In a surprise early-morning announcement, the Big Ten released its complete 10-game, conference-only college football schedule for the 2020 season on Wednesday. The schedule format will be comprised of each team's previously scheduled nine-game conference slate along with one additional game against a cross-division opponent.
The Big Ten will begin playing games earlier than all other Power Five conferences, starting in the traditional Week 1. It has games on Thursday and Friday of that week before beginning league-wide on Saturday, Sept. 5. The ACC is beginning play the following week, the Big 12 has yet to decide, and the SEC and Pac-12 are kicking off their seasons on Sept. 26.
The 10 Big Ten games will be played over 12 weeks with each team having two off weeks. Week 13 on Nov. 28 is off league-wide as an additional date to make up games if necessary. This flexibility in the schedule allows for games to be moved and the potential for pushing back the start of the season entirely. While this announcement puts dates and games in writing, nothing is set in stone.
"One of the reasons we went to 10 games was to provide our schools with flexibility, to play 10 games over a 12-week period with a couple of open weeks that we can move games into," Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren told The Athletic. "There has been a great deal of collaboration with this. To be able to work on the schedule with athletic directors, coaches and our conference staff -- anytime you can work together in a collective manner, the better chance you have for success."
The Big Ten Championship Game is currently scheduled on its original date of Dec. 5 but could be moved to Dec. 19. The Big 12 also hopes to play its league title game on Dec. 5, while the SEC and Pac-12 have already pushed their games back to Dec. 19. The ACC has yet to decide.
The marquee Ohio State-Michigan game, one of the most watched in college football each season, will be played on Oct. 24 marking the first time the Buckeyes and Wolverines will square off before November since 1933.
With the college football landscape shifting amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Big Ten announced that it conference members will conduct two COVID-19 tests each week, double the minimum NCAA guideline of one test taken up to 72 hours before beginning competition.
Check out the full Big Ten schedule below:
Week 1 (Sept. 5)
Ohio State at Illinois (Thursday, Sept. 3)
Indiana at Wisconsin (Friday, Sept. 4)
Maryland at Iowa
Minnesota at Michigan State
Nebraska at Rutgers
Northwestern at Penn State
Purdue at Michigan
Week 2 (Sept. 12)
Illinois at Nebraska
Iowa at Purdue
Michigan at Minnesota
Wisconsin at Northwestern
Penn State at Indiana
Michigan State at Maryland
Rutgers at Ohio State
Week 3 (Sept. 19)
Illinois at Indiana
Iowa at Minnesota
Wisconsin at Nebraska
Northwestern at Michigan State
Ohio State at Purdue
Rutgers at Maryland
Penn State at Michigan
Week 4 (Sept. 26)
Purdue at Illinois
Nebraska at Iowa
Minnesota at Wisconsin
Maryland at Northwestern
Indiana at Ohio State
Michigan at Rutgers
Michigan State at Penn State
Week 5 (Oct. 3)
Northwestern at Iowa
Minnesota at Nebraska
Wisconsin at Maryland
Michigan State at Michigan
Penn State at Rutgers
Byes: Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, Ohio State
Week 6 (Oct. 10)
Iowa at Illinois
Indiana at Minnesota
Nebraska at Ohio State
Purdue at Wisconsin
Byes: Northwestern, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Rutgers
Week 7 (Oct. 17)
Illinois at Northwestern
Rutgers at Purdue
Michigan at Indiana
Maryland at Penn State
Ohio State at Michigan State
Byes: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin
Week 8 (Oct. 24)
Illinois at Wisconsin
Iowa at Penn State
Purdue at Minnesota
Nebraska at Northwestern
Maryland at Indiana
Michigan at Ohio State
Rutgers at Michigan State
Week 9 (Oct. 31)
Minnesota at Illinois
Michigan State at Iowa
Penn State ate Nebraska
Northwestern at Purdue
Wisconsin at Michigan
Indiana at Rutgers
Ohio State at Maryland
Week 10 (Nov. 7)
Illinois at Rutgers
Indiana at Michigan State
Maryland at Michigan
Ohio State at Penn State
Byes: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin
Week 11 (Nov. 14)
Wisconsin at Iowa
Northwestern at Minnesota
Nebraska at Purdue
Byes: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers
Week 12 (Nov. 21)
Penn State at Illinois
Iowa at Ohio State
Minnesota at Maryland
Michigan State at Nebraska
Michigan at Northwestern
Purdue at Indiana
Rutgers at Wisconsin
Week 13 (Nov. 28)
Byes: All
Week 14 (Dec. 5)
Big Ten Championship Game
