Which colleges are the original Big Ten schools?

So, I've heard some stuff, and now I'm curious about the original Big Ten schools. Who were the founding members? Is there any cool history or trivia attached to this conference? Thanks in advance.

Sure, happy to provide some details! The Big Ten conference gets its name from its original ten member institutions: University of Chicago, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, Purdue University, Indiana University, University of Wisconsin, Iowa State University, and Ohio State University. These universities founded the conference back in 1896.

One interesting piece of trivia is that despite its name, the Big Ten now has 14 full members, the most recent of which, Rutgers University and the University of Maryland, joined in 2014. The "Big Ten" name has been maintained for its historical significance, despite the growth in member institutions.

Another intriguing historical fact is that the University of Chicago, one of the founding members, withdrew from the conference in 1946 because the university decided to de-emphasize competitive athletics. This made it the only founding member to ever leave the Big Ten. Chicago was later replaced by Michigan State University in 1950.

Despite its focus on academia, the University of Chicago's departure from the Big Ten didn't end its sporting traditions altogether. It maintains a strong athletics program at the Division III level.

That's a brief overview of the original Big Ten schools. Lots of history and change over the years!