PARK RIDGE, Ill. (WTAQ) - Wisconsin and Minnesota will be split, as the Big Ten Conference announced their divisions when the league grows to 12 teams for the 2011-12 season.
The Badgers in one six-team division with Ohio State, Penn State, Illinois, Purdue and Indiana. The other six-team division will feature Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern and newest member Nebraska.
It also splits bitter conference rivals Ohio State and Michigan, who theoretically could meet twice during a football season should they face each other in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Commissioner Jim Delany says creating divisions with competitive equality was the top priority and secondary was maintaining a cross-division rivalry game.
Big Ten teams will play 8 conference games the next two seasons, but that could increase in the future.
"The athletic directors have the intention of exploring a ninth conference game in 2015," Delany told the AP.
Nebraska will join the Big Ten as its 12th team next year, allowing the conference to split into two divisions and add a lucrative championship game. The first Big Ten football championship game will be played in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium, the indoor home of the NFL's Colts.
