BIG TEN ANNOUNCES 2014 CONFERENCE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

May 16, 2013 Leave a comment

 Big Ten’s 2014 schedule features new division alignment along with conference debut of Maryland and Rutgers

Park Ridge, Ill. – The Big Ten office announced the conference schedule for the 2014 football season today, as approved by the Big Ten Directors of Athletics. The 2014 schedule will consist of eight games for each of the Big Ten’s 14 teams, feature a new division alignment, include the conference debut of Maryland and Rutgers and culminate with the fourth annual Big Ten Football Championship Game.

The 2014 Big Ten season begins on Sept. 13, with Rutgers making its Big Ten debut by hosting fellow East Division member Penn State. Maryland will take part in its first Big Ten game two weeks later on Sept. 27 with an East Division matchup at Indiana. Four other conference games will be held on Sept. 27, including two West Division matchups with Illinois at Nebraska and Iowa at Purdue and two cross-division contests with Minnesota at Michigan and Northwestern at Penn State. The Oct. 4 schedule will feature the Terrapins’ first home Big Ten game against fellow East Division member Ohio State along with an East Division matchup in Michigan at Rutgers and West Division contests in Nebraska at Michigan State, Purdue at Illinois and Wisconsin at Northwestern.

 From Sept. 27 to Nov. 29, the 2014 Big Ten schedule will feature 10 consecutive weeks of Big Ten competition, boasting at least five conference games each week. All 14 teams will be in action during the final two weeks of Big Ten play, including six division games each week. The final weekend of the 2014 season begins with Nebraska at Iowa in a matchup of West Division rivals on Friday, Nov. 28. The Saturday, Nov. 29, schedule feature two more West Division matchups in Illinois at Northwestern and Minnesota at Wisconsin, three East Division contests in Michigan at Ohio State, Michigan State at Penn State and Rutgers at Maryland and a cross-division game with Purdue at Indiana. The winners of each division will meet in the 2014 Big Ten Football Championship Game, scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 6, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

 Beginning in 2014, the Big Ten football division alignments will feature Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers in the East Division and Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin in the West Division. Each school will play the other six schools in its division plus two teams from the other division in 2014 and 2015, which will serve as transitional years in which the schools will still be playing eight-game schedules. Beginning in 2016, each school will play three teams from the other division as part of its nine-game schedule. The cross-division games will include one protected matchup on an annual basis between Indiana and Purdue.

 The Big Ten will hold the 2013 Football Media Days and 42nd annual Kickoff Luncheon on Wednesday and Thursday, July 24 and 25, at the Hilton Chicago, featuring all 12 head coaches and some of the nation’s top returning players. The 118th season of Big Ten football kicks off Thursday, August 29, and culminates with the third annual Big Ten Football Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 7, to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and televised by FOX. The winner of the title game will earn the Big Ten Championship and a chance to play in either the Rose Bowl Game or Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game.

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Wisconsin tabbed for rematch with Virginia in 2013 Big Ten/ACC Challenge

May 8, 2013 Leave a comment

MADISON, Wis. – Last season Wisconsin and Virginia squared off for the first time in Big Ten/ACC Challenge history. In 2013, the two teams will play the rematch as the Badgers travel to Charlottesville, Va. in the 15th-annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge presented by wpid-8358801.jpeg Dick’s Sporting Goods, it was announced Wednesday.

 The Badgers and Cavaliers will play the second night of competition on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Game time and  television network have yet to be determined.  Wisconsin will be looking to avenge a 60-54 loss when the two teams meet in the 2013 challenge. UW is 6-8 all-time in the Challenge, recording victories in three of the last five seasons.

 The Badgers trail only Illinois (7) for the most victories among Big Ten teams. Wisconsin’s winning percentage (.429) is tied for fifth behind Illinois (.500), Ohio State (.500) Purdue (.500) and Michigan State (.462).  The Badgers are coming off their 15th-consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament after earning 23 victories in 2012-13, the ninth-highest win total in school history.

 Virginia, which is 8-5 overall in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge and owns a 5-1 home record, is coming off an appearance in the 2013 NIT. Led by former UW assistant Tony Bennett, the Cavaliers finished 23-12 overall after suffering a 75-64 loss to Iowa in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

 Next season’s matchup promises to be a defensive showcase as Virginia and Wisconsin finished fifth and seventh, respectively, in the country last season in scoring defense. The Badgers yielded just 55.9 points per game, while the Cavaliers gave up only 55.6 points per contest.

 The ACC won the first 10 Challenges, but the Big Ten is unbeaten in the last four after last season’s inter-conference duel ended in a tie.

 

2013 ACC/BIG TEN MEN’S BASKETBALL CHALLENGE

 

Tuesday, Dec. 3

  • Florida State at Minnesota

  • Illinois at Georgia Tech

  • Indiana at Syracuse

  • Michigan at Duke

  • Notre Dame at Iowa

  • Penn State at Pittsburgh

 

Wednesday, December 4

  • Boston College at Purdue

  • Maryland at Ohio State

  • Miami, FL at Nebraska

  • North Carolina at Michigan State

  • Northwestern at North Carolina State

  • Wisconsin at Virginia

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BIG TEN RELEASES 2013 MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT BRACKET

March 10, 2013 Leave a comment

Indiana earns first No. 1 seed after claiming outright title for first time since 1993

wpid-BTC-Primary-Divisions-Horiz.jpegThe Big Ten announced on Sunday the bracket for the 2013 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament, with Indiana earning the No. 1 seed for the first time after claiming its first outright Big Ten Championship since 1993. The 2013 event, which sold out all tickets in advance for the first time in conference history, will be played Thursday through Sunday, March 14-17, at the United Center in Chicago.

Indiana finished the Big Ten slate with a 14-4 record in conference play to win their 21st Big Ten Championship and first since sharing the title in 2002. The Hoosiers secured the top seed in the tournament, while Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin also earned first-round byes. The Hoosiers previous highest seed was No. 3 in the 1999, 2007 and 2008 events. The Buckeyes and Spartans ended the season tied for second with 13-5 conference marks. The two teams split their regular season meetings, but Ohio State won the tiebreaker to earn the No. 2 seed based on a better record against Indiana. The Buckeyes have now claimed a top-three seed in four straight tournaments. Michigan State is the No. 3 seed, its fourth top-three seed in the last five events. Wisconsin and Michigan concluded regular season action tied for fourth place, but the Badgers clinched the No. 4 seed based on a home win over the Wolverines earlier this year. Wisconsin has now earned a top-four seed for the 12th straight year and a first-round bye in 13 straight tournaments.

The tournament will tip off at 11 a.m. CT on Thursday, March 14, as No. 8 Illinois takes on No. 9 Minnesota, followed by No. 5 Michigan facing No. 12 Penn State, both on BTN. Thursday’s second session tips off at 5:30 p.m. CT as No. 7 Purdue challenges No. 10 Nebraska before No. 6 Iowa squares off against No. 11 Northwestern, both on ESPN2. The Illini, Gophers and Boilermakers all ended the regular season tied for seventh in the Big Ten with 8-10 marks, but Purdue earned the No. 7 seed based on the best record amongst the group, followed by Illinois and Minnesota.

The second day of the tournament tips off on Friday with top-seeded Indiana battling the winner of Thursday’s Illinois/Minnesota game at 11 a.m. CT, to be followed by fourth-seeded Wisconsin playing the winner of the Michigan/Penn State matchup, with both games appearing on ESPN. Friday’s second session will be broadcast by BTN and begins with second-seeded Ohio State facing the victor of Thursday’s Purdue/Nebraska contest at 5:30 p.m. CT before the quarterfinals conclude with third-seeded Michigan State squaring off against the Iowa/Northwestern winner.

Big Ten Tournament semifinal games will be played on Saturday, beginning at 12:40 p.m. CT on CBS Sports. The championship game tips off at 2:30 p.m. CT on Sunday and will also be broadcast by CBS Sports.

Six different programs have won the Big Ten Tournament. Michigan State and Ohio State have won the title three times. Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin have each won the championship twice, and Purdue has won the tournament once. Tournament championship games have featured teams seeded as high as first, second and third and as low as eighth, ninth, 10th and 11th. Nine different schools have advanced to the tournament’s championship game.

The 2013 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament returns to Chicago, which hosted the inaugural event in 1998 and will serve as the site for the eighth time in the tournament’s 16-year history. The conference tournament averaged 18,882 fans per session when the event was last held at the United Center in 2007. The men’s tournament set total and average attendance records while in Chicago in 2001 with 109,769 fans in attendance for an average of 21,954 patrons per session.

Several fan events surround this year’s men’s tournament, including the Daley Plaza Hoops Fest, Tip-Off Luncheon, Big Ten Youth Fitness Program, Big Ten Books for Baskets and Restaurant Pairings Program. For more information on ancillary events, go to bigtenchicagohoops.com.

Seven different Big Ten teams have been ranked among the nation’s top 25 this season, including five programs appearing in the most recent Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls. Indiana entered the week ranked second in the country in both polls. The Hoosiers are one of two Big Ten teams to earn the No. 1 ranking this season along with Michigan. Illinois, Michigan State, Minnesota and Ohio State have also appeared among the top 10 this season, while Wisconsin has been ranked among the top 20.

bigtenbracket

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Dekker Big Ten Freshman of the Week

January 14, 2013 Leave a comment

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MADISON, Wis. –  Following his 13-point, four-rebound outing in Wisconsin’s win over No.12/13 Illinois on Saturday, freshman Sam Dekker earned the Big Ten’s freshman of the week award, the conference announced on Monday.

 The Sheboygan, Wis., native went 5-for-9 (.556) from the field, including a 3-of-7 (.428) effort from beyond the arc during the win. The freshman has scored in double figures in six of the Badger’s last nine games and is playing a vital role in UW’s first 3-0 start in Big Ten play since the 2008-09 season.

 Dekker, who is fourth on the team averaging 9.3 points per game, is the first Wisconsin freshman to earn the award since the Big Ten debuted the honor in 2010-11.  Dekker ranks sixth in the Big Ten, shooting 41.8 percent (23-55) from 3-point range and is fifth among all Big Ten freshmen in scoring.

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