A History of the Big Ten Football Championship

The Big Ten Conference boasts a rich and extensive history dating back to 1896. The Big Ten Football Championship Game is a college football game held annually by the Big Ten Conference to determine the conference's season champion. The game, held after the regular season has been completed, currently matches the top two teams in the conference standings. It is typically held the first Saturday of December, although in 2020 it was played on the third Saturday of December due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The winner of this game is the Big Ten Champion. The winning team also receives the Stagg Championship Trophy, while the most valuable player of the game receives the Grange-Griffin Championship Game Most Valuable Player Trophy.

The Early Years

The conference's history extends far back, with Michigan claiming the most Big Ten Championships at 44 titles. The early years saw dominance from teams like Michigan, Illinois, and Minnesota. These programs established a foundation of excellence that continues to resonate within the conference.

Notable Teams and Coaches

Michigan: With 44 titles, Michigan stands as the program with the most Big Ten Championships.
Ohio State: Close behind with 39 titles, Ohio State has been a consistent powerhouse in the conference.
Minnesota: With 18 titles, Minnesota was a dominant force in the early years of the Big Ten.
Illinois: With 15 titles, Illinois has a strong history in the Big Ten.
Wisconsin: With 14 titles, Wisconsin has been a consistent contender in the Big Ten.
Iowa: With 11 titles, Iowa has a solid history in the Big Ten.
Michigan State: With 9 titles, Michigan State has a notable presence in the Big Ten.
Northwestern: With 8 titles, Northwestern has a significant history in the Big Ten.
Purdue: With 8 titles, Purdue has a notable presence in the Big Ten.
Chicago: With 7 titles, Chicago was a prominent team in the early years of the Big Ten.
Penn State: With 4 titles, Penn State has a solid history in the Big Ten.
Indiana: With 2 titles, Indiana has a presence in the Big Ten.
Oregon: With 1 title, Oregon recently joined the Big Ten and quickly made its mark.

Several coaches have left an indelible mark on the Big Ten. Woody Hayes of Ohio State and Bo Schembechler of Michigan are tied for the most Big Ten football championships with 13. Other notable coaches include Fielding H. Yost (Michigan) with 10 titles, Henry L. Williams (Minnesota) with 8 titles, Bernie Bierman (Minnesota) with 7 titles, Amos Alonzo Stagg (Chicago) with 7 titles, Robert Zuppke (Illinois) with 7 titles, Jim Tressel (Ohio State) with 6 titles, and Lloyd Carr (Michigan) with 5 titles.

Formation of the Championship Game

In 2010, the Big Ten Conference added the University of Nebraska, bringing the membership total to 12 teams. Thus, the conference was able to meet NCAA requirements. On August 5, 2010, Big Ten Conference Commissioner James Delany announced that Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana had been chosen as the possible site for the inaugural championship game. The league office began a 30-day period to negotiate a one-year agreement with Indiana Sports Corp and Lucas Oil Stadium to host the game. On November 17, 2010, the Big Ten Conference announced a media agreement with Fox Sports to serve as the official broadcast partner for the 2011-2016 Big Ten Football Championship Games. A source at the time stated that the six-year agreement with Fox Sports would be worth between $20-$25 million per season, making it one of the most valuable conference championship games in college football. In the league's press release, it was confirmed that the 2011 event would take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in prime time.

The Big Ten expanded to 11 schools by adding Penn State in 1990, but this did not yet meet the NCAA's requirements for holding a conference championship game (that the conference have 12 teams with two divisions). It was not until December 2009, when Commissioner Delany announced that the league would explore the possibility of adding one or more institutions, that the wheels were set in motion that would lead to the Big Ten adding a school for the first time in 20 years. Less than a year later, on June 11, 2010, Nebraska applied for membership and was unanimously accepted by the conference's 11 member schools.

Through the 2023 edition, the participating teams in the game were the first place teams from each of the conference's two divisions. After the addition of Nebraska to the conference, there was much debate over what would be the best division of the 12 schools. Some felt that it would be best to maintain geographical divisions. Others felt that geography should only be a factor insofar as there was competitive balance between the two divisions. On September 1, 2010, Commissioner Delany revealed how the teams would be placed into the two divisions. On December 13, Commissioner Delany announced that the two divisions would be called Legends and Leaders. The scheduling arrangement for the schools was that they would face each of the other schools in their division, plus three crossover opponents, one of which would be permanent.

Following the 2014 entry of Maryland and Rutgers, the "Leaders" and "Legends" divisions were set aside and replaced by geographic divisions, with the schools in the Central Time Zone plus Purdue forming the new West Division, and the remaining members forming the East Division.

Championship Game Results

Here is a list of Big Ten football champions including the year, team, conference record, and head coach:

2024: Oregon (9-0) Dan Lanning
2023: Michigan (9-0) Jim Harbaugh
2022: Michigan (9-0) Jim Harbaugh
2021: Michigan (8-1) Jim Harbaugh
2020: Ohio State (5-0) Ryan Day
2019: Ohio State (9-0) Ryan Day
2018: Ohio State (8-1) Urban Meyer
2017: Ohio State (8-1) Urban Meyer
2016: Penn State (8-1) James Franklin
2015: Michigan State (7-1) Mark Dantonio
2014: Ohio State (8-0) Urban Meyer
2013: Michigan State (8-0) Mark Dantonio
2012: Wisconsin (4-4) Bret Bielema
2011: Wisconsin (6-2) Bret Bielema
2010: Michigan State (7-1) Mark Dantonio, Wisconsin (7-1) Bret Bielema
2009: Ohio State (7-1) Jim Tressel
2008: Ohio State (7-1) Jim Tressel, Penn State (7-1) Joe Paterno
2007: Ohio State (7-1) Jim Tressel
2006: Ohio State (8-0) Jim Tressel
2005: Ohio State (7-1) Jim Tressel, Penn State (7-1) Joe Paterno
2004: Iowa (7-1) Kirk Ferentz, Michigan (7-1) Lloyd Carr
2003: Michigan (7-1) Lloyd Carr
2002: Iowa (8-0) Kirk Ferentz, Ohio State (8-0) Jim Tressel
2001: Illinois (7-1) Ron Turner
2000: Michigan (6-2) Lloyd Carr. Northwestern (6-2) Randy Walker, Purdue (6-2) Joe Tiller
1999: Wisconsin (7-1) Barry Alvarez
1998: Michigan (7-1) Lloyd Carr. Ohio State (7-1) John Cooper, Wisconsin (7-1) Barry Alvarez
1997: Michigan (8-0) Lloyd Carr
1996: Northwestern (7-1) Gary Barnett, Ohio State (7-1) John Cooper
1995: Northwestern (8-0) Gary Barnett
1994: Penn State (8-0) Joe Paterno
1993: Ohio State (6-1-1) John Cooper, Wisconsin (6-1-1) Barry Alvarez
1992: Michigan (6-0-2) Gary Moeller
1991: Michigan (8-0) Gary Moeller
1990: Illinois (6-2) John Mackovic, Iowa (6-2) Hayden Fry, Michigan (6-2) Gary Moeller, Michigan State (6-2) George Perles
1989: Michigan (8-0) Bo Schembechler
1988: Michigan (7-0-1) Bo Schembechler
1987: Michigan State (7-0-1) George Perles
1986: Michigan (7-1) Bo Schembechler, Ohio State (7-1) Earle Bruce
1985: Iowa (7-1) Hayden Fry
1984: Ohio State (7-2) Earle Bruce
1983: Illinois (9-0) Mike White
1982: Michigan (8-1) Bo Schembechler
1981: Iowa (6-2) Hayden Fry, Ohio State (6-2) Earle Bruce
1980: Michigan (8-0) Bo Schembechler
1979: Ohio State (8-0) Earle Bruce
1978: Michigan (7-1) Bo Schembechler, Michigan State (7-1) Darryl Rogers
1977: Michigan (7-1) Bo Schembechler, Ohio State (7-1) Woody Hayes
1976: Michigan (7-1) Bo Schembechler, Ohio State (7-1) Woody Hayes
1975: Ohio State (8-0) Woody Hayes
1974: Michigan (7-1) Bo Schembechler, Ohio State (7-1) Woody Hayes
1973: Michigan (7-0-1) Bo Schembechler, Ohio State (7-0-1) Woody Hayes
1972: Michigan (7-1) Bo Schembechler, Ohio State (7-1) Woody Hayes
1971: Michigan (8-0) Bo Schembechler
1970: Ohio State (7-0) Woody Hayes
1969: Michigan (6-1) Bo Schembechler, Ohio State (6-1) Woody Hayes
1968: Ohio State (7-0) Woody Hayes
1967: Indiana (6-1) John Pont, Minnesota (6-1) Murray Warmath, Purdue (6-1) Jack Mollenkopf
1966: Michigan State (7-0) Duffy Daugherty
1965: Michigan State (7-0) Duffy Daugherty
1964: Michigan (6-1) Bump Elliott
1963: Illinois (5-1-1) Pete Elliott
1962: Wisconsin (6-1) Milt Bruhn
1961: Ohio State (6-0) Woody Hayes
1960: Iowa (5-1) Forest Evashevski, Minnesota (6-1) Murray Warmath
1959: Wisconsin (5-2) Milt Bruhn
1958: Iowa (5-1) Forest Evashevski
1957: Ohio State (7-0) Woody Hayes
1956: Iowa (5-1) Forest Evashevski
1955: Ohio State (6-0) Woody Hayes
1954: Ohio State (7-0) Woody Hayes
1953: Illinois (5-1) Ray Eliot, Michigan State (5-1) Clarence Munn
1952: Purdue (4-1-1) Stu Holcomb, Wisconsin (4-1-1) Ivy Williamson
1951: Illinois (5-0-1) Ray Eliot
1950: Michigan (4-1-1) Bennie Oosterbaan
1949: Michigan (4-1-1) Bennie Oosterbaan, Ohio State (4-1-1) Wes Fesler
1948: Michigan (5-0) Bennie Oosterbaan
1947: Michigan (6-0) Fritz Crisler
1946: Illinois (6-1) Ray Eliot
1945: Indiana (5-0-1) Bo McMillin
1944: Ohio State (6-0) Carroll Widdoes
1943: Michigan (6-0) Fritz Crisler, Purdue (6-0) Elmer Burnham
1942: Ohio State (5-1) Paul Brown
1941: Minnesota (5-0) Bernie Bierman
1940: Minnesota (6-0) Bernie Bierman
1939: Ohio State (5-1) Francis Schmidt
1938: Minnesota (4-1) Bernie Bierman
1937: Minnesota (5-0) Bernie Bierman
1936: Northwestern (6-0) Pappy Waldorf
1935: Minnesota (5-0) Bernie Bierman, Ohio State (5-0) Francis Schmidt
1934: Minnesota (5-0) Bernie Bierman
1933: Michigan (5-0-1) Harry Kipke, Minnesota (2-0-4) Bernie Bierman
1932: Michigan (6-0) Harry Kipke, Purdue (5-0-1) Noble Kizer
1931: Michigan (5-1) Harry Kipke, Northwestern (5-1) Dick Hanley, Purdue (5-1) Noble Kizer
1930: Michigan (5-0) Harry Kipke, Northwestern (5-0) Dick Hanley
1929: Purdue (5-0) James Phelan
1928: Illinois (4-1) Robert Zuppke
1927: Illinois (5-0) Robert Zuppke, Minnesota (3-0-1) Clarence Spears
1926: Michigan (5-0) Fielding H. Yost, Northwestern (5-0) Glenn Thistlethwaite
1925: Michigan (5-1) Fielding H. Yost
1924: Chicago (3-0-3) Amos Alonzo Stagg
1923: Illinois (5-0) Robert Zuppke, Michigan (4-0) Fielding H. Yost
1922: Chicago (4-0-1) Amos Alonzo Stagg, Iowa (5-0) Howard Jones, Michigan (4-0) Fielding H. Yost
1921: Iowa (5-0) Howard Jones
1920: Ohio State (5-0) John Wilce
1919: Illinois (6-1) Robert Zuppke
1918: Illinois (4-0) Robert Zuppke, Michigan (2-0) Fielding H. Yost, Purdue (1-0) A. G. Scanlon
1917: Ohio State (4-0) John Wilce
1916: Ohio State (4-0) John Wilce
1915: Illinois (3-0-2) Robert Zuppke, Minnesota (3-0-1) Henry L. Williams
1914: Illinois (6-0) Robert Zuppke
1913: Chicago (7-0) Amos Alonzo Stagg
1912: Wisconsin (5-0) William Juneau
1911: Minnesota (3-0-1) Henry L. Williams
1910: Illinois (4-0) Arthur Hall, Minnesota (2-0) Henry L. Williams
1909: Minnesota (3-0) Henry L. Williams
1908: Chicago (5-0) Amos Alonzo Stagg
1907: Chicago (4-0) Amos Alonzo Stagg
1906: Michigan (1-0) Fielding H. Yost, Minnesota (2-0) Henry L. Williams, Wisconsin (3-0) Charles P. Hutchins
1905: Chicago (7-0) Amos Alonzo Stagg
1904: Michigan (2-0) Fielding H. Yost, Minnesota (3-0) Henry L. Williams
1903: Michigan (3-0-1) Fielding H. Yost, Minnesota (3-0-1) Henry L. Williams, Northwestern (1-0-2) Walter McCornack
1902: Michigan (5-0) Fielding H. Yost
1901: Michigan (4-0) Fielding H. Yost, Wisconsin (2-0) Philip King
1900: Iowa (2-0-1) Alden Knipe, Minnesota (3-0-1) Henry L. Williams
1899: Chicago (4-0) Amos Alonzo Stagg
1898: Michigan (3-0) Gustave Ferbert
1897: Wisconsin (3-0) Philip King
1896: Wisconsin (2-0-1) Philip King

Tiebreaker Procedures

On September 1, 2011, the Big Ten Conference announced the divisional tiebreaker procedures that will be used to determine the representatives in the championship game. Division standings are based on each team's overall conference record, excluding teams ineligible for postseason because of sanctions. In the event that two teams are tied, the head-to-head results between those two teams determines the tiebreaker.

Impact on College Football Playoff

During the College Football Playoff era, the winner of the Big Ten Championship Game has advanced to the CFP in six of eight seasons, so the Big Ten Championship is annually one of the most pivotal games of the entire season.

Read also: History of the CFP Championship

Big Ten in the National Championship

The Big Ten has had its share of teams compete for the national title. Here's a summary of some notable appearances:

2024: Michigan defeated Washington 34-13 to win the NCAA College Football Playoff National Championship.
2022: Ohio State won against Notre Dame, 34-23, to capture their first national championship in a decade and ninth in program history.
2021: Ohio State lost to Alabama, 52-24, in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
2019: Ohio State lost to Clemson, 29-23, in the CFP Semifinal at Fiesta Bowl.
2018: Ohio State defeated Washington 28-23 to win the Rose Bowl.
2017: Ohio State lost to Clemson, 31-0, in the CFP Semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl.

Read also: NCAA Football Controversy: 1997

tags: #NCAA #football #Big #10 #Championship #history

A History of the Big Ten Football Championship

The Early Years

Notable Teams and Coaches

Formation of the Championship Game

Championship Game Results

Tiebreaker Procedures

Impact on College Football Playoff

Big Ten in the National Championship

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