For those wishing Jim Delany‘s 2013 New Year’s resolution included changing the names of the Big Ten’s divisions from “Leaders” and “Legends” to something a little less Leader-y and Legend-y, you may be in luck.
In an interview with ESPN.com, Delany said that a name change for the divisions is “on the table” for when Maryland and Rutgers join the league in 2014.
“We have the opportunity to look at the divisional structure, branding, rivalries and geography all again,” Delany said. “Depending on what we do, we’ll probably influence exactly how we brand it.
“Whether or not we change division [names], I don’t know. If [the divisions] are not geographic, we are not going to have geographic names.”
The Big Ten revealed the “Leaders” and “Legends” divisional names in late 2010 after the announcement that Nebraska would be the conference’s 12th member. The titles were generally met with laughter followed by the shocking realization that, in fact, they were very much real and weren’t going anywhere.
The brouhaha over “Leaders” and “Legends” has died down significantly since then, though the divisions are still the subject of an occasional joke or chuckle.
Would a simple East/West (geography permitting) be easier? Sure, but if the Big Ten has gone this long sticking by Legends and Leaders, I say keep rockin’ it.