Among the many traditions endured by the freshmen of the past, beanies are one of the most consistent across different college campuses, especially in the Big 10. Of the twelve schools currently in the conference, only Iowa* had no such tradition.

The details vary from campus to campus, but there are many similarities. Click through the universities in the home menu to find the common threads that tie all of their stories together as well as the differences that reflect each campus’s unique culture. We hope you enjoy!

Michigan State University Northwestern University Ohio State University Penn State University Purdue University University of Illinois Indiana University University of Maryland University of Michigan University of Minnesota

University of Nebraska

University of Wisconsin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Where’s Iowa?! As mentioned above, Iowa has no known tradition of beanies or other freshman headware, but if you’re interested in Iowa history, please visit some of the University Archives’online collections and exhibits.