Illinois to move to B1G Legends Division in 2014? (Delany denies report)

[mattcoldagelli]

Maryland's President believes MD and RU will join Leaders and we'll move to Legends and motherofgodchangethesedivisionnames


Leaders
Indiana
Maryland
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Rutgers
Wisconsin

Legends
Illinois
Iowa
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern

[Botb9]

It's like we're being relegated, EPL-style.

[mattcoldagelli]

Originally Posted by Botb9

It's like we're being relegated, EPL-style.

Well, we've earned it.

[illinidarrin]

We are moving to the legends division. We are now screwed.

[Botb9]

Really, it's like relegation in reverse.

Oh well, can't get much worse than it is now.

[mattcoldagelli]

Originally Posted by illinidarrin

We are moving to the legends division. We are now screwed.

We are going to go winless in what will be the most punchless version of the Leaders division ever, so it's hard to see it mattering.

[Dan]

Illinois is 1-9 all-time in the Leaders Division. Change of scenery might do us good.

Maryland prez tells regents MD, RU in Leaders Division w/OSU, PSU, Wisconsin, Purdue & Indiana. Illinois moves to Legends

http://twitter.com/McMurphyESPN

[illinidarrin]

Originally Posted by mattcoldagelli

We are going to go winless in what will be the most punchless version of the Leaders division ever, so it's hard to see it mattering.

Well, it's not like we are going to be this bad forever. Not playing Indiana,MD and purdue makes it even worse now.

[Groundhogday]

Originally Posted by mattcoldagelli

Maryland's President believes MD and RU will join Leaders and we'll move to Legends and motherofgodchangethesedivisionnames

LEGENDS: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Minnesota, Illinois

LEADERS: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Rutgers, Purdue, Maryland, Indiana

If.when Penn State comes back, the divisions might be reasonably balanced, but in the short term I'd much rather be in the Leaders. Purdue and Indiana were nice to have on the schedule, even if we didn't win this year.

[CharlesLawrence]

LEGENDS: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Minnesota, Illinois

Ouch.. I don't see us winning a game in the B1G for a while.. Can it really get any worse for Illini Football

[Dan]

alioneye: Not a fan of the move!

You might have thought it was dead already, but moving to the Legends is a deathblow for Illinois football.

Gone are yearly games against Purdue, Indiana, Penn State (and Maryland + Rutgers). Replaced by Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, MSU, NW, Minny.

Schedule had we stayed: tOSU, Wisc, IU, Md, Rutgers, PSU, + 2 crossover. Now: Mich, MSU, Minny, Neb, Northwestern, Iowa + 2 crossover.

That last tweet assumes it would be Purdue that moved and not us.

Penn State's impending fall to 2-10 seasons made the Big Ten crazy Legends-heavy. Now Leaders get Maryland & Rutgers, too. And we get death.

Will also change our protected rival in the Leaders (since we'll play NW every year). Get on your knees and pray for Indiana.

Indiana's current protected rival is Michigan State, which really doesn't make much sense. Maybe MSU adds Maryland while Illinois gets IU.

https://twitter.com/ALionEye

[illiniguy09]

Good time to change those stupid names.

[illinidarrin]

Originally Posted by illiniguy09

Good time to change those stupid names.

To the "good" and "bad" division?

[AutoPoster 3000]

Michigan State and Indiana is a trophy game (Old Brass Spittoon). I don't know if anyone cares about that or if it is a good reason to preserve the rival designation.

[HsvIllini]

Originally Posted by CharlesLawrence

LEGENDS: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Minnesota, Illinois

Ouch.. I don't see us winning a game in the B1G for a while.. Can it really get any worse for Illini Football

Think Beckman just clinched up a little bit? I would!

[TheFightingestIllini]

We need to raise holy hell with the league office. An alumni base as large as ours should not stand idly by while we lose long-standing trophy games just so the rest of the league can gain some cable subscription dollars. Long live the Cannon and Illibuck!

If any one should move, it should be Wisconsin, back with Iowa & Minnesota, with their new buddies Nebraska. Particularly when we inevitably grow to 16 teams, we need to to do full division realignment. North/South so as we play our three trophy games.

[TheSecretWeapon]

Originally Posted by AutoPoster 3000

Michigan State and Indiana is a trophy game (Old Brass Spittoon). I don't know if anyone cares about that or if it is a good reason to preserve the rival designation.

maybe we can get tOSU as a protected game because of the Illibuck

[DrewD007]

Should've moved Minnesota to Leaders (so they can play Wisconsin and Iowa every year), and then put Maryland and Rutgers in Legends.

Edit: Nevermind, Wisconsin would have to go to Legends for the 3 schools to play every year. Why couldn't Rutgers and Maryland just split and go to each division?

[AHSIllini32]

Realistically, if we get to where we want to get to in the next 3-6 years we should feel reasonably good about our chances against Minny, Iowa, and NW every year. If we avoid drawing OSU and Wisky as our crossover games every year then this really isn't a "deathblow".

Go 3-1 in the non-con and beat Minny and/or Iowa and/or PU and/or IU and it shouldn't be out of the question to still get 6-8 wins/year based on who the 2 crossovers are.

Of course this is all contigent upon us building up as a program because none of it matters if we keep playing like we have been.

And we are in the Leaders division next year and look at how brutal our schedule is. So being in the Leaders division doesn't guarantee a good schedule either.

[illiniguy09]

Conference expansion was never a good thing for Illinois football(and probably not Illinois basketball). Illinois sports is getting left behind.

[illinidarrin]

Originally Posted by AHSIllini32

Realistically, if we get to where we want to get to in the next 3-6 years we should feel reasonably good about our chances against Minny, Iowa, and NW every year. If we avoid drawing OSU and Wisky as our crossover games every year then this really isn't a "deathblow".

Go 3-1 in the non-con and beat Minny and/or Iowa and/or PU and/or IU and it shouldn't be out of the question to still get 6-8 wins/year based on who the 2 crossovers are.

Of course this is all contigent upon us building up as a program because none of it matters if we keep playing like we have been.

And we are in the Leaders division next year and look at how brutal our schedule is. So being in the Leaders division doesn't guarantee a good schedule either.

You dont think Iowa will get back again? They were really good just a few years ago.

[Illinifn79]

Just glad to have Iowa on the books again

[illinidarrin]

Originally Posted by Illinifn79

Just glad to have Iowa on the books again

I do like playing Iowa again because i hate them so much. I just dont see much of a break from this division.

[WesterveltVictoryCigar]

Originally Posted by illinidarrin

Well, it's not like we are going to be this bad forever.

True, the poor recruiting from 2010-2012 hasn't kicked in yet.

[Groundhogday]

Originally Posted by illinidarrin

You dont think Iowa will get back again? They were really good just a few years ago.

Originally Posted by Illinifn79

Just glad to have Iowa on the books again

Yes, I expect Iowa to be improved, but I still like having them on the schedule. In my mind, they are our main conference rival.