The Beauty of the Big Ten: Northwestern

Over the next few weeks, I will looking at each team of the Big Ten and examining what aspects of each program—or the school, in general—make them special.  With our first installment, let’s take a look at the lovable Purple People, the Northwestern University Wildcats.

Welcome to beautiful Evanston, Ill., an affluent suburb north of Chicago and home to Northwestern University, one of the best academic universities in the nation.

Located on a picturesque small beach on the coast of Lake Michigan, you can see the skyline of Chicago on the horizon.  And if you’re lucky, you might even see some Purple People roaming these lands.

Northwestern University has produced such prominent alumni as Warren Beatty, Stephen Colbert, Michael Wilbon, Brent Musburger, Dick Gephardt, Charlton Heston, Elaine from Seinfeld, J.D. from Scrubs, Jerry Springer, and the lovely Rachel Nichols.

With world-renowned programs in journalism, business, law, and education, Northwestern is a bastion for higher education in the Midwest.

The high academic standard applies to the athletic program as well.

For instance, the football team has generally maintained an academic success rate of over 90 percent—and even had a perfect academic standing from 1999 to 2002—meaning the overwhelming majority of the players who come through the program graduate.

Among the schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision, Northwestern is one of the few major programs around the country that harbors an ideal representation of what the college student athlete should be—one who excels in both the classroom and on the football field without having to compromise either.

I could gush about the quality of the University all day, but what about the football program?  Well, that’s a slightly different story.

Outsiders regard Northwestern as the little brother to the Big Ten’s larger powers: Ohio State and Michigan.  Over the past seven years, the Wildcats have a combined 1-11 record against the two and have not beaten the Wolverines since 2000.

Even historically, Northwestern has gone through some dry spells, including their notorious 34-game losing streak in the early '80s.  They have also won only one bowl game—which happened over a half-century ago, when they won the 1949 Rose Bowl.

While Northwestern may not have the most illustrious historical football program, the Wildcats have had their fair share of success over the years. 

In fact, Northwestern has been ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Poll twice in its history—in 1936 and 1962.  They have won eight Big Ten titles in their history and produced NFL greats such as Cleveland Browns Hall of Famer Otto Graham, Pro Bowl lineman Chris Hinton, and San Diego defensive tackle Luis Castillo.

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