The Big Tenelevenwelve figures out it sucks at naming things.

[Fraggle145]

Heh. :D

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5930029


Big Ten may rethink Legends, Leaders

CHICAGO -- Jim Delany has spent more than two decades as commissioner of the Big Ten, overseeing two conference expansions and the formation of the Big Ten Network.

None of it prepared him for the overwhelmingly negative reaction to the conference's new division names.

Delany said during an interview with WGN AM-720 in Chicago on Thursday that the names Legends and Leaders were picked to highlight the conference's rich history, and that "to a great extent it's fallen on deaf ears." Many fans have instead mocked the names and asked officials to reconsider, which Delany said could happen after the first of the year.

"I think we have enough experience with names, and expansion and development of divisions, to know that you never, rarely, get 90 percent approval rating," Delany said during the interview. "But to get a 90 percent non-approval rating was, you know, really surprising."

The league will be split into two divisions beginning next season, when Nebraska becomes the 12th member. The Huskers will be joined by Northwestern, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Iowa in the Legends Division. Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin will comprise the Leaders Division.

At least, assuming those are still the names by then.

"We want to breathe a little bit," Delany said. "I don't think you make a judgment in 48 hours or 72 hours. Eventually we're going to have to address the issue of whether or not it's sustainable, but I don't think that's an issue for today."

Delany said the conference chose the divisions based on parity, rather than geography, which made naming them East-West or North-South impractical. The Big Ten also considered using names of historic players or coaches, but Delany said that would have been "too limiting."

The commissioner also said there was little consideration given to changing the conference name from the Big Ten, unlike in 1990, when Penn State became the 11th member.

Delany said university faculty, presidents and alumni supported keeping "Big Ten" and that it represents a brand rather than the number of institutions. The name change also would have affected the branding of the Big Ten Network, which launched in 2007.

"It's humbling, to say the least, because we're trying to build fan bases, not push them away," Delany said of the uproar caused by the new division names. "I was surprised. I've been around this business a long time, and it's one of the more surprising things."

[rainiersooner]

Worst name I've ever heard.

[Aldebaran]

They should have asked the Movementarians to help build support.








Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na Leader!

[badger]

The logo sucks too. Redo the logo as well as the names.

Brilliant idea: Name the conference and/or divisions after the great lakes. The great lakes are the most visible thing in your area of the country and the only reason anyone notices the state of Michigan from space.

[85sooners]

:cool:

[TUSooner]

Has anyone suggested that they call them the
Overrated Division and the Underachieving Division?

Sorry I missed the previous thread, so I don't know.

[SoonerMarkVA]

How about "Dumb" and "Dumber"?

[badger]

Seriously, get a trademark now - GREAT LAKES CONFERENCE.

As for divisions, is "east" and "west" such a bad thing, when some teams are on the eastern side of the conference and some teams are on the western side? Yeah, there's some crossover in the middle, but eff it, the confernece with Nebrasky can be west, and the conference with JoePa can be east.

[rekamrettuB]

"I think we have enough experience with names, and expansion and development of divisions, to know that you never, rarely, get 90 percent approval rating," Delany said during the interview. "But to get a 90 percent non-approval rating was, you know, really surprising."


Surprising? Really? You named them Legends and Leaders. What the hell does that even mean?

[Aldebaran]

My guess: After Delany suggested Legends and Leaders, group think dominated the committee meeting.

[fadada1]

that's what you get when you lose touch with reality. pay 'tention to the people... idiots.

[fadada1]

oh, and lets hope they haven't already sent that stuff out to the printers. that would be, as they say in the business, bad.

[picasso]

Big and Slow?

[Breadburner]

Legends and leaders sounds like some kinda Senior NAPCAR tour......!!!!

[badger]

Hmmm... ideas... ideas...

Lewis and Clark divisions: Named after the explorers trying to find an all-water route to the pacific? They traveled through Big Ten country to start off with before boating west to the Pac 10 :D

First and Ten divisions: A play on words named after the most common starting offensive situation for teams.

Legends and leaders divisions: A really bad idea thought up by an uncreative person that should be fired immediately.

East and west divisions: The easiest, most straight-forward answer, so of course it gets declined.

Magna and Summa divisons: A name befitting of all of the AAU members in the Big Ten, but sure to start protests on who gets to be Summa and who gets stuck with Manga

[Soonerwake]

How about "Jim" and "Delaney"?

[yermom]

i'm liking "underachievers" and "overrated" :D

[oudivesherpa]

Maybe the should follow the SEC and follow Cam's lead and call their two divisons: Cash and Credit.

[badger]

In tribute to their style of play and the recent uprise in MMA popularity - GROUND and POUND

[silverwheels]

West Division:

Illinois
Iowa
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Wisconsin

East Division:

Indiana
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue


Again, taking current or former statuses of programs and trying to even out the divisions by "power" or "prestige" is stupid. They need to go all the way back to the beginning and change things from there.

[3rdgensooner]

Someone suggested the animal mascot and non-animal mascot divisions.

[meandmybutt]

Has anyone suggested that they call them the
Overrated Division and the Underachieving Division?
Sorry I missed the previous thread, so I don't know.

That's some good stuff there.

[SoonerinLondon]

Dips and Sh!ts.

[rekamrettuB]

West Division:

Illinois
Iowa
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Wisconsin

East Division:

Indiana
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue


Again, taking current or former statuses of programs and trying to even out the divisions by "power" or "prestige" is stupid. They need to go all the way back to the beginning and change things from there.

Ya but you know they want Ohio State/Michigan in different divisions for a big time Big X championship game. Kind of like Florida State and Miami in the ACC. How many times have they met in the championship game again?

[silverwheels]

Ya but you know they want Ohio State/Michigan in different divisions for a big time Big X championship game. Kind of like Florida State and Miami in the ACC. How many times have they met in the championship game again?

As many times as I have shed a tear over the pile of crap that was Texas' 2010 season.

[SoonerBread]

Sh!ts and Giggles divisions...

[BulverdeSooner]

'Has Beens' & 'Wanna Be's'
Pancho & Lefty?

Who really cares, it's the big 10 -- 2 yards & a cloud of dust

[yermom]

Ya but you know they want Ohio State/Michigan in different divisions for a big time Big X championship game. Kind of like Florida State and Miami in the ACC. How many times have they met in the championship game again?

they are still going to play every year

[dynersooner]

West Division:

Illinois
Iowa
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Wisconsin

East Division:

Indiana
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue


Again, taking current or former statuses of programs and trying to even out the divisions by "power" or "prestige" is stupid. They need to go all the way back to the beginning and change things from there.

i mean rly, is that so friggen hard?

[fadada1]

F-ing Cold Division & REALLY F-ing Cold Division

[OUHOMER]

you would have thought they would have had a marketing group test this before they threw this out..

[MamaMia]

Legends would have to change the name of their restaurant. :eek:
Thats just wrong on so many levels. :(

[budbarrybob]

you would have thought they would have had a marketing group test this before they threw this out..

^^^ This. Or coulda just taken an improptu poll at the local sports bar.

[Widescreen]

West Division:

Illinois
Iowa
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Wisconsin

East Division:

Indiana
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue


Again, taking current or former statuses of programs and trying to even out the divisions by "power" or "prestige" is stupid. They need to go all the way back to the beginning and change things from there.
They won't do that. They announced their division members months ago. The only thing they might do at this point is rename the divisions.

[silverwheels]

They won't do that. They announced their division members months ago. The only thing they might do at this point is rename the divisions.

I know. That's why I said they need to go all the way back to the beginning. I know that they're only going to change the division names, but it's hard to come up with good division names when the geography of them is screwed up.

[bent rider]

you would have thought they would have had a marketing group test this before they threw this out..

What they need to do is have the marketing group sell the naming rights.

Tastes Great Division, Less Filling Division
Original Recipe Division, Extra Crispy Division
Hot, Spicy
Pork, Beef
Chevy, Buick
Ale, Pilsner
Quarter-Pounder, Whopper with Cheese

[yankee]

the fact that this came as a surprise to him just shows you how clueless most higher-ups are when it comes to anything related to college football.