Big Ten – Page 5 – North Platte Post Archive

Gordon Selected Big Ten Offensive Player of Year

Posted on December 2, 2014December 3, 2014

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon is the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.

Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa took top honors on the defensive side while Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett was selected Freshman of the Year. Minnesota’s Jerry Kill was honored as Coach of the Year by both the conference coaches and media on Tuesday.

Gordon leads the nation with a Big Ten and school-record 2,260 yards rushing and is a big reason why the Badgers will meet Ohio State in the conference championship game.

He also held the FBS single-game record for one week, running for 408 yards against Nebraska last month before Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine put up 427 against Kansas.

Fien, K. Rolfzen Named All-Big Ten; Pollmiller Honorable Mention

Posted on December 2, 2014

LINCOLN – Kelsey Fien and Kadie Rolfzen were named to the All-Big Ten team, while Mary Pollmiller earned honorable mention and a sportsmanship award, the Big Ten Conference announced on Tuesday.

Rolfzen, a sophomore outside hitter from Papillion, Neb., earns her second career spot on the All-Big Ten team. The 2013 AVCA All-American led Nebraska in kills in the regular season with 353 (3.57 per set). She upped her average to 3.62 in conference play. Rolfzen also added 2.62 digs per set to rank second on the team and establish herself as one of the top all-around players in the conference for the second straight season.

Fien, a junior outside hitter from Bakersfield, Calif., is a first-time honoree after a breakout season. Fien was second on the team in kills with 240 (3.24 per set) and was particularly strong in conference play, posting 3.39 kills per set while hitting .303, the best mark by an NU player and third among all B1G outside hitters.

Pollmiller, a senior setter and captain from Littleton, Colo., earned All-Big Ten honorable mention for the second straight season in her two-year stint at Nebraska. Pollmiller ranked fourth in the conference in assists with 10.17 per set and ranks fourth among active NCAA Division I players in career assists with 5,067. An honorable mention AVCA All-American last season, Pollmiller also added 73 blocks (0.71 per set) in the regular season to rank fourth on the team.

The Husker volleyball team has had at least two first-team all-conference honorees every year since 1982.

ALL-BIG TEN
JOCELYNN BIRKS, Jr., OH, ILL
ABBY COLE, So., MB, MICH
Chloe Reinig, So., OH, MSU
Paige Tapp, So., MB, MINN
Kelsey Fien, Jr., OH, NEB
Kadie Rolfzen, So., OH, NEB
MICHA HANCOCK, Sr., S, PSU
NIA GRANT, Sr., MH, PSU
Haleigh Washington, Fr., MB, PSU
Annie Drews, Jr., OH, PUR
Val Nichol, Sr., S/OH, PUR
LAUREN CARLINI, So., S., WIS
Taylor Morey, Jr., L, WIS
Courtney Thomas, Sr., OH, WIS

Honorable Mention
Elizabeth McMahon, Sr., OPP, ILL
Lexi Dannemiller, Sr., S, MICH
Kori Moster, Sr., L, MSU
Daly Santana, Jr., OH, MINN
Mary Pollmiller, Sr., S, NEB
Caroline Niedospial, Jr., DS/L, NU
Taylor Sandbothe, So., MB, OSU
Taylor Sherwin, Sr., S, OSU
Ali Frantti, Fr., OH, PSU
Aiyana Whitney, Jr., OH, PSU
Haleigh Nelson, So., MB, WIS
Dominique Thompson, Sr., MB, WIS

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Brandi Donnelly, L, ILL
Caroline Knop, OH/DS, MICH
Rachel Minarick, S, MSU
ALI FRANTTI, OH, PSU
HALEIGH WASHINGTON, MB, PSU
Danielle Cuttino, MB, PUR
Kelli Bates, OH, WIS

Unanimous selections in CAPS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Lauren Carlini, WIS

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Taylor Morey, WIS

SETTER OF THE YEAR
Lauren Carlini, WIS

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Haleigh Washington, PSU

COACH OF THE YEAR (COACHES AND MEDIA)
Kelly Sheffield, WIS

SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD HONOREES
Kathryn Polkoff, ILL
Kyndall Merritt, IND
Alex Lovell, IOWA
Emily Fraik, MD
Lindsey Lerg, MICH
Jazmine White, MSU
Daly Santana, MINN
Mary Pollmiller, NEB
Caleigh Ryan, NU
Andrea Kacsits, OSU
Lacey Fuller, PSU
KiKi Jones, PUR
Ali Schroeter, RU
Deme Morales, WIS

Big Ten Announces 2014 Postseason Volleyball Honors

Posted on December 2, 2014

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten announced its postseason volleyball awards on Tuesday, with standouts from Penn State and Wisconsin earning recognition following the conclusion of the 2014 regular season. The Badgers’ Lauren Carlini was named the Big Ten Player and Setter of the Year by a vote of the conference’s coaches, while teammate Taylor Morey was tabbed the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Penn State’s Haleigh Washington earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors, while Wisconsin head coach Kelly Sheffield was named Big Ten Coach of the Year by the conference’s coaches and media contingent.

Carlini ranked second in the Big Ten in assists (11.14) and service aces (.47) per set during conference matches, guiding Wisconsin to its fifth Big Ten Championship. She also added 2.84 digs per set in Big Ten play and tallied a team-high 14 double-doubles on the season. Carlini becomes the fourth Wisconsin player to win Player of the Year honors and the first since Lizzy Fitzgerald in 2001. She reels in Wisconsin’s first Setter of the Year honor.

Morey led the conference in digs during Big Ten play, averaging 4.97 digs per set, and becomes the first Wisconsin player to earn Defensive Player of the Year accolades. Morey collected Defensive Player of the Week honors on four occasions during the 2014 season.

Washington posted the highest hitting percentage among Big Ten players in conference play, hitting at a .462 clip. She also averaged 1.33 blocks per set and garnered three Big Ten weekly awards. Washington becomes the 12^th Nittany Lion to be named Freshman of the Year and the first since Megan Courtney in 2012.

Sheffield earned the top billing among the conference’s coaches and media for the first time after guiding Wisconsin to a 28-2 overall record and 19-1 mark in Big Ten play. In only his second year with the program, the Badgers also earned the No. 4 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Sheffield’s award marks Wisconsin’s fifth Coach of the Year honor from both the coaches and media.

Fourteen Big Ten players were tabbed All-Big Ten by the conference’s coaches, with five unanimous selections. Joining Carlini as unanimous All-Big Ten selections were Illinois’ Jocelynn Birks, Michigan’s Abby Cole and Penn State’s Micha Hancock and Nia Grant. Washington and Morey are joined on the all-conference team by Michigan State’s Chloe Reinig, Minnesota’s Paige Tapp, Nebraska’s Kelsey Fien and Kadie Rolfzen, Purdue’s Annie Drews and Val Nichol and Wisconsin’s Courtney Thomas.

Washington and teammate Ali Frantti were unanimous selections to the All-Freshman Team. Illinois’ Brandi Donnelly, Michigan’s Caroline Knop, Michigan State’s Rachel Minarick, Purdue’s Danielle Cuttino and Wisconsin’s Kelli Bates also appeared on the seven-player team.

The Big Ten also recognized 14 Sportsmanship Award honorees. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

The complete list of All-Big Ten honorees, individual award winners and Sportsmanship Award Honorees can be found below.

ALL-BIG TEN

JOCELYNN BIRKS, Jr., OH, ILL

ABBY COLE, So., MB, MICH

Chloe Reinig, So., OH, MSU

Paige Tapp, So., MB, MINN

Kelsey Fien, Jr., OH, NEB

Kadie Rolfzen, So., OH, NEB

MICHA HANCOCK, Sr., S, PSU

NIA GRANT, Sr., MH, PSU

Haleigh Washington, Fr., MB, PSU

Annie Drews, Jr., OH, PUR

Val Nichol, Sr., S/OH, PUR

LAUREN CARLINI, So., S., WIS

Taylor Morey, Jr., L, WIS

Courtney Thomas, Sr., OH, WIS

Honorable Mention

Elizabeth McMahon, Sr., OPP, ILL

Lexi Dannemiller, Sr., S, MICH

Kori Moster, Sr., L, MSU

Daly Santana, Jr., OH, MINN

Mary Pollmiller, Sr., S, NEB

Caroline Niedospial, Jr., DS/L, NU

Taylor Sandbothe, So., MB, OSU

Taylor Sherwin, Sr., S, OSU

Ali Frantti, Fr., OH, PSU

Aiyana Whitney, Jr., OH, PSU

Haleigh Nelson, So., MB, WIS

Dominique Thompson, Sr., MB, WIS

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM

Brandi Donnelly, L, ILL

Caroline Knop, OH/DS, MICH

Rachel Minarick, S, MSU

ALI FRANTTI, OH, PSU

HALEIGH WASHINGTON, MB, PSU

Danielle Cuttino, MB, PUR

Kelli Bates, OH, WIS

Unanimous selections in CAPS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Lauren Carlini, WIS

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Taylor Morey, WIS

SETTER OF THE YEAR

Lauren Carlini, WIS

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Haleigh Washington, PSU

COACH OF THE YEAR (COACHES AND MEDIA)

Kelly Sheffield, WIS

SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD HONOREES

Kathryn Polkoff, ILL

Kyndall Merritt, IND

Alex Lovell, IOWA

Emily Fraik, MD

Lindsey Lerg, MICH

Jazmine White, MSU

Daly Santana, MINN

Mary Pollmiller, NEB

Caleigh Ryan, NU

Andrea Kacsits, OSU

Lacey Fuller, PSU

KiKi Jones, PUR

Ali Schroeter, RU

Deme Morales, WIS

Big Ten Announces Football All-Conference Teams and Select Individual Awards

Posted on December 1, 2014

Rosemont, Ill. – The Big Ten on Monday announced the 2014 All-Big Ten teams as well as 10 postseason individual award winners. Michigan State, Minnesota and Ohio State each claimed two individual trophies, while one standout each from Iowa, Maryland, Penn State and Wisconsin earned an award.

Michigan State’s Kurtis Drummond was named the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year, one year after former Spartan Darqueze Dennard accomplished the feat. Tony Lippett became the first Michigan State player to earn Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year honors. Minnesota’s Peter Mortell was named the Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year, while teammate Maxx Williams earned Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year plaudits. It marks the first such honors for a Golden Gopher player. Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett earned the Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year honor, marking the third straight season that a Buckeye signal caller has won the award, after Braxton Miller claimed the honor in both 2012 and 2013. The Buckeyes’ Joey Bosa was named the Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year, becoming the seventh Ohio State player to claim the award, and the first since John Simon was honored in 2012.

Iowa’s Brandon Scherff was named the Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year, becoming the seventh Hawkeye to capture the honor and the first since Bryan Bulaga in 2009. Maryland’s Brad Craddock earned Bakken-Andersen Kicker of the Year honors in the Terrapins’ first season in the conference. Penn State’s Mike Hull was tabbed the Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year, marking the second time in the past three seasons that a Nittany Lion linebacker has claimed the plaudit after Michael Mauti was honored in 2012. Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon collected the Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year award, the third time in the past four years that a Badger running back has captured the honor, after Montee Ball won the award in 2011 and 2012.

Four Big Ten players were named repeat selections to the All-Big Ten first-team, including Iowa’s Scherff, Michigan State defensive lineman Shilique Calhoun and defensive back Kurtis Drummond and Nebraska defensive lineman Randy Gregory. Maryland’s Craddock and defensive back William Likely were first-team selections by both the coaches and media in the Terrapins’ first season in the Big Ten. Rutgers wide receiver Leonte Carroo also earned first-team plaudits from the media in the Scarlet Knights’ inaugural year as a member of the conference.

The Big Ten postseason awards process is voted on by conference coaches and a select media panel and honors teams, coaches and student-athletes with individual honors that each bear the names of one or two former standouts. The Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian and Ford-Kinnick Leadership awards were announced last week, 10 individual trophies were announced Monday, and the remaining five trophy winners will be unveiled on Tuesday.

A complete list of the 2014 All-Big Ten teams and select individual award winners, along with this year’s Sportsmanship Award honorees, can be found on the attached PDF. The individual award winners announced tonight and last week also appear below.

2014 Big Ten Individual Award Winners

Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year: J.T. Barrett, Ohio State

Named for Purdue’s Bob Griese and Drew Brees

Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year: Tony Lippett, Michigan State

Named for Wisconsin’s Pat Richter and Michigan’s Desmond Howard

Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year: Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin

Named for Wisconsin’s Alan Ameche and Ron Dayne

Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year: Maxx Williams, Minnesota

Named for Penn State’s Ted Kwalick and Iowa’s Dallas Clark

Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year: Brandon Scherff, Iowa

Named for Nebraska’s Dave Rimington and Ohio State’s Orlando Pace

Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year: Joey Bosa, Ohio State

Named for Michigan State’s Bubba Smith and Penn State’s Courtney Brown

Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year: Mike Hull, Penn State

Named for Illinois’ Dick Butkus and Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald

Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year: Kurtis Drummond, Michigan State

Named for Ohio State’s Jack Tatum and Purdue’s Rod Woodson

Bakken-Andersen Kicker of the Year: Brad Craddock, Maryland

Named for Wisconsin’s Jim Bakken and Michigan State’s Morten Andersen

Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year: Peter Mortell, Minnesota

Named for Illinois’ Dike Eddleman and Michigan State’s Brandon Fields

Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award: Brian Griese, Michigan*

Named for Minnesota’s Tony Dungy and Indiana’s Anthony Thompson

Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award: Mike Hopkins, Illinois*

Named for Michigan’s Gerald Ford and Iowa’s Nile Kinnick

* Announced Nov. 25

Eleven Huskers Earn All-Big Ten Honors

Posted on December 1, 2014

Eleven Nebraska players were honored by the Big Ten Conference on Monday, being named to 2014 All-Big Ten Conference football teams.

Two Huskers earned first-team All-Big Ten accolades, with three others being chosen as second-team honorees, while six players were honorable-mention all-conference choices.

Junior defensive end Randy Gregory was a first-team All-Big Ten choice by both the conference coaches and the conference media. Gregory is among the Big Ten leaders with seven sacks despite missing the majority of four games this season.

The 6-6, 245-pound Gregory had 50 total tackles, including 10 tackles for loss, while adding a team-high 16 quarterback hurries. He also blocked two field goals, broke up three passes and had an interception. This marks the second straight season Gregory has been a first-team All-Big Ten pick, making him Nebraska’s first two-time all-conference honoree on the defensive line since Ndamukong Suh in 2008 and 2009.

Gregory is joined on the coaches’ first-team squad by senior wide receiver Kenny Bell. The 6-1, 185-pound Bell led Nebraska with 717 yards on 40 receptions and his 17.9 yards per catch ranked among the conference leaders. Bell also had a team-high five touchdowns receptions, including two touchdown catches in Nebraska’s overtime victory at Iowa in the regular-season finale.

Bell became Nebraska’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yardage earlier this season. Bell was an honorable-mention selection by the conference media. This is the third straight year Bell has been honored by the Big Ten. He was a second-team pick as a sophomore in 2012 and earned honorable-mention accolades in 2013.

Senior I-back Ameer Abdullah was a second-team All-Big Ten choice by both the coaches and the media. Abdullah ranks among the top 10 nationally in rushing yards, scoring and all-purpose yards. He finished the regular season with 1,523 rushing yards and 18 total touchdowns. He also became Nebraska’s career leader in all-purpose yards, while ranking second in Big Ten history in that category.

The Doak Walker Award finalist was joined on the second team by Minnesota running back David Cobb, while fellow Doak Walker finalists Melvin Gordon and Tevin Coleman occupied the two first-team spots.

Like Bell, Abdullah was honored for the third straight year. Abdullah was a first-team choice on both teams in 2013, after being a second-team All-Big Ten pick by the coaches in 2012.

Abdullah was also honored as Nebraska’s Sportsmanship Award Honoree.

Joining Abdullah in earning second-team honors were a pair of sophomore defenders. Defensive tackle Maliek Collins was named to the second team on the coaches’ listing, while safety Nate Gerry was a second-team choice by the media.

Collins is tied for the team lead with 12 tackles for loss, including 3.5 sacks. The Kansas City native also ranks second on the team with 14 quarterback hurries and made 40 total tackles. Gerry led the Big Ten in interceptions in conference games with five picks in eight league games. He ranked second overall on the team with 85 tackles, including 47 solo stops and seven tackles for loss. Gerry also forced a pair of fumbles, had a fumble recovery and returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown.

Six additional Huskers earned honorable-mention all-conference accolades. Players named to the coaches’ honorable-mention list include Gerry, senior linebacker Zaire Anderson, senior guard Jake Cotton, sophomore punter Sam Foltz, junior tackle Alex Lewis and senior cornerback Josh Mitchell.

The media honorable-mention list includes Anderson, Bell, Collins, Cotton, Lewis, Mitchell and senior safety Corey Cooper. Cooper was a repeat honorable-mention choice.

All-Big Ten Selections

First Team

Randy Gregory, Jr., DE (Media, Coaches)

Kenny Bell, Sr., WR (Coaches)

Second Team

Ameer Abdullah, Sr., IB (Media, Coaches)

Maliek Collins, Soph., DT (Coaches)

Nate Gerry, Soph., S (Media)

Honorable Mention

Bell (Media)

Collins (Media)

Gerry (Coaches)

Zaire Anderson, Sr., LB (Media, Coaches)

Corey Cooper, Sr., S (Media)

Jake Cotton, Sr., G (Media, Coaches)

Sam Foltz, Soph., P (Coaches)

Alex Lewis, Jr., OT (Media, Coaches)

Josh Mitchell, Sr., CB (Media, Coaches)

Six Big Ten Volleyball Teams Selected to NCAA Tournament

Posted on November 30, 2014

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Six Big Ten volleyball teams have been selected to the 2014 NCAA Volleyball Tournament, with first- and second-round matches held Dec. 4-6. Big Ten Champion Wisconsin enters the tournament as the No. 4 overall seed, while No. 5 Penn State, No. 9 Illinois and No. 14 Nebraska have each earned top-16 seeds. Michigan State and Ohio State also received bids to round out the Big Ten contingent in the tournament.

After winning its fifth Big Ten title and receiving the conference’s automatic berth, Wisconsin will host first- and second-round matches and will take on Western Michigan in Thursday’s first round of the Louisville Regional. With a first-round win, the Badgers will face the winner of the Illinois State-Marquette match. The selection marks Wisconsin’s 18th tournament appearance.

Also in the Louisville Regional is defending NCAA Champion Penn State. The Nittany Lions are making their 34^th trip to the NCAA Tournament and will host Siena at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday. If Penn State advances, it would meet American or Dayton in the second round.

Illinois earns a No. 9 seed, and will entertain Murray State at 8 p.m. ET on Friday. With a first-round win, the Fighting Illini would face Iowa State or Western Kentucky in the second round of the Ames Regional. Illinois is making its 22^nd appearance in the national tournament.

Nebraska enters its 33^rd consecutive NCAA Tournament and will host Hofstra in the Seattle Regional. The winner of the match will advance to the second round to take on Kansas State or Utah.

Michigan State earns its fourth consecutive postseason berth, and 17^th in program history, and will face Loyola Marymount in Friday’s first round of the Ames Regional. With a win, the Spartans would meet either No. 1 Stanford or Bakersfield.

Ohio State travels to Lexington, Ky., for its first-round match in the Louisville Regional against Lipscomb on Friday. The NCAA bid marks the Buckeyes’ 22^nd overall appearance and first since 2012. Ohio State will advance to play Kentucky or Oakland with a first-round win.

First- and second-round matches will take place on campus sites on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, while regionals will be played at one of four sites on Dec. 12 and 13. Regional winners will advance to Oklahoma City, Okla., to compete in the national semifinals on Dec. 18, with the National Championship set for Dec. 20.

Ohio State and Wisconsin to Meet in Big Ten Football Championship Game

Posted on November 29, 2014November 30, 2014

Rosemont, Ill. – With a victory on Saturday, Wisconsin earned its third Big Ten Football Championship Game berth in four seasons and will meet Ohio State on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Buckeyes, who clinched a title game berth last weekend, were also victorious on Saturday and joined the Badgers as outright division champions.

The 2014 Big Ten Football Championship Game will be broadcast nationally on FOX with kickoff set for 8:17 p.m. ET. The winner will earn the Amos Alonzo Stagg Championship Trophy and a chance to play in one of the six bowls that comprise the College Football Playoff, including the Rose Bowl Game.

Wisconsin will make its third championship game appearance after claiming the title in 2011 and 2012 while Ohio State earned a second straight championship game berth. The Badgers and Buckeyes last met on Sept. 28, 2013, with Ohio State earning a narrow 31-24 triumph in Columbus, Ohio.

With a championship game berth on the line, Wisconsin defeated Minnesota today to end the regular season at 10-2 overall and 7-1 in the Big Ten West Division. The Badgers are on a seven-game winning streak and earned their first outright division title in four seasons after sharing first place in 2011.

Ohio State picked up a victory over Michigan today to secure a third straight outright division title and extend its Big Ten record conference winning streak to 24 games. The Buckeyes are the first program in Big Ten history to go undefeated and untied over a three-year period and the first school to go without a conference loss in three straight seasons since Minnesota from 1933-35.

Ticket blocks were held for Ohio State and Wisconsin and are now being sold through university ticket offices. Tickets can also be purchased through Ticketmaster atwww.ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000. Those interested in purchasing a suite should contact Stephanie Arnold of Indiana Sports Corp at (317) 237-5036.

Every Big Ten Football Championship Game ticket will allow complimentary admission to the Big Ten Fan Fest presented by Dr Pepper, to be held at the Indiana Convention Center on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 5-6. For more information on Big Ten Football Championship Game tickets and fan events, go to www.bigten.org.

Maryland, Rutgers Appear to be Good Fit in Big Ten

Posted on November 25, 2014

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — On the field and at the ticket window, Maryland and Rutgers have enjoyed a successful inaugural season in the Big Ten.

Maryland has already attracted two sellout crowds, and attendance is up 19 percent from last year heading into Saturday’s home finale against Rutgers.

The Terrapins and Scarlet Knights both have winning records and are bowl eligible.

Rutgers coach Kyle Flood says the move to the Big Ten created “more excitement about our program,” which set several home attendance records this season.

Many other coaches in the Big Ten seem delighted with the conference’s expansion along the East Coast.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says, “Both schools bring an awful lot to the conference. It’s a win-win situation, hopefully for everybody.”

BTN Announces 2014-15 Wrestling Coverage

Posted on November 24, 2014

CHICAGO – With the Big Ten seeking its ninth-straight national championship, BTN’s 2014-15 wrestling coverage, presented by returning sponsor Cliff Keen Athletic, will be the most extensive in network history.

“With Big Ten programs consistently among the nation’s best, fans will see a lot of high-quality wrestling on BTN,” said BTN President Mark Silverman. “Each week will feature an extremely competitive matchup.

The television schedule includes a dual between Penn State and Iowa, winners of the past seven national titles; the Midlands Championships hosted by Northwestern; the semifinals and finals of the Cliff Keen National Duals at Iowa; and live coverage of the entire Big Ten Wrestling Championships in Columbus, OH. The championships’ final session will be televised live at 3 PM ET on Sunday, March 8.

Additionally, a record 51 events will be streamed live on BTN Plus. A large number of those streamed events will also be televised on delay as part of BTN’s Student U initiative.

According to InterMat’s rankings, the Big Ten has the three top squads in the country with No. 1 Minnesota, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Iowa. Also projected as top-10 teams are No. 5 Penn State, No. 8 Illinois and No. 9 Nebraska. The Nittany Lions have won four consecutive Big Ten and National titles.

2014-15 Big Ten Wrestling on BTN and BTN Plus (all times ET)

Sunday, November 30	Lehigh at Northwestern	2:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Saturday, December 6	Cal Poly at Northwestern	12:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Saturday, December 6	Drexel at Northwestern	2:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Saturday, December 6	Davidson at Northwestern	4:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Saturday, December 6	Princeton at Northwestern	6:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Thursday, December 11	Penn State at Maryland	6:00 PM	(Live on BTN)
Thursday, December 11	Indiana at Wisconsin	7:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Saturday, December 13	SIUE at Indiana	10:00 AM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Saturday, December 13	Manchester at Indiana	2:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Thursday, December 18	Northwestern at Minnesota	8:00 PM	(Live on BTN)
Friday, December 19	Virginia Tech at Penn State	7:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Monday, December 29	Midlands Championship at Northwestern	All Day	(Live on BTN Plus)
Tuesday, December 30	Midlands Championship	8:00 PM	(Live on BTN)
Friday, January 2	Iowa at Rutgers	8:00 PM	(Live on BTN)
Sunday, January 4	Iowa at Ohio State	2:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, January 9	Wisconsin at Northwestern	8:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, January 9	Michigan at Minnesota	9:00 PM	(Live on BTN)
Sunday, January 11	Penn State at Ohio State	2:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Sunday, January 11	Minnesota at Rutgers	TBA	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, January 16	Ohio State at Michigan State	7:00 PM	(Live on BTN)
Friday, January 16	Northwestern at Purdue	7:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, January 16	Penn State at Rutgers	7:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, January 16	Illinois at Iowa	TBA	(Live on BTN Plus)
Sunday, January 18	Ohio State at Michigan	2:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Sunday, January 18	Northwestern at Indiana	2:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Sunday, January 18	Illinois at Minnesota	2:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, January 23	Wisconsin at Michigan	7:00 PM	(Live on BTN)
Friday, January 23	Nebraska at Illinois	8:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, January 23	Northwestern at Iowa	8:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Sunday, January 25	Rutgers at Nebraska	1:00 PM	(Live on BTN)
Sunday, January 25	Michigan at Indiana	2:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Sunday, January 25	Illinois at Northwestern	3:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, January 30	Penn State at Michigan	7:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, January 30	Iowa at Minnesota	7:00 PM	(Live on BTN)
Friday, January 30	Purdue at Ohio State	7:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, January 30	Nebraska at Northwestern	8:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, January 30	Maryland at Illinois	TBA	(Live on BTN Plus)
Sunday, February 1	Illinois at Purdue	2:00 PM	(Live on BTN)
Friday, February 6	Minnesota at Ohio State	7:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, February 6	Iowa at Maryland	7:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, February 6	Nebraska at Michigan	8:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, February 6	Rutgers at Wisconsin	8:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Sunday, February 8	Iowa at Penn State	1:00 PM	(Live on BTN)
Sunday, February 8	Minnesota at Maryland	1:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Sunday, February 8	Wisconsin at Illinois	2:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Sunday, February 8	Nebraska at Michigan State	3:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Sunday, February 8	Rutgers at Northwestern	6:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, February 13	Michigan State at Indiana	7:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, February 13	Michigan at Iowa	7:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, February 13	Stanford at Nebraska	8:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, February 13	Maryland at Northwestern	8:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Sunday, February 15	Michigan State at Purdue	1:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Friday, February 20	Duke at Michigan State	7:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Saturday, February 21	Cliff Keen National Duals – Semifinals at Iowa	4:00 PM	(Live on BTN)
Saturday, February 21	Duke at Michigan	7:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Saturday, February 21	Central Michigan at Michigan State	7:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Sunday, February 22	Cliff Keen National Duals – Finals at Iowa	12:30 PM	(Live on BTN)
Sunday, February 22	Rider at Penn State	2:00 PM	(Live on BTN Plus)
Saturday, March 7	B1G Championships	TBA	(Live on BTN Plus)
Sunday, March 8	B1G Championships	3:00 PM	(Live on BTN)

All dates/times of scheduled events are subject to change. Please check www.BTN.com for most updated listings.

Ohio State Earns Return Trip to Big Ten Football Championship Game

Posted on November 22, 2014November 23, 2014

Rosemont, Ill. – With victories on Saturday, Ohio State secured a berth in the fourth annual Big Ten Football Championship Game and also clinched at least a share of the Big Ten East Division title while Wisconsin earned at least a share of the Big Ten West Division crown.

Ohio State defeated Indiana today to secure at least a share of a third straight division title and will make a second consecutive title game appearance. The Buckeyes have won a Big Ten record 23 consecutive conference games and improved to 7-0 in the Big Ten and 10-1 overall. Michigan State earned a home win over Rutgers today to improve to 6-1 in conference and 9-2 overall and still maintains hopes for a share of the division title. But Ohio State clinched a berth in the championship game based on its victory over the Spartans on Nov. 8. Both teams wrap up the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 29, with Ohio State hosting Michigan and Michigan State playing at Penn State.

Wisconsin collected a road victory at Iowa today to earn at least a share of the division title, the program’s second division crown, and improved to 6-1 in the Big Ten and 9-2 overall. Minnesota posted a road triumph at Nebraska today to move to 5-2 in conference and 8-3 overall and still has an opportunity to secure a share of the division title and a trip to the Big Ten Football Championship Game. The Badgers host the Gophers next Saturday, Nov. 29, with the winner representing the West Division in the title game against the Buckeyes.

The 2014 Big Ten Football Championship Game will be played on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium and will be broadcast nationally on FOX with kickoff set for 8:17 p.m. ET. The winner will earn the Amos Alonzo Stagg Championship Trophy and a chance to play in one of the six bowls that comprise the College Football Playoff, including the Rose Bowl Game.

Ticket blocks are being held for Ohio State and the representative from the West Division and will be sold through university ticket offices. Tickets can also be purchased through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000. Those interested in purchasing a suite should contact Stephanie Arnold of Indiana Sports Corp at (317) 237-5036.

Tickets and VIP premium ticket packages for Minnesota and Wisconsin can also be reserved at bigten.teamtix.com. Powered by Forward Market Media, fans can purchase, for as little as a $10 reservation fee, the right to buy “TeamTix.” If the specified team qualifies for the championship game, that fan is guaranteed a ticket to the game priced at face value. If the specified team does not qualify, the “TeamTix” expires and that fan forfeits only the reservation fee.