Big Ten

Cultural

A group of prominent midwestern universities known for high academic standards and keen athletic competition. Nine of the ten are state universities: the universities of Illinois (at Urbana), Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin (at Madison); Michigan State University; Ohio State University; Indiana University; and Purdue University. Northwestern University is the sole private school.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But altogether, it would have ranked Musselman among the highest-paid coaches in the Big Ten for the 2024-25 season.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

You can argue that the Big Ten and SEC are being petulant, but without them onboard, what are we really doing here?

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

The Big Ten has come out in favor of expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026

Jerry didn’t just help Cervantes thrive in the biggest game of his life to help the Bruins earn their first Big Ten conference title.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

“You played Big Ten? That’s serious bragging rights,” Styx acknowledged.

From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023