It's been known for some time that Michigan and Ohio State likely will be grouped in the same Big Ten football division once Maryland and Rutgers join the league in 2014.

What hasn't been clear is whether the Wolverines would remain in the same division as Michigan State.

ESPN.com reported Tuesday that, as of now, the in-state rivals indeed will remain in the same division. The report, citing anonymous sources, indicates the Big Ten will split the divisions based on time zones.

Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Maryland and Rutgers will form the "East" division, while the "West" will feature Wisconsin, Minnesota, Northwestern, Iowa, Nebraska and Illinois.

The only question at this point, according to ESPN.com, is which division gets Purdue and which gets Indiana.

From a Michigan perspective, its road to the Big Ten title could stiffen long term. The East is loaded with three of the league's premier football powers in Ohio State, Penn State and the Wolverines. Michigan State also has put together a couple good seasons.

The West will have some heavyweights as well in Nebraska and two-time defending league champ Wisconsin, but clearly, the East is the deeper division of the two.

That led some to believe that the Spartans, who had back-to-back 11-win seasons before slumping in 2012, would land in the West to help strike a better competitive balance.

But that does not appear to be on the table. Athletic director Mark Hollis has expressed he would like to be in the East, and he appears to be getting his wish.

Expect divisional alignment to be hashed out in the coming months, with an announcement coming perhaps as soon as the athletic directors' annual spring meetings in Chicago in mid-May.

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