The Big Ten is "putting the final touches on its version of Cooperstown," although it is "not quite a Hall of Fame," according to Andrew Seligman of the AP. The Big Ten Experience, located at Big Ten HQ in Rosemont, Ill., is "a shrine to the conference's athletic and academic achievements" where fans will "be able to relive some of their favorite moments through a series of interactive exhibits when the museum opens in the spring or summer." An opening date for the museum "has not been set." But in a preview last week, it "was clear" the museum is "focused simply on achievement." It is "about the success of the athletes and teams along with their accomplishments away from the field." The "first thing fans will notice when they walk in is a giant screen in the middle of the room." Press a button and a "three-minute film on Indiana's Assembly Hall pops up," press another and "watch 80,000 fans morphing into human pogo sticks at Wisconsin as 'Jump Around' blasts through Camp Randall Stadium." Every SI cover "featuring a Big Ten team can be seen on the screen, too." Fans can "behold a mock basketball court with each school's logo, a button by each one allowing fans to hear calls of major moments" or play an interactive video game that "allows fans to catch a football from, say, an Ohio State quarterback or try to stop a soccer ball or hockey puck" (AP, 3/10).
