The Big Ten Conference traces its roots to the Western Conference – founded in 1896 with original members Purdue University, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois, University of Michigan University of Minnesota, and University of Wisconsin. Indiana and Iowa joined in 1899, and the conference was unofficially referred to as the Big Nine.
Six years later the organization was officially Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives. Michigan was kicked out in 1907 for refusing to follow conference rules, and in 1912 Ohio State was admitted. In 1916 Michigan was readmitted, and the conference was referred to unofficially as the Big Ten. Chicago dropped football in 1939, and withdrew from the conference in 1946. In 1950, Michigan State University was voted in – and the conference known as the Big Ten would remain unchanged for the next four decades.
Penn State joined in 1990, but the conference name remained the Big Ten. Nebraska joined in 2011, Three years later, Maryland and Rutgers joined. In 2024, Pac-12 members University of Southern California, UCLA, Oregon and Washington joined, giving the conference its current lineup.
Of the 18 member schools, all but Wisconsin compete in baseball. UCLA and USC are located in Southern California (bold).