Why FBS Football's Ivy League Shouldn't Change Its Name

by Jonathan Franz on Dec 26, 2009 11:46 AM CST in All

At the center of the swirling carnival lights of rumors relating to Big Ten expansion are five essential questions:

To expand or not to expand?
If yes, then how many teams?
What team/(s)?
How do we set up the new league from a scheduling standpoint?
And finally, what do we call the new and improved entity?

Today I'll focus on what I regard as the easiest of these pillars, the question of whether our namesake needs an update. The answer is no.

Our current competitive anemia notwithstanding, the Big Ten remains major college football's oldest and most storied consortium. We've won more championships, over more decades, made more money, and enjoyed more fan support than any conference in the FBS, and we've done it while maintaining an academic pedigree that is sine qua non.

The Big Ten Conference is Division 1-A college football's Ivy League. Sure, we're stogy, dusty, and conservative -- but we're still the gold standard, and our name is power. We shouldn't let our brand be diluted by constantly re-casting it to accommodate change. The Big Ten has been the Big Ten for ninety-two years -- when its name was changed from the Big Nine to reflect the re-signing of Michigan in 1917.

We were "Big" First: Or Imitation as the highest form of flattery

In a comparably short period, the Pac 10 has changed its name four times. (It was the Athletic Association of Western Universities at its founding in 1959 then became the Big Five, Big Six, and Pacific 8, before finally changing to its present namesake in 1978). While the ACC, Big East, and Big Twelve have never changed names, the later two have been playing football for less than 20 years.

The SEC is the only conference with similar historical branding. It was founded in 1932, and has kept its identity for three-quarters of a century despite expanding from 10 to 12 members in 1991. Like the Big Ten, the SEC understands the importance of tradition and excellence across generations.

In the same way we didn't change our name when Penn State became our eleventh member in 1991, we shouldn't waiver when we expand to twelve or more teams in the near future. Sure, our title contains a numerical qualifier. The "Ten" in Ten will forever pay homage to the original members, like the thirteen stripes on the American flag. It's the best way to maintain the historical cohesion of our brand for the future.

Just as the Ivy League wouldn't change its name if it added a member who didn't have ivy-covered buildings on its campus, when the Big Ten expands it should stay the Big Ten.

Poll

If it expands should the Big Ten keep its current name?

Yes

122 votes

No

32 votes

154 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

The Big 10 name is worth too much

It’s not going anywhere.

"I'm colonel cool! And I'm the captain on this rocket to the stars!"

by psuphiman80 on Dec 26, 2009 11:54 AM CST reply actions

Brand Equity is Invaluable

The Big Ten is the best known conference for both its athletics AND academics. My grandmother doesn’t know anything about college sports, but she knows what the Big Ten is and can name most of the schools because of its academic prestige (she cannot name any other conference other than the Ivy League).

Renaming the conference would mean establishing a new brand. Reinventing the new brand means retraining generations of people to a new name. Not only the new name, but somehow connecting the new name to the old name so that people know it is the same thing. Trying to convey that message to hundreds of millions of people is expensive, and futile in the end.

It would be like if Coke tried changing its name to Sparky Syrup Water, for example. Let’s say that Coke does this. People go to the grocery store looking for Coke, and instead they see Sparky Syrup Water. People will have no idea what this is—even if you do a marketing blitz. People know what Coke is, there is little education necessary when people see or hear that name—they know what to expect. There will be those that do not connect the new brand to the old; it is just inevitable. The brand would constantly be playing catch up to the established Big Ten name.

If we didn’t change the name of the conference when we added Penn State, there is no reason to change it now. Of course, it most definitely means we will have to update the logo. I imagine something like the words Big Ten surrounded by 12 stars or something to that effect. I don’t know that it will be as easy to hide the number 12 among the lettering as with the current logo.

by rencito on Dec 26, 2009 2:33 PM CST reply actions

Let me preface this by saying that I went to a Big Ten school. I also went to an SEC school. I get the arguments about “brand identity”, ect., but can you really say that people would be “confused” if the name of the conference changed, especially considering the “academic pedrigree” that Big Ten fans like to harp about, as if all the linemen are Rhodes Scholars? Besides, I would say that it’s the teams that have more marketability than the conference as a whole. I know people who can identify Ohio St. or Michigan stuff from a mile away, but probably can’t identify the conference they play in. Or, even if they can, they don’t know that Northwestern or Iowa are also in the Big Ten.
Of course, having to identify Illinois or Indiana as “11th in the Big Ten” is snarkily satisfying . Just imagine when an ESPN anchor has to try to keep a straight face when identifying them as “13th or 14th in the Big Ten”.

by dxf04 on Dec 26, 2009 2:50 PM CST reply actions 1 recs

The Conference of the Potomac

Just to piss off the SEC.

"We're used to Favre-a-palooza now. We're engulfed in Favre-a-palooza. It's not even Favre-a-palooza anymore. He's family now."

--Vikings TE Visanthe Shiancoe, on Brett Favre

by Ted Glover on Dec 27, 2009 8:39 AM CST reply actions

The Union

Gettysburg Victor Conference

The Rivalry, Esq.

by Graham Filler on Dec 27, 2009 4:44 PM CST up reply actions

Sherman's March Conference

Yeah, that’s the ticket…

"We're used to Favre-a-palooza now. We're engulfed in Favre-a-palooza. It's not even Favre-a-palooza anymore. He's family now."

--Vikings TE Visanthe Shiancoe, on Brett Favre

by Ted Glover on Dec 27, 2009 5:43 PM CST reply actions

No question that you don't change the name

It’s such a valuable brand at this point and we didn’t make a change when we went to 11. Talk to the Atlantic 10 (which now has 14 schools) about numerically challenged conference names.

Frank the Tank's Slant

by Frank the Tank on Dec 27, 2009 6:07 PM CST reply actions