So the new logo for the Big Ten, which is now a necessity since the conference has 12 teams, was revealed today. Based on the Twitter reaction immediately upon the new logo’s announcement, most people seem to think of it what I do.
Not much.
Image source: TwitPic
I don’t know exactly what I don’t like about it; I’ll need to ruminate and look at it a bit more. But my first impression is just that I am completely unimpressed.
It is boring and without any character whatsoever. And what is the point of the #1 in the middle of Big? I suppose it is meant to signify the Big Ten’s superiority, but it just seems lame. I could go on and on, but just look at it. What did that take, 15 minutes to design in MS Paint?
Update: Ah, I get it now. The 1 and the G are supposed to look like a 10. Whatever. Still don’t like it.
From the official press release at BigTenNetwork.com:
The new Big Ten logo was developed by Michael Bierut and Michael Gericke of the international design firm Pentagram.
…
About Pentagram: Pentagram is a distinguished international design consultancy with offices in New York, London, Austin and Berlin
Yes, they are distinguished…for creating the lamest possible logo for the greatest conference in America.
Our very own KVB did a quick mock up a few years back of a new Big Ten logo for when the conference ultimately added a 12th team. I still like his design, which was a take off on the previous logo, much better:
New Division Names
And the divisions are going to be called “Leaders” and “Legends”…seriously.
Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Northwestern are the “Legends” while Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, and Wisconsin are the “Leaders.”
And all of the Big Ten conference will now be a “Laughingstock” as word circulates about these horrendous choices.
Please, someone wake me up from this should-be-an-Onion story nightmare. What is happening to my conference?
Trophies
Another feature will be an extensive series of football trophies. This idea I do somewhat like, and I love seeing Anthony Thompson and Antwaan Randle El get recognition, but the hyphenated names seem about as clumsy as the “Leaders”/”Legends” thing. I’ll give them a pass on this though, because as a good Purdue friend of mine said, “at least they were thinking outside the box.” And I’m in favor of honoring past greats, so at least this part wasn’t a complete debacle.
What do you think? And please, dissenting voices chime in with a comment. Make me feel better about this.
Loading ...
———-
Loading ...
**********
About Jerod Morris
– Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Penn State are the “Legends” while Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, and Wisconsin are the “Leaders.”
woah woah woah woah everybody!!! how could you forget just northwestern?
Sorry, typo. It's been fixed. Northwester is, of course, a legend.
Wow, who knew my son's first grade class at Boalsburg Elementary had a contest to name the Big 10 divisions …….. and won? I just wish he had told me about it. Heard it just beat out the names Pikachu and Squirtle by two votes.
Terrible, just terrible.
Piss poor league names. If you can't geographically title the divisions just go with "Woody" w/ tOSU and "Bo" w/ Michigan division names. That is still boasting legendary, traditional, leaders right?? Full Disclosure: I am a Buckeye fan who thought the most important thing about the divisions needed to be preserving the last game of November always being Ohio State-Michigan.
As long as the trophies are worth looking at and displaying I guess that's all that matters for the two division winners. Still B10 Championship is going to be one of the most anticipated 2011 games in college football next year no matter who the match-up is.
As a Michigan fan, I completely agree with your first paragraph and decided when I heard the division names that I wouldn't call them anything but "Bo" and "Woody."
Any credibility Delaney obtained acquiring Nebraska has just been lost, and then some. And Paterno's name on the championship trophy? wow, I can't believe that goes over real well in Big10 country, and this coming from a Penn State alum and fan. Bo and Woody deserve to be there somewhere. Penn State didn't build the Big Ten.
Not sure I could come up with worse division names. Block and Tackle divisions? Zook and Fitgerald (insert any coaches name there)?
pentagram are obviously a bunch of HACKS. collegiate block letters – check. terrible blue color – check. did we spell it right? – check. make the "i" a "1" and the "g" a "0" – check. We are so clever. Done! Success! would be shocked if this took any more than 5 minutes to create. this logo is an embarrassment. look at the new pac 10 logo and tell me how this stacks up.
paterno for the championship trophy is a joke. love penn state in the big 10, but they've only been in the conference for 20 years.
Agree wholeheartedly.
I've worked with Pentagram. That's much, much more horrible than their portfolio.
I hope Pentagram didnt pay the Michael's for coming up with that. My 5 yr. old daughter could have done better with her crayons.
You should have offered her services and spares us all from this logo hell.
The logo consisting of the word "Big" and the number "10" written in crayon by a six-year old came in a close second.
Greise-Brees? Is that what blows through a Krispy Kreme donut shop?!?!?
You've got to be KIDDING, right????? I can't believe we couldn't have come up with something better than this?? Get into the 2,010's people. This logo reminds me of designs I was doing in the 60's. Hardly creative enough for 2011.
I feel like the awards are ultimately to profit from an awards show on the Big Ten Network…but maybe I am wrong. No mention of such a program yet but wasn't the BTN made for something like that(eventually)?? I mean it would get more viewers than most of their content outside of live broadcasts of ball games.
Absolutely terrible names, logo and Division lineups. This is what happens when there are consulting firms and committees making decisions. Oh, did I forget lawyers.
I can't wait to see who is the leader of the leaders next year.
logo + division names = crap.
Is this a joke??? Ha ha ha! Jim Delany just made the Big Ten a punchline. That is of course unless the Pac-12 goes with the division names Awesome and Rad. How do you screw up something as simple as division names??? For all Big Ten fans, I'm sorry. A crazy guy is your commissioner!
I almost barfed when I heard they thought it was clever to make the "IG" suggest 10. Like we wouldn't get the message from "BIG TEN" already? I suppose there was even deeper thinking not yet explained that all caps would reinforce "big" Ha-ha