For the first time since Spring, 2019, the Big Ten Universities Rugby Conference assembled for a league 7s tournament.

The players have changed since COVID – Minnesota has left the conference while Penn State has joined (for 7s only).

Penn State to Join Big Ten Conference for Sevens Season

The Big Ten sides—Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue, Ohio State, and Wisconsin—were joined by out-of-conference challengers, Dayton, Kentucky, and Northwestern.

The men from the University of Illinois had the honor of hosting the first leg of this year’s Big Ten series.

Heavy rainfall and field flooding forced the tournament to the scheduled backup site. But beyond a chilly day with some light showers, the day went off without a hitch. The hosts started the day strong; escaping unscathed from their pool. Indiana, Ohio State, and Penn State also emerged from pool play undefeated. In quarterfinal action, the hosts took on the Badgers. Illinois surged to a 19-0 lead. But a few key Illini injuries created openings for a young, athletic Wisconsin squad. The Badgers clawed back to win 21-19.

The other top seeds moved comfortably through to the semifinals. Ohio State punched their ticket to the final with a convincing win over Wisconsin. Indiana looked set to cruise to the final over the Nittany Lions. But Penn State surged late and tied the match on the last play. The game would be decided by a five-minute period of golden point. Indiana claimed possession of the kickoff and started to apply pressure through sustained possession. A minute-and-a-half passed; Penn State stood stout in defense but had no sniff of the ball. Finally, the ball shifted to the right touchline and the period of sustained pressure paid off.

David Fee’s men crossed in the corner and setup a final matchup with the Buckeyes.

The Hoosiers did not seem all that tired from their extra rugby in the previous round, striking early for two tries. Ohio State struck next to keep the margin manageable. But Indiana would get over the line twice more to secure the win and the first leg of the Big Ten 7s Series.

Indiana now sits in first place in the conference with 9 points. They are followed by Ohio State (6), Penn State (5), Wisconsin (4), Michigan State (3), Michigan (2), Illinois (1), and Purdue (0). Next weekend, the Series stops in West Lafayette, Ind. for Leg Two.