.
• Big Ten has mutual concern for each other and the conferences, and he doesn't see individual interests being pushed at the same level as in other conferences.
• Osborne notes that recruiting has not changed in Texas with the announcement, and the Big Ten Network will help them recruit nationally.