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update:
August 31, 2003
Big Ten
Confused by this whole thing? Not quite sure what the Big Ten really is? Well, if you don't, I hope you aren't a member of a Big Ten band, cause that is just not right. But even if you are, help is on the way.
The official definition of the Big Ten from www.bigten.org is...
- an association of 11 world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service.
- Intercollegiate athletics has an important place within the mission.
- Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in student-athletes' lives and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness.
- Big Ten universities provide in excess of $63 million in athletic scholarship aid to 7,500 men and women student-athletes to compete for 25 championships, 12 for men and 13 for women.
- Conference institutions sponsor more than 250 athletic programs.
Basically what that means is that there are 11 schools that are relatively similar in size, location and mission who have created a conference within the NCAA for athletic competition.
Where does marching band come in? The bands have classified themselves in a similar fashion as athletics. This is probably because the bands play for sporting events and have such a close tie to athletics. Besides, many schools around the United States classify themselves by their athletic conference: Big Ten; Big Twelve; SEC; PAC 10; etc.
The Big Ten schools compete most of the season within the conference and have a strong history with these schools. A Band encounters much more frequently other bands within the conference than those outside. The bands from the Big Ten used to all march what is known as the Big Ten style of marching, but only a few still use it today.
If it is the Big Ten, why are there 11? The Big Ten started in 1896 with seven schools, University of Chicago, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, Purdue University and the University of Wisconsin. Indiana University and the State University of Iowa. Ohio State joined in 1912. Chicago withdrew in 1946 and Michigan State College (now Michigan State University) was added three years later in 1949. For 40 years the membership was constant. That changed in 1990 when Penn State joined the conference. Although there are now eleven, the conference is still known as the Big Ten. Why? It just is.
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