February 8, 1896 – Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives, the Western Conference (today’s Big Ten) first consisted of seven schools – Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Chicago, Purdue, and Northwestern. Iowa and Indiana joined in 1899, Ohio State came on board in 1912, and Michigan State replaced Chicago in 1949.
As intercollegiate football rapidly increased during the 1890s, so did the ruthless nature of the game. Tempers flared, fights erupted, and injuries soared, and between 1880 and 1905, college football players suffered more than 325 deaths and 1,149 injuries!
To deal with these issues, seven college presidents from around the Midwest met in Chicago to deal with the problem. The result, in 1896, was the birth of the Western Conference, with Iowa coming on board in 1899. By 1939, when Iowa’s Nile Kinnick won the Heisman Trophy, this elite conference had become the nation’s leader in collegiate academics and sports. Come meet The Big Ten of 1939.
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