The complete Big Ten membership timeline
The Big Ten is one of the oldest and most storied conferences in collegiate athletics and home to some of the nation’s top institutions. And as should be expected for a group that has been around as long as the Big Ten has, it has undergone a number of changes over the year. The conference hasn’t had 10 members on the football field since 1993 and is coming up on adding its 15th and 16th members.
The Big Ten still has most of its original lineup in tact, although one founding member took a brief hiatus from the conference and another is no longer associated with the group.
Here is a look at the full Big Ten membership timeline with a look at where it all started, where it has been, and where things are heading in the future.
1896: The birth of a conference
Founding members: Chicago, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin
In an effort to create some standards of intercollegiate athletics, seven schools sent one faculty member to a meeting in Chicago to come up with a plan that would eventually lead to the formation of the Big Ten. Six of the seven schools remain members to this day with only the University of Chicago not being able to stay on. But what we know as the Big Ten today actually started as a seven-member conference referred to as the Western Conference.
1899: Indiana and Iowa join the fold
New members: Indiana, Iowa
Two new members joined the Western Conference a few years after it all got started, bringing the conference membership up to nine members. Indiana and Iowa were formally admitted to the conference in December 1899 and they remained fixtures in the conference from that point on.
1907: Michigan takes a break
Departing member: Michigan
As Fielding Yost had the Wolverines dominating the world of college football, the head coach of Michigan was none too pleased with the leadership guiding the conference forward with new rules and regulations. Feeling membership in a restrictive conference would harm Michigan’s chances to continue its dominance, the Wolverines left the Big Ten and tried to survive without its membership.
1912: Here come the Buckeyes
New member: Ohio State
It took a number of years before the Big Ten filled the void left by the departure of Michigan. As it turned out, the conference welcomed one of Michigan’s newest rivals, Ohio State. It may be safe to say this was one expansion move that worked out quite well for the Big Ten over the course of its history.
1917: Michigan returns
New member: Michigan
Michigan’s attempt to play as an independent without being able to schedule any current Big Ten members (the conference essentially locked itself out from scheduling the Wolverines), there eventually came a breaking point where both sides realized they are better off together. Michigan struggled to schedule the way it wanted and rivalries formed in the Big Ten were deemed too important to abandon completely.
1946: Chicago leaves the Big Ten
Departing member: Chicago
The University of Chicago was once a true powerhouse on the football field, but it became more and more clear the university was not going to be able to keep pace with the evolving conference when it came to athletics. With the school reluctant to budget for athletics on the same level as other members, the University of Chicago withdrew from the conference and emphasized athletics as a whole.
1950: Sparty joins the party
New member: Michigan State
With a vacancy to fill following the departure of Chicago, the Big Ten voted to welcome Michigan State to the conference beginning in 1950. The football team would come in a couple of years later since schedules were already mapped out for a couple of seasons. The Big Ten was back to 10 members and had its membership locked in for decades to come.
1990: The 11th member
New member: Penn State
For the first time in 40 years, the Big Ten was ready to add another member. Penn State was voted in as the conference’s 11th member, making the conference the first to make a mockery of its own name with its membership total. Penn State was welcomed to the conference in all sports as early as possible, with the football program finally jumping in during the 1993 season.
2011: Big Red leaves the Big 12
New member: Nebraska
During the conference realignment madness of the 2010s, the Big Ten added its 12th member with Nebraska. Nebraska left behind its own historic rivalries and ties to the Big 12 as the Big 12 was losing Texas A&M and Missouri to the SEC, and Colorado to the Pac-12. Nebraska to the Big Ten gave the conference a chance to field a conference championship game and utilize a division format for the first time, but it would not be long before the conference got back into the realignment game again.
2014: Adding more east coast flair
New members: Maryland, Rutgers
Just three years after welcoming Nebraska, the Big Ten was ready to grow once again. This time the conference moved to the east with the additions of Rutgers from the American Athletic Conference and Maryland, a founding member of the ACC. The additions of Rutgers and Maryland led to a reorganization of the Big Ten divisional format, scrapping the infamous Legends and Leaders divisions for a more straightforward East and West.
2014: Adding a lacrosse powerhouse
New member: Johns Hopkins University (men’s and women’s lacrosse)
There was more expansion news for the Big Ten in 2014, but in a much more limited capacity. The Big Ten added lacrosse powerhouse Johns Hopkins University to the conference as an associate member in men’s and women’s lacrosse. This was the first associate membership for the Big Ten but it made for a good fit in the sport of lacrosse, which was given a boost with the addition of Maryland as well.
2017: Notre Dame joins the Big Ten... partially
New member: Notre Dame (ice hockey)
The Big Ten may never have been able to land Notre Dame as a full-time member, but the Fighting Irish did join the conference as an associate member for ice hockey. The Big Ten had just formed its hockey conference in 2014 with the Big Ten schools with an ice hockey program. The addition of Notre Dame gave the Big Ten seven schools as not every Big Ten school has an ice hockey program.
2024: Big Ten hits the west coast
The Big Ten’s next expansion will take the conference to Los Angeles with the pairing of USC and UCLA from the Pac-12. The Trojans and Bruins will begin life as Big Ten members in 2024 after one final year in the Pac-12 as signature programs in the conference. Whether there will be more on the way remains to be seen, but the Big Ten is bracing for being a 16-team football and basketball conference beginning in 2024.
