The Big Ten’s athletic directors got together on what was truly a conference call on Wednesday. The first thing Ohio State’s Gene Smith did was open some accompanying e-mails that listed proposed Buckeyes football schedules for 2011 and 2012.

“I went straight to the end,” Smith said, “and I was jacked.”

There, in its customary spot at the very bottom of Ohio State’s regular-season schedule, was archrival Michigan.

After weeks of speculation and debate, the Big Ten announced on Wednesday night the new divisions that take effect when Nebraska joins the party in the new 12-team conference in 2011.

Fans had been up in arms about the possibility that one of sports’ biggest rivalries — Michigan vs. Ohio State, blue vs. scarlet, Bo vs. Woody — might somehow lose out to competitive balance in the conference’s new divisional setup. But what is called “The Game” in the two states was among several red-letter games that were preserved.

The divisions don’t have names yet — a design and marketing firm is working on mock-ups (Black and Blue, anybody?). But most schools were able to preserve the game with their chief adversary while also adding some new texture to the new-look conference race. So there was a sigh of relief in several Big Ten outposts.

Illinois, Indiana, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin and Ohio State make up one division, with Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern and new 2011 member Nebraska, in the other.

There was innovation and yet permanence about the new setup, which pertains only to football and no other sport.