Editing Big Ten Conference (section)

==Football==
{{See also|List of Big Ten Conference football standings (1959–present)|2024 Big Ten Conference football season}}

When Maryland and Rutgers joined the Big Ten in 2014, the division names were changed to "East" and "West", with Purdue and the six schools in the Central Time Zone in the West and Indiana joining the remaining six [[Eastern Time Zone]] schools in the East. The only protected cross-division game is Indiana–Purdue. Beginning in 2016, the Big Ten adopted a nine-game conference schedule.<ref name="2014 divisions"/><ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.bigten.org/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/042813aaa.html |title=Big Ten Announces Football Division Alignments and Move to Nine-Game Conference Schedules |publisher=Big Ten Conference |date=April 28, 2013 |access-date=August 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130804022458/http://www.bigten.org/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/042813aaa.html |archive-date=August 4, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> All teams have one cross-division opponent they play annually that changes every six years except for Indiana and Purdue, whose crossover is permanent. The other six opponents are played every three years during that cycle. For 2016–2021, the pairings are Maryland–Minnesota, Michigan-Wisconsin, Michigan State–Northwestern, Ohio State-Nebraska, Penn State–Iowa, and Rutgers–Illinois, and for 2022–2023 the pairings are Maryland–Northwestern, Michigan–Nebraska, Michigan State–Minnesota, Ohio State–Wisconsin, Penn State–Illinois, and Rutgers–Iowa.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.maizenbrew.com/2018/8/29/17797392/big-ten-football-future-conference-schedules-michigan-wolverines-michigan-state-ohio-state-nebraska|title=Michigan will continue road/road, home/home games against OSU, MSU after Big Ten announces conference football schedules through 2025|work=Maize n Brew|access-date=August 29, 2018}}</ref> In 2016, the Big Ten no longer allowed its members to play [[Football Championship Subdivision]] (FCS) teams and also requires at least one non-conference game against a school in the [[Power Five conferences]] ([[Atlantic Coast Conference|ACC]], [[Big 12]], [[Pac-12]], [[Southeastern Conference|SEC]]). Contracts for future games already scheduled against FCS teams would be honored. However, in 2017, the Big Ten started to allow teams to schedule an FCS opponent during years in which they only have four conference home games (odd-numbered years for East division teams, even-numbered years for West division teams).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/7/24/16020112/big-ten-fcs-opponents-football-scheduling|title=Big Ten teams are allowed to schedule FCS opponents again. Should they?|first=Alex|last=Kirshner|date=July 24, 2017|website=SBNation.com}}</ref> At the time this policy was first announced, games against [[NCAA Division I FBS independent schools|FBS independents]] [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]] and [[BYU Cougars football|BYU]] would count toward the Power Five requirement.<ref name="McGuire">{{cite web |url=http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/31/new-big-ten-scheduling-mandates-power-5-opponents-no-fcs-foes/related/ |title=New Big Ten scheduling mandates Power 5 opponents, no FCS foes |first=Kevin |last=McGuire |series=College Football Talk |work=[[NBC Sports|NBCSports.com]] |date=July 31, 2015 |access-date=July 31, 2015 |archive-date=August 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150803023312/http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/31/new-big-ten-scheduling-mandates-power-5-opponents-no-fcs-foes/related/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> ESPN, citing a Big Ten executive, reported in 2015 that the Big Ten would allow exceptions to the Power Five rule on a case-by-case basis, and also that the other FBS independent at that time, [[Army Black Knights football|Army]], had been added to the list of non-Power Five schools that would be counted as Power Five opponents.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/13716412 |title=Independents BYU, Army, Notre Dame can fulfill Power 5 quota for Big Ten |first=Brett |last=McMurphy |work=ESPN.com |date=September 22, 2015 |access-date=August 6, 2023}}</ref>

In 2024, the addition of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington expanded the Big Ten to 18 teams, resulting in the elimination of football divisions. A schedule consisting of nine conference games and three non-conference games was maintained. At the end of the season, the top two teams in the conference standings will play each other in the [[Big Ten Football Championship Game]]. For at least 2024 and 2025, the conference was to adopt what it called the "Flex Protect Plus" model, which called for each conference member to play all the others at home and away at least once during a four-year cycle. Initially, the 11 "protected" matchups were to be played each season. The announcement was made before Oregon and Washington were announced as incoming members.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://bigten.org/fb/article/blt39fc5a9dd81251cf/ |title=Big Ten Conference Announces Exciting Future Football Schedule Formats for 2024 and 2025 |publisher=Big Ten Conference |date=June 8, 2023 |access-date=June 9, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.clickondetroit.com/sports/2023/06/08/here-are-the-protected-rivals-for-every-big-ten-football-team-under-new-schedule-format/#:~:text=Here%20are%20the%20official%20protected%20rivals%20for%20every,Minnesota%3A%20Wisconsin%2C%20Iowa%208%20Nebraska%3A%20Iowa%20More%20items | title=Here are the protected rivals for every Big Ten football team under new schedule format | date=June 8, 2023 }}</ref> After the expansion to 18 teams was announced, the scheduling model was tweaked into the "Flex Protect XVIII" model, which will maintain the original 11 protected rivalries while adding Oregon–Washington. This model is planned to operate from 2024 to 2028.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://bigten.org/fb/article/blt39fc5a9dd81251cf/ |title=Big Ten Conference Announces Future Football Schedule Formats for 2024–28 |publisher=Big Ten Conference |date=October 4, 2023 |access-date=October 30, 2023}}</ref>
* [[Illinois–Northwestern football rivalry|Illinois–Northwestern]]
* [[Illinois–Purdue football rivalry|Illinois–Purdue]]
* [[Old Oaken Bucket|Indiana–Purdue]]
* [[Iowa–Minnesota football rivalry|Iowa–Minnesota]]
* [[Iowa–Nebraska football rivalry|Iowa–Nebraska]]
* [[Iowa–Wisconsin football rivalry|Iowa–Wisconsin]]
* Maryland–Rutgers
* [[Michigan–Michigan State football rivalry|Michigan–Michigan State]]
* [[Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry|Michigan–Ohio State]]
* [[Minnesota–Wisconsin football rivalry|Minnesota–Wisconsin]]
* [[Oregon–Washington football rivalry|Oregon–Washington]]
* [[UCLA–USC rivalry|UCLA–USC]]

===All-time school records===
This list goes through January 20, 2025.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col" | #
! scope="col" | Team
! scope="col" | Won
! scope="col" | Loss
! scope="col" | Tied
! scope="col" | Win %
! scope="col" | Division<br/>Championships
! scope="col" | Big Ten<br/>Championships
! scope="col" | Claimed National<br/>Championships
|-
| 1
| [[Ohio State Buckeyes football|Ohio State]]
| 977
| 335
| 53
| {{Winning percentage|977|335|53}}
| 10
| 39†
| 9
|-
| 2
| [[Michigan Wolverines football|Michigan]]
| 1,011
| 358
| 36
| {{Winning percentage|1011|358|36}}
| 4
| 45
| 12
|-
| 3
| [[USC Trojans football|USC]]††
| 881
| 374
| 54
| {{Winning percentage|881|374|54}}
| 0
| 0
| 11
|-
| 4
| [[Penn State Nittany Lions football|Penn State]]
| 940
| 410
| 41
| {{Winning percentage|940|410|41}}
| 2
| 4
| 2
|-
| 5
| [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Nebraska]]††
| 924
| 430
| 40
| {{Winning percentage|924|430|40}}
| 1
| 0
| 5
|-
|-
| 6
| [[Washington Huskies football|Washington]]††
| 778
| 468
| 50
| {{Winning percentage|778|468|50}}
| 0
| 0
| 2
|-
| 7
| [[Michigan State Spartans football|Michigan State]]
| 733
| 490
| 44
| {{Winning percentage|733|490|44}}
| 3
| 9
| 6
|-
| 8
| [[Wisconsin Badgers football|Wisconsin]]
| 745
| 524
| 53
| {{Winning percentage|745|524|53}}
| 5
| 14
| 0
|-
| 9
| [[UCLA Bruins football|UCLA]]††
| 638
| 446
| 37
| {{Winning percentage|638|446|37}}
| 0
| 0
| 1
|-
|10
|[[Oregon Ducks football|Oregon]]††
| 720
| 511
| 46
| {{Winning percentage|720|511|46}}
|0
|1
|0
|-
| 11
| [[Minnesota Golden Gophers football|Minnesota]]
| 744
| 549
| 44
| {{Winning percentage|744|549|44}}
| 1
| 18
| 7
|-
| 12
| [[Iowa Hawkeyes football|Iowa]]
| 702
| 580
| 39
| {{Winning percentage|702|580|39}}
| 2
| 11
| 5
|-
| 13
| [[Maryland Terrapins football|Maryland]]††
| 682
| 627
| 43
| {{Winning percentage|682|627|43}}
| 0
| 0
| 1
|-
| 14
| [[Purdue Boilermakers football|Purdue]]
| 642
| 608
| 48
| {{Winning percentage|642|608|48}}
| 1
| 8
| 0
|-
| 15
| [[Illinois Fighting Illini football|Illinois]]
| 644
| 625
| 50
| {{Winning percentage|644|625|50}}
| 0
| 15
| 5
|-
| 16
| [[Rutgers Scarlet Knights football|Rutgers]]††
| 676
| 791
| 42
| {{Winning percentage|676|701|42}}
| 0
| 0
| 1
|-
| 17
| [[Northwestern Wildcats football|Northwestern]]
| 561
| 703
| 44
| {{Winning percentage|567|703|44}}
| 2
| 8
| 0
|-
| 18
| [[Indiana Hoosiers football|Indiana]]
| 506
| 704
| 45
| {{Winning percentage|506|704|45}}
| 0
| 2
| 0
|}
† Ohio State vacated 12 wins and its Big Ten title in 2010 due to NCAA sanctions.

†† Numbers of division and conference championships shown reflect Big Ten history only and do not include division and conference championships in former conferences. Washington, Oregon, USC and UCLA join the Big Ten in 2024, Maryland and Rutgers joined in 2014, and Nebraska joined in 2011.

Number of Claimed National Championships, as well as win–loss–tie records, include all seasons played, regardless of conference membership.

=== Conference record in the College Football Playoff ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col" | Team
! scope="col" | Won
! scope="col" | Loss
! scope="col" | Pct.
! scope="col" | App.
! scope="col" | QF
!SF
!RU
! scope="col" | NC
|-
| [[Ohio State Buckeyes football|Ohio State]]
| 7
| 4
| {{Winning percentage|7|4|0}}
| 6
| 6
|6
|1
| 2
|-
| [[Michigan Wolverines football|Michigan]]
| 2
| 2
| {{Winning percentage|2|2|0}}
| 3
| 3
|3
|0
| 1
|-
| [[Penn State Nittany Lions football|Penn State]]
| 2
| 1
| {{Winning percentage|2|1|0}}
| 1
| 1
|1
|0
| 0
|-
|[[Michigan State Spartans football|Michigan State]]
|0
|1
|{{Winning percentage|0|1|0}}
|1
|1
|1
|0
|0
|-
|[[Oregon Ducks football|Oregon]]†
| 0
| 1
| {{Winning percentage|0|1|0}}
|1
|1
|0
|0
|0
|-
| [[Indiana Hoosiers football|Indiana]]
| 0
| 1
| {{Winning percentage|0|1|0}}
| 1
| 0
|0
|0
| 0
|-
!Total
!11
!10
!{{Winning percentage|11|10}}
!13
!12
!11
!1
!3
|}
† Does not include record prior to joining the conference in 2024.

===Big Ten Conference champions===
{{Main|List of Big Ten Conference football champions|Big Ten Football Championship Game}}

===Bowl games===
Since 1946, the Big Ten champion has had a tie-in with the [[Rose Bowl Game|Rose Bowl game]]. Michigan appeared in the first [[bowl game]], the [[1902 Rose Bowl]]. After that, the Big Ten only allowed one other team to participate in the Rose Bowl (the [[1920 Ohio State Buckeyes football team]]), until the agreement struck with the Pacific Coast Conference for the [[1947 Rose Bowl]]. The spread of civilian air travel plus the fact that the US military had publicly encouraged college football during World War II were primary causes of the Big Ten finally allowing the Rose Bowl.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Madsen |first1=Rob |date=Spring 2023 |title=The Cost of Conservatism: The University of Minnesota's Lofted Ideals and Fallen Football Teams |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/34/article/918698 |journal=Journal of Sport History |volume=50 |issue=1 |pages=85–100 |doi= 10.5406/21558450.50.1.06|access-date=}}</ref> From 1946 through 1971, the Big Ten did not allow the same team to represent the conference in consecutive years in the Rose Bowl with an exception made after the 1961 season in which Minnesota played in the [[1962 Rose Bowl]] after playing in the [[1961 Rose Bowl]] due to Ohio State declining the bid because of Ohio State faculty concerns about academics.

It was not until the 1975 season that the Big Ten allowed teams to play in bowl games other than the Rose Bowl. Michigan, which had been shut out of the postseason the previous three years, was the first beneficiary of the new rule when it played in the Orange Bowl vs. Oklahoma. Due to the pre-1975 rules, Big Ten teams such as Michigan and Ohio State have lower numbers of all-time bowl appearances than powerhouse teams from the [[Big 12 Conference]] (previously Big Eight and Southwest Conferences) and [[Southeastern Conference]], which always placed multiple teams in bowl games every year.

==== 2025 Bowl Tie-ins ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"
! scope="col" | Name<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-18 |title=Big Ten Bowl Ties: How College Football's First Mega Conference Affects Bowl Tie-Ins in 2024 |url=https://collegefootballnetwork.com/big-ten-bowl-ties-changes-tie-ins-2024/#:~:text=What%20Bowls%20Are%20Tied%20In%20With%20the%20Big,Big%2012)%207%20Quick%20Lane%20Bowl%20(vs.%20MAC) |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=collegefootballnetwork.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
! scope="col" | Location
! scope="col" | Opposing<br />Conference
|-
| [[Citrus Bowl]]
| [[Orlando, Florida]]
| rowspan="2" | [[Southeastern Conference|SEC]]
|-
| [[ReliaQuest Bowl]]<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web |url=https://bigten.org/news/2019/6/4/football-big-ten-announces-new-postseason-slate-with-at-least-11-different-bowls-across-the-country.aspx |title=Big Ten Announces New Postseason Slate With at Least 11 Different Bowls Across the Country |publisher=Big Ten Conference |date=April 6, 2019 |access-date=September 15, 2021 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208050231/https://bigten.org/news/2019/6/4/football-big-ten-announces-new-postseason-slate-with-at-least-11-different-bowls-across-the-country.aspx |archive-date=December 8, 2019 }}</ref>
| [[Tampa, Florida]]
|-
| [[Duke's Mayo Bowl]]
| [[Charlotte, North Carolina]]
| [[Atlantic Coast Conference|ACC]]
|-
| [[Music City Bowl]]<ref name="ReferenceA" />
| [[Nashville, Tennessee]]
| SEC
|-
| [[Pinstripe Bowl]]<ref name="ReferenceA" />
| [[New York City]]
| ACC
|-
| [[Rate Bowl]]<ref name="ReferenceA" />
| [[Phoenix, Arizona]]
| [[Big 12]]
|-
| [[GameAbove Sports Bowl]]<ref name="ReferenceA" />
| [[Detroit, Michigan]]
|[[Mid-American Conference|MAC]]
|}

====Bowl selection procedures====
Although the pick order usually corresponds to the conference standings, the bowls are not required to make their choices strictly according to the win–loss records; many factors influence bowl selections, especially the likely turnout of the team's fans. Picks are made after CFP selections; the bowl with the #2 pick will have the first pick of the remaining teams in the conference.

For all non-College Football Playoff partners, the bowl partner will request a Big Ten team. The Big Ten will approve or assign another team based on internal selection parameters.

When not hosting a semifinal, the Orange Bowl will select the highest-ranked team from the Big Ten, SEC or Notre Dame to face an ACC opponent. (However, in an 8-game cycle [12 years due to not counting when the Orange Bowl is a semifinal], the Big Ten must be selected at least three times and no more than four times; the SEC similarly will be selected between three and four times while Notre Dame may be selected up to two times.)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dailypress.com/sports/columns/david-teel/dp-teel-time-acc-orange-sec-notre-dame-story.html |title=Teel Time: ACC, Orange Bowl announce ties with SEC, Big Ten, Notre Dame, ESPN |work=Daily Press |last=Teel |first=David |date=November 15, 2012 |access-date=September 15, 2021 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118180119/https://www.dailypress.com/sports/columns/david-teel/dp-teel-time-acc-orange-sec-notre-dame-story.html |archive-date=January 18, 2021 }}</ref> The Big Ten Champion cannot play in the Orange Bowl. If a Big Ten team is not selected by the Orange Bowl, the Citrus Bowl will submit a request for a Big Ten team.

===Head Coach Compensation===
Guaranteed compensation is due to the coaches regardless of performance. Though most of the pay is directed from the university, some also comes in the form of guaranteed endorsements and other income streams. Most coaches also have performance-based bonuses that can significantly raise their salaries.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|last=Andrews|first=Kyle|date=November 23, 2021|title=Where does Penn State football coach James Franklin's salary rank in the Big Ten and nationally?|url=https://www.centredaily.com/sports/college/penn-state-university/psu-football/article256041347.html|access-date=November 24, 2021|website=Centre Daily Times}}</ref>

In 2024, three Big Ten member schools—Northwestern and USC, private institutions, and Penn State, exempt from most open records laws due to its status as what Pennsylvania calls a "[[Commonwealth System of Higher Education|state-related]]" institution—are not obligated to provide salary information for their head coaches. Both Penn State and Northwestern typically choose to provide this information, although Northwestern has not announced the salary of its current coach.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"
! scope="col" | Institution
! scope="col" | Head coach
! scope="col" | 2024 guaranteed pay
|-
| [[Ohio State Buckeyes football|Ohio State]]
| {{sortname|Ryan|Day|dab=American football}}
| $9,960,000
|-
|[[Oregon Ducks football|Oregon]]
|[[Dan Lanning]]
|$8,000,000
|-
| [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Nebraska]]
| {{sortname|Matt|Rhule}}
| $7,800,000
|-
|[[Washington Huskies football|Washington]]
|[[Jedd Fisch]]
|$7,750,000
|-
| [[Wisconsin Badgers football|Wisconsin]]
| {{sortname|Luke|Fickell}}
| $7,500,000
|-
| [[Penn State Nittany Lions football|Penn State]]
| {{sortname|James|Franklin|dab=American football coach}}
| $7,500,000
|-
| [[Iowa Hawkeyes football|Iowa]]
| {{sortname|Kirk|Ferentz}}
| $7,000,000
|-
| [[Michigan Wolverines football|Michigan]]
| [[Sherrone Moore]]
| $6,000,000
|-
| [[Michigan State Spartans football|Michigan State]]
| [[Jonathan Smith (American football coach)|Jonathan Smith]]
| $6,000,000
|-
| [[Illinois Fighting Illini football|Illinois]]
| {{sortname|Bret|Bielema}}
| $6,000,000
|-
| [[Minnesota Golden Gophers football|Minnesota]]
| {{sortname|P. J.|Fleck}}
| $5,100,000
|-
| [[Purdue Boilermakers football|Purdue]]
| {{sortname|Ryan|Walters|dab=American football}}
| $4,100,000
|-
| [[Indiana Hoosiers football|Indiana]]
| [[Curt Cignetti]]
| $4,000,000
|-
| [[Rutgers Scarlet Knights football|Rutgers]]
| {{sortname|Greg|Schiano}}
| $4,000,000
|-
| [[Maryland Terrapins football|Maryland]]
| {{sortname|Mike|Locksley}}
| $4,000,000
|-
| [[Northwestern Wildcats football|Northwestern]]
| {{sortname|David|Braun|dab=American football}}
| NA
|-
|[[USC Trojans football|USC]]
|[[Lincoln Riley]]
|NA
|-
|[[UCLA Bruins football|UCLA]]
|[[DeShaun Foster]]
|TBA
|}

===Marching bands===
All Big Ten member schools have [[marching band]]s which perform regularly during the football season. Eleven of the member schools have won the [[Sudler Trophy]],<ref name="Sudler Trophy">{{cite web|year=2011|title=Sudler Trophy|url=http://www.sousafoundation.net/allProjects/trophy.htm|publisher=[[John Philip Sousa Foundation]]|access-date=January 27, 2011}}</ref> generally considered the most prestigious honor a collegiate marching band can receive.<ref name="Sudler prestige">{{cite web|author=Iati, Marisa |date=January 20, 2011 |title=Marching band wins prestigious award |url=http://www.ndsmcobserver.com/news/marching-band-wins-prestigious-award-1.1903801 |work=The Observer |access-date=January 27, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122082545/http://www.ndsmcobserver.com/news/marching-band-wins-prestigious-award-1.1903801 |archive-date=January 22, 2011 }}
*{{cite web|date=January 2, 2011|title=Cullowhee's WCU band struts stuff in Rose Parade|url=http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110102/NEWS/301020062/1007/COLUMNISTS|work=[[Asheville Citizen-Times]]|access-date=January 27, 2011|quote=... followed its 2009 win of the [[Sudler Trophy]], the highest award for a university marching band.}}</ref> The first three Sudler trophies were awarded to Big Ten marching bands—[[Michigan Marching Band|Michigan]] (1982), [[Marching Illini|Illinois]] (1983) and [[Ohio State University Marching Band|Ohio State]] (1984).<ref name="Sudler Trophy"/> The Big Ten has more Sudler Trophy recipients than any other collegiate athletic conference.<ref name="Sudler Trophy"/>

===Conference individual honors===
{{Main|Big Ten Conference football individual honors}}

Coaches and media of the Big Ten Conference award individual honors at the end of each football season.