Big Ten Football Championship Game | |
---|---|
Sport | Football |
Conference | Big Ten Conference |
Current stadium | Lucas Oil Stadium |
Current location | Indianapolis, Indiana |
Played | 2011–present |
Last contest | 2023 |
Current champion | Michigan |
Most championships | Ohio State (5) |
TV partner(s) | Fox (2011–2023, 2025, 2027, 2029) CBS (2024, 2028) NBC (2026) |
Sponsors | |
Dr Pepper (2011–2016) Discover (2017–current) |
The Big Ten Football Championship Game is a college football game held by the Big Ten Conference each year to determine the conference's season champion. The game, held after the regular season has been completed, matches the division champions from the conference's West and East divisions. 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. Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis has been the site of the championship game since its inception in 2011 and is scheduled to host through 2024. [1] Since 2017, the game's official title has been the Big Ten College Football Championship Game Presented by Discover following a sponsorship deal with Discover Financial. [2]
The winner of this game earns the Big Ten's automatic berth in the Rose Bowl Game, unless the team is selected to play in the four-team College Football Playoff and/or the Rose Bowl is one of the playoff semi-finals. 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. Through the 2023 game, Wisconsin and Ohio State have the most appearances in the game with six, while Ohio State has the most wins with five.
Prior to the 2011 college football season, the Big Ten Conference determined its conference representative through regular season play, and, as there were only 11 member schools, there was no possibility for a conference championship game because, at the time, the NCAA required that a conference have 12 teams with two divisions in order to hold a conference 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 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. Delany also announced that once the 2011 agreement was in place, the conference office would conduct a thorough process over the next year to determine the location of the Big Ten Football Championship Game in 2012 and beyond. [3]
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. [4] In the league's press release, it was confirmed that the 2011 event would take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in prime time. Because Fox is a majority partner in the Big Ten Network, [5] this may allow for the possibility of more involvement by the Big Ten Network in the event, including the use of Big Ten Network staff in the game coverage. [6] Commissioner Delany also stated at that time that the Big Ten would strongly consider rotating the site of the game, mentioning other possible host cities such as Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Green Bay, and Cleveland. [4]
On June 5, 2014, the Big Ten Conference announced via press release that the Big Ten Football Championship game would continue to be held at Lucas Oil Stadium through the 2021 season. [7] [8]
The Big Ten expanded to 11 schools by adding Penn State in 1990, [9] 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). A few other times during that period, there were talks between the Big Ten and other schools (namely, Kansas, Missouri, and Rutgers, [10] and later Notre Dame [11] ) which might have led to the possibility of a conference with two divisions of at least six teams and a conference championship, but for various reasons, nothing came to fruition.
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. Its membership became effective on July 1, 2011. [12]
In November 2012, the Big Ten announced that Maryland [13] and Rutgers [14] would join the conference in 2014, which brought conference membership up to 14 schools.
The two participating teams in the game are 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. Another very important factor for Big Ten schools was the maintenance of long-standing rivalries that the schools held with each other.
On September 1, 2010, Commissioner Delany revealed how the teams would be placed into the two divisions. [15] On December 13, Commissioner Delany announced that the two divisions would be called Legends and Leaders. [16] 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. The permanent crossover opponent would be used to ensure that long standing historical rivalries would continue.
On August 4, 2011, the Big Ten Conference announced that there would be a nine-game conference schedule beginning in 2017, allowing schools to play four crossover opponents. [17] However, the Big Ten and Pac-12 later announced a multi-sport scheduling agreement that provides for each member school to play one non-conference football game per year against an opponent from the other conference, and with this announcement, the Big Ten backed away from the nine-game conference schedule proposal.
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. In addition, the conference adopted a nine-game schedule beginning in 2016. [18]
In December 2020, the Big Ten Conference waived the six-game minimum requirement for a team to participate in the championship game; Ohio State, which had a 5–0 record after playing a limited schedule impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, would otherwise have been ineligible to participate. [19] The Big Ten stated, "The decision was based on a competitive analysis which determined that Ohio State would have advanced to the Big Ten Football Championship Game based on its undefeated record and head-to-head victory over Indiana regardless of a win or loss against Michigan." [19]
‡ 2020 game attendance capped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Matchups that have occurred more than once in the division era:
# of Times | East Division | West Division | Record | Years Played |
---|---|---|---|---|
3 | Ohio State | Wisconsin | Ohio State, 3–0 | 2014, 2017, 2019 |
2 | Ohio State | Northwestern | Ohio State, 2–0 | 2018, 2020 |
2 | Michigan | Iowa | Michigan, 2–0 | 2021, 2023 |
Appearances | School | Wins | Losses | Year(s) won | Year(s) lost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 | Ohio State | 5 | 1 | 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 | 2013 |
6 | Wisconsin | 2 | 4 | 2011, 2012 | 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 |
3 | Iowa | 0 | 3 | 2015, 2021, 2023 | |
3 | Michigan | 3 | 0 | 2021, 2022, 2023 | |
3 | Michigan State | 2 | 1 | 2013, 2015 | 2011 |
2 | Northwestern | 0 | 2 | 2018, 2020 | |
1 | Penn State | 1 | 0 | 2016 | |
1 | Nebraska | 0 | 1 | 2012 | |
1 | Purdue | 0 | 1 | 2022 |
Year | Network | Play-by-play | Color commentator(s) | Sideline reporter(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Fox | Gus Johnson | Charles Davis | Tim Brewster and Dhani Jones |
2012 | Julie Alexandria | |||
2013 | Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink | |||
2014 | Molly McGrath | |||
2015 | Joel Klatt | |||
2016 | Shannon Spake | |||
2017 | Jenny Taft | |||
2018 | ||||
2019 | ||||
2020 | ||||
2021 | ||||
2022 | Allison Williams | |||
2023 | Jenny Taft |
Year | Network | Play-by-play | Color commentator(s) |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | Compass Media Networks | Gregg Daniels | Dale Hellestrae |
2014 | |||
2015 | |||
2016 | |||
2017 | |||
2018 | |||
2019 | |||
2020 | |||
2021 | |||
2022 |
Team | Record, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
---|---|---|
Most points scored (one team) | 70, Wisconsin vs. Nebraska | 2012 |
Most points scored (losing team) | 39, Michigan State vs. Wisconsin | 2011 |
Fewest points scored (winning team) | 16, Michigan State vs. Iowa | 2015 |
Fewest points scored | 0, Wisconsin vs. Ohio State Iowa vs. Michigan | 2014 2023 |
Most points scored (both teams) | 101, Wisconsin (70) vs. Nebraska (31) | 2012 |
Fewest points scored (both teams) | 26, Michigan (26) vs. Iowa (0) | 2023 |
Most points scored in a half | 42, Wisconsin (1st half) vs. Nebraska | 2012 |
Most points scored in a half (both teams) | 52, Wisconsin vs. Nebraska (1st half) | 2012 |
Largest margin of victory | 59, Ohio State (59) vs. Wisconsin (0) | 2014 |
Smallest margin of victory | 3, Wisconsin (42) vs. Michigan State (39) Michigan State (16) vs. Iowa (13) | 2011 2015 |
Total yards | 640, Wisconsin (101 passing, 539 rushing) vs. Nebraska | 2012 |
Rushing yards | 539, Wisconsin vs. Nebraska | 2012 |
Passing yards | 499, Ohio State vs. Northwestern | 2018 |
First downs | 31, Ohio State vs. Northwestern | 2018 |
Fewest yards allowed | 155, Iowa vs. Michigan (120 passing, 35 rushing) | 2023 |
Fewest rushing yards allowed | 35, Iowa vs. Michigan | 2023 |
Fewest passing yards allowed | 101, Nebraska vs. Wisconsin Michigan State vs. Ohio State | 2012 2013 |
Individual | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
All-purpose yards | 494, Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State vs. Northwestern | 2018 |
Touchdowns (all-purpose) | 5, shared by: James White, Wisconsin vs. Nebraska Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State vs. Northwestern | 2012 2018 |
Rushing yards | 331, Trey Sermon, Ohio State vs. Northwestern | 2020 |
Rushing touchdowns | 4, James White, Wisconsin vs. Nebraska | 2012 |
Passing yards | 499, Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State vs. Northwestern | 2018 |
Passing touchdowns | 5, Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State vs. Northwestern | 2018 |
Receiving yards | 162, Charlie Jones, Purdue vs. Michigan | 2022 |
Receiving touchdowns | 3, shared by: B.J. Cunningham, Michigan State vs. Wisconsin Devin Smith, Ohio State vs. Wisconsin | 2011 2014 |
Tackles | 16, Jerome Baker, Ohio State vs. Wisconsin | 2017 |
Sacks | 3, shared by: Denicos Allen, Michigan State vs. Wisconsin Chase Young, Ohio State vs. Northwestern | 2011 2018 |
Interceptions | 2, shared by: Doran Grant, Ohio State vs. Wisconsin Will Johnson, Michigan vs. Purdue | 2014 2022 |
Field Goals Made | 5, (5 att.) Mitchell Fineran, Purdue vs. Michigan | 2022 |
Long Plays | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
Touchdown run | 81, Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State vs. Wisconsin | 2014 |
Touchdown pass | 85, Tevaun Smith from C. J. Beathard, Iowa vs. Michigan State | 2015 |
Kickoff return | 44, Jared Abbrederis, Wisconsin vs. Michigan State | 2011 |
Punt return | 87, Semaj Morgan, Michigan vs. Iowa | 2023 |
Interception return | 37, Doran Grant, Ohio State vs. Wisconsin | 2014 |
Fumble return | 17, Travis Willock, Northwestern vs. Ohio State | 2018 |
Punt | 73, Cameron Johnston, Ohio State vs. Wisconsin | 2014 |
Field goal | 50, James Turner, Michigan vs. Iowa | 2023 |
Miscellaneous | Record, Team vs. Team | Year |
Game attendance | 67,842, Iowa vs. Michigan | 2023 |
Source: [21]
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. [22] 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. Unlike the Southeastern Conference, whose rules were established before NCAA overtime and has provisions in case the two tied teams' game is either canceled or tied because of inclement weather (NCAA rules permit drawn games if, after three periods have been played, a game is tied when the game is called off because of inclement weather, including reaching curfew), the Big Ten does not have a policy in case the head-to-head result is a tie because of inclement weather.
If only two teams remain after any of the following steps, the tiebreaker will revert to the two-team tiebreaker above.
The Big Ten Conference is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1896, it predates the founding of its regulating organization, the NCAA. It is based in the Chicago area in Rosemont, Illinois. For many decades the conference consisted of 10 prominent universities, which accounts for its name. As of 2014, it consists of 14 member institutions and 2 affiliate institutions, with 4 new member institutions scheduled to join in 2024. The conference competes in the NCAA Division I and 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.
The Big Ten men's basketball tournament is held annually at the end of the men's college basketball regular season. The tournament has been played each year since 1998. The winner of the tournament is designated the Big Ten Tournament Champion, and receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Big Ten was one of the last NCAA Division I college basketball conferences to start a tournament.
Coaches and media of the Big Ten Conference award the following individual honors at the end of each football season. In addition, the Chicago Tribune awards the Chicago Tribune Silver Football to the most valuable football player of the conference.
James Edward Delany is the former commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, a role in which he had served from 1989 until 2020. He is regarded among college athletics as having been influential in the creation of the Bowl Championship Series and its maintenance.
The 2020 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by third-year head coach Scott Frost and played their games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, as members of the West Division in the Big Ten Conference.
Fox College Football is the branding used for broadcasts of NCAA Division I FBS college football games produced by Fox Sports, and broadcast primarily by Fox, FS1, and FS2.
The 2012 Big Ten men's basketball tournament was held from March 8 through March 11 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. This was the first tournament to feature 12 teams of the expanded Big Ten, with Nebraska making its debut. The tournament was the fifteenth annual Big Ten men's basketball tournament. The championship was won by Michigan State who defeated Ohio State in the championships game. As a result, Michigan State received the Big Ten's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The win marked Michigan State's third tournament championship and first since 2000.
The 2012 Big Ten Football Championship Game was a college football game. It was played on December 1, 2012, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, to determine the 2012 champion of the Big Ten Conference. It was played between the Wisconsin Badgers of the Leaders Division and the Nebraska Cornhuskers of the Legends Division. Wisconsin defeated Nebraska, 70–31.
The 2010–14 Big Ten Conference realignment refers to the Big Ten Conference dealing with several proposed and actual conference expansion and reduction plans among various NCAA conferences and institutions from 2010 to 2014. U.S. sports media credited expansion plans by the Big Ten as being the trigger for a massive wave of conference realignment during this period. While no Big Ten members announced plans to join other conferences, the league announced expansion from 11 members to an ultimate total of 14 full members and one single-sport associate member, with one full member joining in 2011 and the remaining schools joining in July 2014.
The 2013 Big Ten Football Championship Game was a college football game that was played on December 7, 2013, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the third annual Big Ten Football Championship Game, and determined the 2013 champion of the Big Ten Conference (B1G). The game featured the Leaders Division champion Ohio State Buckeyes against the Legends Division champion Michigan State Spartans. Michigan State defeated Ohio State 34–24, to win the Big Ten Championship, and represent the conference in the 100th Rose Bowl game on January 1, 2014. The upset loss kept Ohio State out of the BCS National Championship game.
The 2014 Big Ten Conference football season was the 119th season of college football play for the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The conference began its season on Thursday, August 28, as Minnesota and Rutgers opened their seasons. The remainder of the teams in the conference began their season on August 30.
The 2015 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented Ohio State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Buckeyes' 126th season overall, the 103rd as a member of the Big Ten Conference, and second as a member of the Eastern Division. The team was led by Urban Meyer, in his fourth year as head coach, and played its home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. They finished the season 12–1, 7–1 in Big Ten play, to finish in a tie for the East Division championship with Michigan State. Due to their head-to-head loss to Michigan State, they did not represent the East Division in the Big Ten Championship Game. They were invited to the Fiesta Bowl where they defeated Notre Dame.
The 2018 Big Ten conference football season was the 123rd season of college football play for the Big Ten Conference and was part of the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season.
The 2019 Big Ten conference football season was the 124th season of college football play for the Big Ten Conference and was part of the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season.
The 2020 Big Ten conference football season is the 125th season of college football play for the Big Ten Conference and part of the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This was the Big Ten's seventh season with 14 teams. The defending league champion was Ohio State.
The 2020 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented Ohio State University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Ryan Day, and played their home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. It was the Buckeyes' 131st season overall and 108th as a member of the Big Ten Conference.
The 2021 Big Ten men's basketball tournament was a postseason men's basketball tournament for the Big Ten Conference of the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season which took place March 10–14, 2021. The tournament was originally to be held at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. However, on February 9, the tournament was moved to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana to better deal with testing concerns raised by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2021 Big Ten Football Championship Game was a college football game played on December 4, 2021, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the 11th edition of the Big Ten Football Championship Game and determined the champion of the Big Ten Conference for the 2021 season. The game began at 8:19 p.m. EST and aired on Fox. The game featured the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines, the East Division champions, and the No. 13 Iowa Hawkeyes, the West Division champions. The game was officially known as the Big Ten Championship Game presented by Discover, owing to its sponsorship by the credit card company.
The 2021–22 Big Ten women's basketball season is expected to begin with practices in October 2021, followed by the start of the 2021–22 NCAA Division I women's basketball season in November 2021. The regular season will end in March, 2022.
The 2022 Big Ten Football Championship Game was a college football game that was played on December 3, 2022, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the 12th edition of the Big Ten Football Championship Game and determined the champion of the conference for the 2022 season. The game began at 8:00 p.m. EST and aired on Fox. The game featured the Purdue Boilermakers, the West Division champions, and the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines, the East Division champions.