Doing it “for the gram” is a very popular thing to do. So popular, in fact, that it was something I heard and eventually said no less than 17-times during the wedding I was a part of this past weekend.

One of the groomsmen ordered a “Dirty Shirley” from the bar and got the rest of the wedding party to drink them do? Just doing it for the gram. Almost throwing the groom into a chandelier during the Hora? Just doing it for the gram. A buddy that you haven’t seen in a while grows out some major lettuce that makes most of your friend group jealous? Just doing it for the gram.

If you’re not “doing it for the gram” or “sending it”, are you even trying anymore?

The answer — which will surely disappoint some of you — is a resounding now. It’s no wonder, then, why every single one of the Big Ten teams took their conference schedules and released them in some pretty cool ways... on the gram.

Does that say a lot about our culture and those of us that are (borderline) millennials that we obtain a lot of our news this way? I’m sure it does... but I’m not here to talk about that. Instead, rather, I’m here to rank how well they, in fact, did it for the gram.

Late to the Gram Game

14. Rutgers

Like most things Rutgers, it’s a little behind and really doesn’t make much sense at all...

Minus points for making me realize that I still have to wait until the spring of 2019 for the final season of Game of Thrones. Thanks a lot.

13. Illinois

Like Rutgers, Illinois didn’t seem to have participated in the social media blitz at the time of this writing. But, they are at least ahead of Rutgers if only because their last post from 5-days ago was better than two t-shirts and a basketball on the floor of the interns office:

12. Maryland

I guess this would be a good time to wish a Happy Belated Birthday to Ivan Bender...

11. Minnesota

Like those before them, the Golden Gophers PR staff were clearly not prepared to issue a dope edit for the Big Ten schedule release. BUT, at least their last post featured the Barn’s new, clean look:

It hurts me to say it, because the Iowa alumni in me is predisposed to dislike everything that has to do with the Golden Gophers, BUT, I love, love, love the way that cursive logo pops on the light floorboards.

Extra Homework

10. Michigan

This is probably going to upset my editor, but Michigan, my guys, what are you doing?

You mean to tell me that you want me to stop what I’m doing to copy and paste a link to view the schedule? What are you, nuts? Nobody wants to take the time out of their absent minded scrolling to copy AND paste something into a completely different app to see something I’m more than capable of viewing in the medium with which you are telling me to copy and paste something in. That’s just downright ludicrous.

The Calendar Effect

9. Wisconsin

If Greg Gard was an Instagram post, it would be this:

You know it’s true.

8. Penn State

At least Penn State tried to make it seem like they tried with this edit by throwing a faded picture of the Jordan Center behind the typed out, Microsoft word version of their schedule:

Negative points for trying to make me click on a bio which will surely take me to another screen that I didn’t really want to go to.

The iHusker Shuffle

7. Nebraska

At first, I got pretty jazzed up to see that the Cornhuskers didn’t just settle with a picture. But instead opted for a video. I’m not sure if you’ve followed along with the trends of sports media, but videos = more better. Unless of course that video has no music, no sound effects or no noise to speak of and the only motion that actually comes is a basic Power Point shuffle:

Bonus points for making the “H” in schedule bleed into the frame for some reason.

The Refrigerator Magnets

6. Michigan State

5. Northwestern

One of my favorite things to collect at Iowa were the sports schedule magnets and plaster them all over our fridge. It was like a game to see if we’d be able to cover the front and parts of the exposed side with them. I don’t know if this was the case at other schools, but at Iowa, schedule magnets were handed out like hotcakes.

I will guarantee that both of these pics are being printed on magnets as you read this:

Anyone else get some GoT vibes from the Northwestern boxes? Feel like those team logos are supposed to look a little bit like the Hall of Faces teaser poster from season 6.

The Player/Schedule Stack

4. Iowa

I could have easily added Iowa into the magnet category because I’m 100% sure that it will be. But, unlike the other two it stands out much more with it’s design. Not only does it feature a GIANT Jordan Bohannon dishing out a sweet bounce pass (probably) to Tyler Cook, don’t sleep on the interlocked I’s that make up the background. Plus, the yellow really pops:

Bonus points for throwing in the Nike sign next to that beloved Hawkeye.

3. Ohio State

I just think this looks super clean and I love how the players look almost grainy next to the smaller text and logos that make out the schedule. Throw in the clean red lines and the fact that it looked so nice that Ohio State decided to edit it twice, well, I had to give the Buckeyes the nod over Iowa:

2. Indiana

This is simple really. Anytime you “do it for the gram” and start with a cover page that has a dude sitting on a stool and starring off into the distance, I’m going to rank you so, so high. But then, if you add not one, but two players hulking out, one of which is split right down the middle becoming the main attraction in two photos, well, you’re going to ALMOST make it up to #1:

The Pump Up

1. Purdue

Do you want to know how to properly “do it for the gram”? Get me so jacked up to the point that it would be a crime not to like your post. Get me to care. Get me look at your content and think to myself, “That was fun”. Purdue did just that with their first of TWO Big Ten Schedule posts:

Michigan posted a picture of a basketball and tried to boss me around while Purdue got me so hyped for basketball season I double tapped their post, giving up the much coveted “Like”.

In the world of Instagram, that’s what it’s all about.

Oh, and don’t worry, that made sure to still let everyone know who else is on their schedule with a little magnet-type post too:

Purdue, they just can’t help doing it for the gram.