PARK RIDGE, Ill. — The Big Ten Conference announced Friday the 36 student-athletes scheduled to attend the 2011 Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon, held Friday at McCormick Place in Chicago.

The 40th annual event will mark the University of Nebraska’s first official appearance as a member of the Big Ten Conference and serves as the beginning to the 2011 football season, which will lead in to the inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game, held Dec. 3 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The event features all 12 conference head coaches and begins at 11 a.m. with the players and coaches autograph and photo session for fans attending the luncheon. The luncheon is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m., with comments from all 12 coaches and returning All-Big Ten quarterback Kirk Cousins of Michigan State, who will speak on behalf of the players in attendance.

The list of student-athletes scheduled to attend includes 18 former All-Big Ten selections and three past All-Big 12 picks, including six first-team honorees from last season. The list also includes the 2010 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.

Slated to attend the Kickoff Luncheon from the Legends Division are Iowa’s Mike Daniels, Marvin McNutt Jr. and Tyler Nielsen, Michigan’s Kevin Koger, Mike Martin and Denard Robinson, Michigan State’s Cousins, Edwin Baker and Trenton Robinson, Minnesota’s Duane Bennett, MarQueis Gray and Mike Rallis, Nebraska’s Rex Burkhead, Jared Crick and Lavonte David and Northwestern’s Jordan Mabin, Al Netter and Dan Persa. Denard Robinson, Baker and Persa were first-team All-Big Ten selections last year, while Denard Robinson was also the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.

Crick and David earned first-team All-Big 12 accolades a season ago, and David was tabbed the conference’s newcomer of the year. Daniels, McNutt Jr., Martin, Cousins, Trenton Robinson, Burkhead, Mabin and Netter earned second-team or honorable mention All-Conference status in 2010.

Scheduled to attend from the Leaders Division are Illinois’ Jeff Allen, AJ Jenkins and Tavon Wilson, Indiana’s Damarlo Belcher, Max Dedmond and Jeff Thomas, Ohio State’s Mike Brewster, Orhian Johnson and Andrew Sweat, Penn State’s Michael Mauti, Derek Moye and Joe Suhey, Purdue’s Albert Evans, Joe Holland and Carson Wiggs and Wisconsin’s Patrick Butrym, Aaron Henry and Nick Toon.

Brewster was a first-team All-Big Ten pick last season, while Allen, Wilson, Belcher, Moye, Wiggs, Henry and Toon picked up second-team or honorable-mention recognition in 2010 and/or 2009.

The Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon annually attracts some of the most interesting and talented names in college sports. The event has drawn legendary coaches as well as each of the conference’s Heisman Trophy winners since 1970. Several of those coaches and players have been honored as namesakes on the Big Ten’s 18 new trophies that will be awarded to teams, coaches and student-athletes beginning with the coming season. In all, nearly 800 of the conference’s finest players, more than 50 head coaches and over 45,000 supporters have made the Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon a yearly stop in their preseason college football schedules.

Players attending 2011 Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon

Legends Division

Iowa

Mike Daniels, Sr., DT*

Marvin McNutt Jr., Sr., WR*

Tyler Nielsen, Sr., OLB

Michigan

Kevin Koger, Sr., TE

Mike Martin, Sr., DT*

Denard Robinson, Jr., QB*

Michigan State

Edwin Baker, Jr., RB*

Kirk Cousins, Sr., QB*

Trenton Robinson, Sr., S*

Minnesota

Duane Bennett, Sr., RB

MarQueis Gray, Jr., QB

Mike Rallis, Jr., LB

Nebraska

Rex Burkhead, Jr., RB*

Jared Crick, Sr., DT*

Lavonte David, Sr., LB*

Northwestern

Jordan Mabin, Sr., CB*

Al Netter, Sr., OT*

Dan Persa, Sr., QB*

Leaders Division

Illinois

Jeff Allen, Sr., OL*

AJ Jenkins, Sr., WR

Tavon Wilson, Sr., DB*

Indiana

Damarlo Belcher, Sr., WR*

Max Dedmond, Sr., TE

Jeff Thomas, Sr., LB

Ohio State

Mike Brewster, Sr., C*

Orhian Johnson, Jr., DB

Andrew Sweat, Sr., LB

Penn State

Michael Mauti, Jr., LB

Derek Moye, Sr., WR*

Joe Suhey, Sr., RB

Purdue

Albert Evans, Sr., S

Joe Holland, Sr., LB

Carson Wiggs, Sr., K/P*

Wisconson

Patrick Butrym, Sr., DT

Aaron Henry, Sr., FS*

Nick Toon, Sr., WR*

* – indicates previous All-Big Ten or All-Big 12 selection