In 1895, representatives from seven Midwestern universities gathered in Chicago's Palmer House Hotel to discuss the regulation of intercollegiate athletics. Shortly after, the group created the first Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States.
Over 120 years later, that conference still stands. The Big Ten currently features 14 member schools from as far west as Lincoln, Nebraska, and as far east as New Brunswick, New Jersey, competing against each other in 28 different sports.
The conference has grown so large and competitive across all sports that we felt there should be an award for the best performing Big Ten athletic program each season.