Big Ten History Vault

Big Ten 1989 season

Final Big Ten standings, 1989

Big Ten 1989 final standings
#TeamCONFW-LPCTPFPA
1 Michigan Wolverinesz 8-0 10-2 .833 335 184
2 Illinois Fighting Illini 7-1 10-2 .833 332 182
3 Michigan State Spartans 6-2 8-4 .667 356 163
4 Ohio State Buckeyes 6-2 8-4 .667 339 297
5 Minnesota Golden Gophers 4-4 6-5 .545 263 283
6 Indiana Hoosiers 3-5 5-6 .455 289 262
7 Iowa Hawkeyes 3-5 5-6 .455 197 278
8 Purdue Boilermakers 2-6 3-8 .273 172 281
9 Wisconsin Badgers 1-7 2-9 .182 172 341
10 Northwestern Wildcats 0-8 0-11 .000 241 497

Source: CollegeFootballData. CONF is the Big Ten record, which orders the table. z = Big Ten champion.

How 1989 fits the bigger picture

1989 is one season in the Big Ten story. See every Big Ten winner in Big Ten champions by year, how the national titles split in Big Ten national championships by team, and the current race on the live standings.

Other seasons: 2025 · 2024 · 2023 · 2022 · 2021 · 2020 · 2019 · 2018 · 2017 · 2016 · 2015 · 2014 · 2013 · 2012 · 2011 · 2010 · 2009 · 2008 · 2007 · 2006 · 2005 · 2004 · 2003 · 2002 · 2001 · 2000 · 1999 · 1998 · 1997 · 1996 · 1995 · 1994 · 1993 · 1992 · 1991 · 1990 · 1988 · 1987 · 1986 · 1985 · 1984 · 1983 · 1982 · 1981 · 1980 · 1979 · 1978 · 1977 · 1976 · 1975 · 1974 · 1973 · 1972 · 1971 · 1970 · 1969 · 1968 · 1967 · 1966 · 1965 · 1964 · 1963 · 1962 · 1961 · 1960 · 1959 · 1958 · 1957 · 1956 · 1955 · 1954 · 1953

How the Big Ten finished in 1989: the champion, the final table and the records that decided it.

Quick answer

Michigan won the Big Ten in 1989, finishing 8-0 in conference play (10-2 overall). The full final standings for all 10 teams are below.

About the author and reviewer

Written by

The BIG10.CO Desk

Conference Newsroom · Independent Big Ten coverage since 2026

The house desk of BIG10.CO - independent researchers tracking every Big Ten game, stat and storyline.

Fact-checked by

BIG10.CO Coverage Review

Fact & Data Review · Primary-source verification

Every stat and historical claim on data pages is checked against official box scores and the live feed before publication.

Independence: BIG10.CO was not paid by any school, network or sportsbook for this page. Corrections are logged in our editorial policy.

Big Ten 1989: the season in one place

Michigan won the Big Ten in 1989, finishing 8-0 in conference play (10-2 overall). The final table, ordered by conference record, read 1. Michigan 8-0 (10-2), 2. Illinois 7-1 (10-2), 3. Michigan State 6-2 (8-4), 4. Ohio State 6-2 (8-4), 5. Minnesota 4-4 (6-5), 6. Indiana 3-5 (5-6), 7. Iowa 3-5 (5-6), 8. Purdue 2-6 (3-8), 9. Wisconsin 1-7 (2-9), 10. Northwestern 0-8 (0-11). This Big Ten 1989 archive sits alongside the History Vault and the live standings, so you can compare any season with the current race.

The Big Ten Report

One conference, in your inbox every Tuesday.

Standings, the title race and one opinion on the Big Ten. No filler.

Free. Unsubscribe anytime. We never sell your email.

Frequently asked questions

Who won the Big Ten in 1989?

Michigan won the Big Ten in 1989, finishing 8-0 in conference play (10-2 overall).

What were the final Big Ten standings in 1989?

1. Michigan 8-0 (10-2), 2. Illinois 7-1 (10-2), 3. Michigan State 6-2 (8-4), 4. Ohio State 6-2 (8-4), 5. Minnesota 4-4 (6-5), 6. Indiana 3-5 (5-6), 7. Iowa 3-5 (5-6), 8. Purdue 2-6 (3-8), 9. Wisconsin 1-7 (2-9), 10. Northwestern 0-8 (0-11). Conference record first, overall record in brackets.

How is the Big Ten decided?

The table is ordered by conference record, with head-to-head the first tiebreaker. The top two teams meet in the Big Ten Championship Game for the title.