As a new BIG10 fan can you help me understand the conference rivalries?

[NorthwesternSeasider]

So looking at the last game of the season I understand these to be the main conference rivalries:

Michigan Ohio State (knew that one, obviously)
Northwestern Illinois
Purdue Indiana
Michigan State Penn State
Maryland Rutgers
Iowa Wisconsin
Minnesota Nebraska

So of that list which of the rivalries are the most legitimate (other than Michigan OSU, I guess). Nebraska’s real rival would be an old Big 12 foe Colorado. Does Iowa hate Iowa State or Wisconsin more?

What other rivalries not played at the end of the season are bigger than these (UM MSU comes to mind).

 

[ThatkidfromHolland]

So looking at the last game of the season I understand these to be the main conference rivalries:

Michigan Ohio State (knew that one, obviously)
Northwestern Illinois
Purdue Indiana
Michigan State Penn State
Maryland Rutgers
Iowa Wisconsin
Minnesota Nebraska

So of that list which of the rivalries are the most legitimate (other than Michigan OSU, I guess). Nebraska’s real rival would be an old Big 12 foe Colorado. Does Iowa hate Iowa State or Wisconsin more?

What other rivalries not played at the end of the season are bigger than these (UM MSU comes to mind).

I’m from Michigan so two biggest around here are scUM and OSU and scUM MSU. OSU has more hate from scUM. MSU hates scUM the most.
Fitz hates Iowa

 

[BigNUFan51]

It’s hard to believe but the teams with the fewest amount of trophy games in the conference is Northwestern and Ohio State. Both trophy games are with Illinois.

 

[philconnors12345]

So looking at the last game of the season I understand these to be the main conference rivalries:

Michigan Ohio State (knew that one, obviously)
Northwestern Illinois
Purdue Indiana
Michigan State Penn State
Maryland Rutgers
Iowa Wisconsin
Minnesota Nebraska

So of that list which of the rivalries are the most legitimate (other than Michigan OSU, I guess). Nebraska’s real rival would be an old Big 12 foe Colorado. Does Iowa hate Iowa State or Wisconsin more?

What other rivalries not played at the end of the season are bigger than these (UM MSU comes to mind).

I don't know that Maryland and Rutgers are rivals.

I think Wisconsin and Minnesota are officially rivals.

I think they're trying to make Nebraska and Iowa into rivals.

 

[DaCat]

I don't know that Maryland and Rutgers are rivals.

I think Wisconsin and Minnesota are officially rivals.

I think they're trying to make Nebraska and Iowa into rivals.

MD Rutgers is artificial.

 

[Sheffielder]

Don't strain your brain to make sense of a nonsense situation. Some "rivalries" are manufactured for the sake of round numbers. I don't know any Michigan State or Penn State fans who care about that game other than it sometimes has bowl implications at the end of the year. If you ask Rutgers they'd much rather tell you Penn State is their B1G rival, and they don't care about Maryland (I suspect the feeling is mutual). Then you have the Iowa-Minny-Wisconsin thrupple that has been interrupted by Nebraska moving in on Iowa.

The only "true" rivalries I personally recognize as a fan of this conference:
Michigan-Ohio State
Michigan-MSU
Purdue-IU
The Iowa-Minny-Wisco thrupple

I didn't forget NU-Illinois. I've been a fan for more than half my life and can never really remember caring about this game other than when we've been in danger of screwing up a "sure thing" for the win column. As an NU fan I've always prioritized Wisconsin, Iowa, and to a lesser extent Purdue over Illinois.

 

[EvanstonCat]

So looking at the last game of the season I understand these to be the main conference rivalries:

Michigan Ohio State (knew that one, obviously)
Northwestern Illinois
Purdue Indiana
Michigan State Penn State
Maryland Rutgers
Iowa Wisconsin
Minnesota Nebraska

So of that list which of the rivalries are the most legitimate (other than Michigan OSU, I guess). Nebraska’s real rival would be an old Big 12 foe Colorado. Does Iowa hate Iowa State or Wisconsin more?

What other rivalries not played at the end of the season are bigger than these (UM MSU comes to mind).

Have only a vague sense of other rivalries.

For us, in-state rivalry is Illinois, but they are more of someone we just beat up on every year.

Wisconsin is probably the biggest real rival - football wise. We're something like 15-15 in the last 30 years. They are also closer to Evanston than Urbana Champaign. Game often has implications on who is going to win the West. We've ruined their season a few times, and sometimes it's winner take all, like this past weekend.

Iowa has been redlettered since the Barnett days, as a measuring stick, as they used to beat our asses like dOSU did, but we've been beating their asses pretty regularly as of late. Still there is something there that makes us get up a little more for that one.

Purdue was a protected rival (for no good reason at all) before we went to 14 teams. Matchup always seems to have some bowl related implications.

We've played Nebraska pretty evenly since they joined, and their claim on NU as an abbreviation for them is both an affront to common sense, and gets our dander up.

Ohio State is not so much a rival as much as they are the hated enemy. Not just because they have raped and tortured us for the better part of 40 years, they seem to be that bridge too far. Perhaps, this is the year we take it out on them. They are the enemy because they are the antithesis to all which we stand for in terms of the scholar athlete ideal. They cheat, they steal, they are everything that is wrong about college football. We are the beacon of light in their sea of darkness. We are the eagle to their clam. I hate them.

 

[kaTNap]

Relationship status = it's complicated.

Intra-state rivalries:
NU-Illinois ;; Trophy=Land of Lincoln (a/k/a "The Hat")
Indiana-Purdue ;; Trophy = Old Oaken Bucket
Michigan-Michigan State ;; no trophy AFAIK

Traditional border-war rivalries:
Michigan-Ohio State
Wisconsin-Minnesota ;; Trophy=Paul Bunyan's axe
Minnesota-Iowa ;; Trophy=bronze pig "Floyd of Rosedale"

Cross-state rivalries with trophies and history:
Michigan-Minnesota (Little Brown Jug)
Illinois-Ohio State (Illibuck trophy)

Rivalries of recent invention to get conference newcomers involved:
Nebraska-Minnesota ;; the "$5 Bits of Broken Chair" trophy (!!)
Nebraska-Iowa
Nebraska-Wisconsin ;; Freedom trophy
Penn State-Michigan State ;; Land-grant trophy
Maryland-Rutgers (??)

The Threefold Nexus of Hate in the B1G West:
Northwestern-Iowa-Wisconsin ;; would be a fourfold nexus of hate if Illinois were good

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Don't strain your brain to make sense of a nonsense situation. Some "rivalries" are manufactured for the sake of round numbers. I don't know any Michigan State or Penn State fans who care about that game other than it sometimes has bowl implications at the end of the year. If you ask Rutgers they'd much rather tell you Penn State is their B1G rival, and they don't care about Maryland (I suspect the feeling is mutual). Then you have the Iowa-Minny-Wisconsin thrupple that has been interrupted by Nebraska moving in on Iowa.

The only "true" rivalries I personally recognize as a fan of this conference:
Michigan-Ohio State
Michigan-MSU
Purdue-IU
The Iowa-Minny-Wisco thrupple

I didn't forget NU-Illinois. I've been a fan for more than half my life and can never really remember caring about this game other than when we've been in danger of screwing up a "sure thing" for the win column. As an NU fan I've always prioritized Wisconsin, Iowa, and to a lesser extent Purdue over Illinois.

I am thinking you aren’t from Illinois. I can tell you, Illinois is a big game for me every year. I don’t care if the game is meaningless to the outcome of anything. Having grown up here in Illinois during the dark ages it is impossible to forget the dismissive arrogance they have shown for years to NU. Think Illinois basketball on steroids.

 

[EvanstonCat]

I am thinking you aren’t from Illinois. I can tell you, Illinois is a big game for me every year. I don’t care if the game is meaningless to the outcome of anything. Having grown up here in Illinois during the dark ages it is impossible to forget the dismissive arrogance they have shown for years to NU. Think Illinois basketball on steroids.

Yes, it's true, no matter how bad they are, I enjoy beating their asses. The more the better.

 

[Gladeskat]

Relationship status = it's complicated.

Intra-state rivalries:
NU-Illinois ;; Trophy=Land of Lincoln (a/k/a "The Hat")
Indiana-Purdue ;; Trophy = Old Oaken Bucket
Michigan-Michigan State ;; no trophy AFAIK

Traditional border-war rivalries:
Michigan-Ohio State
Wisconsin-Minnesota ;; Trophy=Paul Bunyan's axe
Minnesota-Iowa ;; Trophy=bronze pig "Floyd of Rosedale"

Cross-state rivalries with trophies and history:
Michigan-Minnesota (Little Brown Jug)
Illinois-Ohio State (Illibuck trophy)

Rivalries of recent invention to get conference newcomers involved:
Nebraska-Minnesota ;; the "$5 Bits of Broken Chair" trophy (!!)
Nebraska-Iowa
Nebraska-Wisconsin ;; Freedom trophy
Penn State-Michigan State ;; Land-grant trophy
Maryland-Rutgers (??)

The Threefold Nexus of Hate in the B1G West:
Northwestern-Iowa-Wisconsin ;; would be a fourfold nexus of hate if Illinois were good

Illinois - Purdue is also a border-war rivalry game . . . the Purdue Cannon . . . some tiny cannon smaller than a sewing machine.

 

[TheC]

Have only a vague sense of other rivalries.

For us, in-state rivalry is Illinois, but they are more of someone we just beat up on every year.

Wisconsin is probably the biggest real rival - football wise. We're something like 15-15 in the last 30 years. They are also closer to Evanston than Urbana Champaign. Game often has implications on who is going to win the West. We've ruined their season a few times, and sometimes it's winner take all, like this past weekend.

Iowa has been redlettered since the Barnett days, as a measuring stick, as they used to beat our asses like dOSU did, but we've been beating their asses pretty regularly as of late. Still there is something there that makes us get up a little more for that one.

Purdue was a protected rival (for no good reason at all) before we went to 14 teams. Matchup always seems to have some bowl related implications.

We've played Nebraska pretty evenly since they joined, and their claim on NU as an abbreviation for them is both an affront to common sense, and gets our dander up.

Ohio State is not so much a rival as much as they are the hated enemy. Not just because they have raped and tortured us for the better part of 40 years, they seem to be that bridge too far. Perhaps, this is the year we take it out on them. They are the enemy because they are the antithesis to all which we stand for in terms of the scholar athlete ideal. They cheat, they steal, they are everything that is wrong about college football. We are the beacon of light in their sea of darkness. We are the eagle to their clam. I hate them.

The only rivalry you really need to know is EvanstonCat vs. Ohio State

 

[iskaboo]

Relationship status = it's complicated.

Intra-state rivalries:
NU-Illinois ;; Trophy=Land of Lincoln (a/k/a "The Hat")
Indiana-Purdue ;; Trophy = Old Oaken Bucket
Michigan-Michigan State ;; no trophy AFAIK

Traditional border-war rivalries:
Michigan-Ohio State
Wisconsin-Minnesota ;; Trophy=Paul Bunyan's axe
Minnesota-Iowa ;; Trophy=bronze pig "Floyd of Rosedale"

Cross-state rivalries with trophies and history:
Michigan-Minnesota (Little Brown Jug)
Illinois-Ohio State (Illibuck trophy)

Rivalries of recent invention to get conference newcomers involved:
Nebraska-Minnesota ;; the "$5 Bits of Broken Chair" trophy (!!)
Nebraska-Iowa
Nebraska-Wisconsin ;; Freedom trophy
Penn State-Michigan State ;; Land-grant trophy
Maryland-Rutgers (??)

The Threefold Nexus of Hate in the B1G West:
Northwestern-Iowa-Wisconsin ;; would be a fourfold nexus of hate if Illinois were good

I always chuckle at the mere thought of the Land Grant Trophy.

 

[kaTNap]

A trophy truly built by a committee ...

 

[Catreporter]

Illinois is the ONLY Big Ten team I root against when playing anybody else so, as a lifelong resident of the state, I consider them our biggest rival.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Our biggest rival is Joey Galloway and his big T-Rex head

 

[cattul]

I am thinking you aren’t from Illinois. I can tell you, Illinois is a big game for me every year. I don’t care if the game is meaningless to the outcome of anything. Having grown up here in Illinois during the dark ages it is impossible to forget the dismissive arrogance they have shown for years to NU. Think Illinois basketball on steroids.

I think a rivalry is reflected in team effort, and while NU/Illinois may not have as much mutual deep dislike as other rivalries, the games have often been ridiculously hard fought affairs, regardless of which team has the upper hand.

That is a rivalry. A genuine rivalry. Though the Illini really do try so hard to manufacture some animosity to go along with it.

Edit: I remember going down to UIUC when my friends were students there in the early 90s. At that time, you could find plenty of Illini fans who would, with a perfectly straight face, tell you that Michigan was really Illinois’ big rival, not Northwestern. Just priceless.

 

[chariots]

Michigan and Michigan State do have a trophy, the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Which is confusing as Wisconsin and Minnesota play for Paul Bunyan's axe.

Illinois and Purdue play for the Purdue Cannon.

Iowa and Nebraska for the Heroes Trophy.

Indiana and Michigan State for the Old Brass Spittoon

Minnesota and Penn State (really?) for the Governor's Victory Bell

Out of conference games with trophies:
Iowa-Iowa State for the Cy-Hawk
Maryland-Navy for the Crab Bowl Trophy
Michigan State-Notre Dame for the Megaphone
Purdue-Notre Dame for the Shillelagh Trophy
Penn State-Pitt in the Keystone Classic
Nebraska-Missouri for the Victory Bell

 

[EvanstonCat]

We played for the Shillelagh against Notre Dame too.

 

[pittcat90]

Michigan and Michigan State do have a trophy, the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Which is confusing as Wisconsin and Minnesota play for Paul Bunyan's axe.

Illinois and Purdue play for the Purdue Cannon.

Iowa and Nebraska for the Heroes Trophy.

Indiana and Michigan State for the Old Brass Spittoon

Minnesota and Penn State (really?) for the Governor's Victory Bell

Out of conference games with trophies:
Iowa-Iowa State for the Cy-Hawk
Maryland-Navy for the Crab Bowl Trophy
Michigan State-Notre Dame for the Megaphone
Purdue-Notre Dame for the Shillelagh Trophy
Penn State-Pitt in the Keystone Classic
Nebraska-Missouri for the Victory Bell

Since non conference trophies were brought up, I thought I would include the worst trophy ever. When Iowa and Iowa State decided to replace to original Cy-Hawk trophy, the Iowa Corn Growers Association offered this monstrosity:

Both teams rejected it

 

[DaCat]

Don't forget the Northwestern-Wisconsin Rece Davis Trophy.

 

[cattul]

Going back to the original post, and addressing the issue in a broader sense, as many of the other responses have alluded to: the Big Ten is the DisneyHallmarkGrantlandRice of conferences. Everything produced by the conference has a manufactured gleam to it, even the rivalries (and that includes the true bitter rivalries like OSU/Mich.)

Shorter description: Big Ten things are often fakey and saccharine, like marketed memories, and some of the ‘rivalries’ (PSU/Mich St. being the most absurd) can feel that way.

Remember, we had the gall to call our divisions legends and leaders, not so long ago. (Just embarrassing.)

Rivalries as branded by the nostalgia generation department at the conference offices, are sort of a meh thing one must accept as the price of admission.

And if you aren’t a traditional power — i.e. you showed up to the dance alone — you can be assigned a random partner, as happened to us when we ‘got’ a surprise rivalry with Purdue, for a while.

 

[EvanstonCat]

Don't forget the Northwestern-Wisconsin Rece Davis Trophy.

The Northfistern would have much more practical and hilarious use.

 

[TheC]

Going back to the original post, and addressing the issue in a broader sense, as many of the other responses have alluded to: the Big Ten is the DisneyHallmarkGrantlandRice of conferences. Everything produced by the conference has a manufactured gleam to it, even the rivalries (and that includes the true bitter rivalries like OSU/Mich.)

Shorter description: Big Ten things are often fakey and saccharine, like marketed memories, and some of the ‘rivalries’ (PSU/Mich St. Being the most absurd) are no different. Remember, we had the gall to call our divisions legends and leaders, not so long ago. (Just embarrassing.)

Rivalries as branded by the nostalgia generation department at the conference offices, are sort of a meh thing one must accept as the price of admission.

I don't know if I agree with this. What you describe as manufactured and saccharine are more the result of our modern, hyper-marketed society. That affects everything, including the Big Ten. I also think each generation adds to the sense of what is a rivalry. Obviously, the OSU-Michigan game is the biggest as it dates back to the era of the Big 2, Little 8. But new rivalries emerge. If they didn't, NU wouldn't have any rivalries because we were so horrible for so many years. Now, I consider the NU-Illinois and NU-Wisconsin games to be pretty big rivalry games. I don't consider those manufactured - just new.

 

[Gladeskat]

Since non conference trophies were brought up, I thought I would include the worst trophy ever. When Iowa and Iowa State decided to replace to original Cy-Hawk trophy, the Iowa Corn Growers Association offered this monstrosity:

Both teams rejected it

They look like Little People farmers with huge heads. I laughed my ass off when the trophy was revealed and just about everyone hated it. They had to come up with a new trophy.

 

[cattul]

I don't know if I agree with this. What you describe as manufactured and saccharine are more the result of our modern, hyper-marketed society. That affects everything, including the Big Ten. I also think each generation adds to the sense of what is a rivalry. Obviously, the OSU-Michigan game is the biggest as it dates back to the era of the Big 2, Little 8. But new rivalries emerge. If they didn't, NU wouldn't have any rivalries because we were so horrible for so many years. Now, I consider the NU-Illinois and NU-Wisconsin games to be pretty big rivalry games. I don't consider those manufactured - just new.

Well, you are describing the genuine rivalries which are typically geographical and historical. If such a game has a trophy, it is something no committee would have picked, like Floyd of Rosedale. It is real.

The conference thought so much of our ‘rivalry’ with Wisconsin that it put the Badgers in a different division. And no organic process would lead to an Abe’s Hat trophy.

So there is the real NU/Illinois rivalry, and the marketed gleam on top of it that we do so much more than other conferences. We pour it on really thick.

 

[FrancisSearle75]

I always chuckle at the mere thought of the Land Grant Trophy.

I thought this was a parody of the numerous rivalry game trophies out there. Didn't realize it was an actual trophy until I did a google search trying to find out what satire website created it.

 

[Alan Smithee]

Since non conference trophies were brought up, I thought I would include the worst trophy ever. When Iowa and Iowa State decided to replace to original Cy-Hawk trophy, the Iowa Corn Growers Association offered this monstrosity:

Both teams rejected it

That trophy was rightly rejected! The trophy should depict a county extension officer delivering a subsidy check.

 

[Catslash]

ohio state vs. michigan and nobody else getting that worked up over football game

 

[HawkCat]

Rivalries of recent invention to get conference newcomers involved:

Nebraska-Iowa

The Threefold Nexus of Hate in the B1G West:
Northwestern-Iowa-Wisconsin ;; would be a fourfold nexus of hate if Illinois were good

There is a lot of truth to the "Threefold Nexus of Hate in the B1G West."

Although the Nebraska-Iowa rivalry might be somewhat of an invention of the B1G, it has gotten legs. Iowa fans really hate Nebraska fans and Scott Frost.

Iowa's trophy rivalry with Minnesota has taken a bit of a backseat to the foregoing rivalries in recent years, although Kirk Ferentz's post-game comment a week ago about Iowa figuring it would take the Floyd with it and leave the timeouts in Minneapolis might reignite the fire a bit.

 

[cattul]

There is a lot of truth to the "Threefold Nexus of Hate in the B1G West."

Although the Nebraska-Iowa rivalry might be somewhat of an invention of the B1G, it has gotten legs. Iowa fans really hate Nebraska fans and Scott Frost.

Iowa's trophy rivalry with Minnesota has taken a bit of a backseat to the foregoing rivalries in recent years, although Kirk Ferentz's post-game comment a week ago about Iowa figuring it would take the Floyd with it and leave the timeouts in Minneapolis might reignite the fire a bit.

Who don’t Iowa fans hate?

Much shorter list.

I think the thing Nebraska fears most is that they are becoming just another Iowa. (Spoiler alert: they are!)

 

[HawkCat]

Who don’t Iowa fans hate?

Much shorter list.

Good point.

 

[Gladeskat]

The Northfistern would have much more practical and hilarious use.

I like this idea. I envision a trophy featuring a large fist or shoe hitting someone in the groin or ass. It seems like many NU vs UW games end that way. There are the games we "stole" from them: 1996, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2014, 2015. The games they stole from us - 1997. Games where we kicked their butts - 1995, 2018, and 2020*. And games were they kicked our butts: 1998, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2010(!), 2013, 2017, 2019.

Quite a few painful losses in this series. It's much like the Iowa series, which has been painful for both teams over the past 25 years, costing us an outright Big Ten championship and trip to the RB, and costing Iowa a co-championship and perhaps an outright championship in 2009 if Stanzi the Panzi had been healthy.

*When Fitz is passing in the 4th quarter to add another score instead of running out the clock as he usually does in close games, that equates to an ass-kicking. He had no worries about UW coming back against our defense! None. He was rubbing it in!

 

[FeralFelidae]

Don't forget the Northwestern-Wisconsin Rece Davis Trophy.

Or Io_a's W.

That W is the best trophy of all.

 

[DaCat]

Or Io_a's W.

That W is the best trophy of all.

This is actually a really good point. The fans (at least us NU fans) have created a virtual trophy for the W with Io_a. And with Neb, I think pinning the Loss on UN, as in UN-L, should turn into another one. Maybe L-isconsin should be a combination of the Io_a and UN-L trophies, taking their W and replacing it with a L.

 

[Gladeskat]

This is actually a really good point. The fans (at least us NU fans) have created a virtual trophy for the W with Io_a. And with Neb, I think pinning the Loss on UN, as in UN-L, should turn into another one. Maybe L-isconsin should be a combination of the Io_a and UN-L trophies, taking their W and replacing it with a L.

I like the "W" trophy. Listed scores on the trophy should leave out the "W" in the loser's name and capitalize the "W" in the winner's name.

NorthWestern 21, Io..a 20

And in the rare event Iowa beats NU:
IoWa 28, North..estern 17

 

[Sheffielder]

I am thinking you aren’t from Illinois. I can tell you, Illinois is a big game for me every year. I don’t care if the game is meaningless to the outcome of anything. Having grown up here in Illinois during the dark ages it is impossible to forget the dismissive arrogance they have shown for years to NU. Think Illinois basketball on steroids.

You are right I did not grow up here, like most of our players - I don't say that sarcastically, but to simply point out that I think I'm probably in the majority of fans (and players!) who don't get particularly riled up for this game. Rarely is very much on the line when we finally get to this point in the season (i.e. bowl eligibility), particularly since our teams never seem aligned to give each other a good fight.

Also, my personal experience with Illinois "fans," and yes I know a LOT of them, is that they just erect an emotional wall of indifference when the football team is bad. By contrast, Wisconsin and Iowa fans clearly think our program is beneath theirs and obviously hate the fact that we beat them as often as we do...and I dearly love that.

 

[LACatFan]

Who don’t Iowa fans hate?

Much shorter list.

I think the thing Nebraska fears most is that they are becoming just another Iowa. (Spoiler alert: they are!)

UNL fans wish that the Huskers program was as good as Iowa's. Theirs is step function below.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

You are right I did not grow up here, like most of our players - I don't say that sarcastically, but to simply point out that I think I'm probably in the majority of fans (and players!) who don't get particularly riled up for this game. Rarely is very much on the line when we finally get to this point in the season (i.e. bowl eligibility), particularly since our teams never seem aligned to give each other a good fight.

Also, my personal experience with Illinois "fans," and yes I know a LOT of them, is that they just erect an emotional wall of indifference when the football team is bad. By contrast, Wisconsin and Iowa fans clearly think our program is beneath theirs and obviously hate the fact that we beat them as often as we do...and I dearly love that.

NU’s head Coach did grow up here and I know he thinks of NU as the local team not the State’s flagship. Even though they have been putrid, pretty sure this game is circled every year for bragging rights. There are a lot of pictures of him and these out of state players with huge smiles on their faces holding up a bronze hat .

 

[cidsports]

Since 2011, one of the better year in and year out games: Nebraska vs. Northwestern for the battle of NU.

Yes, UNL or University of Nebraska is NU for athletics, like OU, KU and their old Big 8 Brothers. University of doesn't matter.

Northwestern is becoming a rival to all in the B1G West, since 2014 with their play on the field.

Now, 4-3 vs. Wisconsin. #1 in conference division at 5-0.

Congratulations on your success, historic 5-0 start in Big Ten play.