That's not my intent here. The Big Ten has a culture I'm trying to make you aware of, although I admit it's much stronger among Big Ten alumni than non alumni sports fans only. The Big Ten is very proud of being the oldest conference in FBS, and it's based on a general level of respect for each other's institutions and the history of the conference, even if you hate each other's teams on the field. If there's one hallmark of the Big Ten, it's collaboration, in pretty much everything.
Have you ever visited a Wisconsin message board? An Ohio State message board? A Michigan message board? A Penn State message board? An Iowa message board?
This "general level of respect" that you're talking about doesn't exist on those boards. Don't pretend that the other members sit around holding hands and singing Kumbaya at each other.
What? If you read what I wrote, I made clear the respect is for the history, the conference, and for each others institutions as members of something bigger than themselves, not necessarily the sports teams holding hands. There is a clear distinction which you may or may not grasp. Big Ten fans generally love being part of the Big Ten. That's a fact. If any school left the Big Ten, there would be a sense of regret at the end of an era, even if the move happened to be for the best.