Bottom line: Legends and Leaders will remain through the 2012 football season.Here's the part that will surprise some folks: Many Big Ten fans seem to want it that way.
Of the 516 fans surveyed, 57 percent either liked the division names "somewhat" or "very much." About 35 percent disliked the names somewhat or very much, while only 8 percent were neutral.
The study found that fans warmed up to the names as the season went along and saw them as unique and reflective of Big Ten history.
[+] EnlargeCourtesy Big TenTime seemed to work in the Big Ten's favor, as approval increased as the season played out.


It also found that despite strong awareness of the names -- 91 percent of respondents knew about Legends and Leaders -- many fans felt they were confusing. The confusion went away for some when the names were explained through public service announcements and other marketing ventures.
The chief complaint, even among some fans who liked the names, was that they didn't know which teams went in which divisions. Unlike other leagues, the Big Ten decided not to use directional designations, even vague ones like Great Lakes and Great Plains, because it created the divisions based on competitive balance rather than geography.
Yet despite some drawbacks, the names seem to be catching on a year after being panned.
"When the names came out, people were confused," said Brian Powell, owner of The Brand Explorers, a Houston-based firm that conducted the study. "People scratched their heads and said, 'I don't know what they mean. I don't know how they came about. I don't know where my team fits.' As season moved along, people became more comfortable.
"As that understanding improved, you certainly saw the division name acceptance start to improve."

FatHobbit;1074306 wrote:516 fans is a pretty small sample size. I still the names are stupid.

gorocks99;1074309 wrote:You accidentally a word

dazedconfused;1074469 wrote:You're doing the divisions thing right when even the casual fans can recognize what division a team is in. An example of that would be im pretty sure everyone knows alabama and lsu are in the sec west. How about the acc? Anybody, without looking it up, have a clue as to whether or not fsu and maryland are in the same division? I don't. While not as bad because of the name recogniton of the teams, I think the big ten is more in the acc category

Heretic;1074468 wrote:So, far in the first posts on this thread, it seems to be heavily skewed towards neutral (where I'd put the "don't even know which one is which") posts and against, with no one saying they like them.

Which means they asked the wrong fans.

The survey included "core" fans ages 18-66 (average age of respondents was 36). Of the respondents, 56 percent were football season-ticket holders (43 percent for five years or longer); 72 percent were Big Ten students or alumni and 90 percent watched four or more Big Ten games during the 2010 season. The survey also identified fans who use social media and the web for Big Ten football information.

There were few differences in the demographics between those who liked the names and those who didn't. Surveys were distributed to fans who visited the Big Ten's mobile tour, which, among other things, displayed the new football championship trophy. The tour stopped at 10 campuses for games featuring 11 of the league's 12 teams. (Illinois didn't play at any of the tour stops; Illini fans appeared at the tour stops and could receive the survey, league officials said.)

gorocks99;1074518 wrote:I went and saw the trophy at Michigan for the Michigan-Minnesota game but they didn't ask me the poll. I would guess if there were a poll on the OC the names would be negative/neutral heavy because we're mostly assholes and probably younger than the people they surveyed. Average age 36 on there, average age on here is probably, what, 27?

cats gone wild;1074551 wrote:I could tell you what 100% non Big 10 fans think of the names..............

cats gone wild;1074551 wrote:I could tell you what 100% non Big 10 fans think of the names..............