Big Ten trophy to bear Paterno's name

It will be the Leaders vs. the Legends divisions when the Big Ten stages its first football championship game next season, and the winner will receive a trophy named after Penn State coach Joe Paterno and former Chicago coach Amos Alonzo Stagg, the league announced Monday.

"It's an honor for our family and Penn State to have my name associated with the Big Ten Championship Trophy," Paterno said in a statement.

Stagg, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, coached Chicago to two national championships from 1892-1932 at Chicago. His 199 Big Ten wins ranks second among all Big Ten coaches. Paterno is the winningest major-college coach ever.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said the conference had considered naming the divisions after coaches, players, commissioners, and faculty but it was too difficult to single out just two.

Asked if Leaders and Legends was too bland, or not unique to the Big Ten, Delany responded, "All of these things will engender discussion."

With Nebraska becoming the conference's 12th team next year, the new divisions were introduced in September. Penn State, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Purdue, and Wisconsin will be in the Leaders Division; with Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Northwestern in the Legends Division. Penn State will play all teams in its division, as well as Nebraska, every year.

The conference also unveiled a new logo and 17 other football awards, each named after two standout Big Ten performers including former Penn Staters Courtney Brown and Ted Kwalick.

The Smith-Brown defensive lineman of the year award is named after Bubba Smith of Michigan State and Brown. Brown was an all-American defensive end for the Nittany Lions in 1999.

The Kwalick-Clark tight end of the year is named after Kwalick of Penn State and Dallas Clark of Iowa. Kwalick was an all-American in 1967-68.

The new logo is a block "Big Ten" which includes a homage to the original 10 members with those numerals embedded in the last two letters of the word "Big."

No bowling for Iowa back. Iowa starting running back Adam Robinson won't make the trip to the Insight Bowl for failing to comply with team policies, and oft-injured back Jewel Hampton will transfer. A release from the school said coach Kirk Ferentz won't have additional comment until a news conference Tuesday morning.

Coaching moves. Furman named a former assistant Bruce Fowler the Paladins new head coach. Fowler has been an assistant at Vanderbilt for the last nine seasons. . . . Northern Illinois hired Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Doeren as its new head football coach. Doeren succeeds Jerry Kill, who was hired at Minnesota. . . . Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn has received a contract extension, apparently ending fears that he would leave to take the Vanderbilt head coaching job.

Coaches' pick. Delaware Valley College senior tailback Matt Cook has been named to the American Football Coaches Association Division III all-America team. The Selinsgrove High graduate finished the season with 240 carries for 1,201 yards and a school-record 18 touchdowns.

The conference's divisional setup for football (not other sports) starting in 2011:

Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern

Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin

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