The Big Ten on Thursday released a five-year football scheduling model stretching through the 2028 season. The model is an adjustment to the scheduling parameters the Big Ten previously released, this time taking into account the additions of Oregon and Washington -- along with USC and UCLA -- in 2024.
The schedule laid bare the biggest concern about Big Ten expansion: West Coast travel. For example: In 2024, 13 of the existing 14 Big Ten schools (all except Purdue) will make at least one trip to the West Coast. Among the four former Pac-12 teams, UCLA will make trips to Penn State, Nebraska and Rutgers. USC will go to Minnesota, Michigan and Maryland. Washington is at Indiana, Iowa, Penn State and Rutgers. Oregon visits Michigan, Purdue and Wisconsin.
Among the longest road trips for the coast-to-coast league in 2024: Maryland at Oregon (2,390 air miles), Rutgers at USC (2,450 air miles), Washington at Rutgers (2,390 air miles).
"A lot of these may have occurred as nonconference competition," said Big Ten COO Kerry Kenny. "As you look at the overall schedule, you may be shifting nonconference games to conference schedule. There is no perfect science with each individual team and each individual year."
The model is called "Flex Protect XVIII." Over this initial five-year period, the 18 Big Ten schools will play one another at least twice -- home and away. Rotating opponents will be played no more than three times in that five-year period. (The league previously released the Flex Protect Plus Model in June.)
The number of conference games (nine) will remain the same. Tiebreaking procedures will be announced at a later date. The Big Ten will continue with its plan to remove divisions from the league beginning in 2024.
Protected rivalries
There are 12 traditional rivalries considered "protected" by the Big Ten. These include a "combination of historic and geographic rivalries, as well as trophy games," per the Big Ten. Rivalry games will be played each season on a rotating home-and-home basis. Penn State is the only Big Ten program without a protected rival, while Iowa has the most with three. Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Purdue have two each.
- Illinois: Northwestern, Purdue
- Indiana: Purdue
- Iowa: Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin
- Maryland: Rutgers
- Michigan: Michigan State, Ohio State
- Michigan State: Michigan
- Minnesota: Iowa, Wisconsin
- Nebraska: Iowa
- Northwestern: Illinois
- Ohio State: Michigan
- Oregon: Washington
- Purdue: Illinois, Indiana
- Rutgers: Maryland
- UCLA: USC
- USC: UCLA
- Washington: Oregon
- Wisconsin: Iowa
Big Ten football schedules
Illinois
|
Home | Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Purdue | Maryland
Northwestern
Ohio State
Rutgers
USC | Iowa
Nebraska
Oregon
Purdue | Indiana
Northwestern
Penn State
UCLA
Wisconsin | Michigan State
Ohio State
Purdue
Washington |
Away | Nebraska
Northwestern
Oregon
Penn State
Rutgers | Indiana
Purdue
Washington
Wisconsin | Maryland
Michigan State
Northwestern
Ohio State
UCLA | Michigan
Minnesota
Purdue
USC | Indiana
Iowa
Northwestern
Oregon
Rutgers |
Indiana
|
Home | Maryland
Michigan
Nebraska
Purdue
Washington | Illinois
Michigan State
UCLA
Wisconsin | Minnesota
Northwestern
Ohio State
Purdue
USC | Iowa
Michigan
Penn State
Rutgers | Illinois
Maryland
Oregon
Purdue
Washington |
Away | Michigan State
Northwestern
Ohio State
UCLA | Iowa
Maryland
Oregon
Penn State
Purdue | Michigan
Nebraska
Rutgers
Washington | Illinois
Michigan State
Minnesota
Purdue
USC | Northwestern
Penn State
UCLA
Wisconsin |
Iowa
|
Home | Nebraska
Northwestern
Washington
Wisconsin | Indiana
Michigan State
Minnesota
Oregon
Penn State | Nebraska
Ohio State
Purdue
Wisconsin | Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
UCLA
USC | Illinois
Nebraska
Rutgers
Wisconsin |
Away | Maryland
Michigan State
Minnesota
Ohio State
UCLA | Nebraska
Rutgers
USC
Wisconsin | Illinois
Michigan
Minnesota
Northwestern
Washington | Indian
Nebraska
Oregon
Wisconsin | Michigan State
Minnesota
Penn State
Purdue
USC |
Maryland
|
Home | Iowa
Michigan State
Northwestern
Rutgers
USC | Indiana
Michigan
Nebraska
Washington | Illinois
Penn State
Rutgers
UCLA
Wisconsin | Minnesota
Oregon
Purdue
USC | Michigan State
Northwestern
Ohio State
Rutgers
Washington |
Away | Indiana
Minnesota
Oregon
Penn State | Illinois
Michigan State
Rutgers
UCLA
Wisconsin | Nebraska
Ohio State
Purdue
USC | Iowa
Northwestern
Penn State
Rutgers
Washington | Indiana
Michigan
Minnesota
UCLA |
Michigan
|
Home | Michigan State
Minnesota
Northwestern
Oregon
USC | Ohio State
Purdue
Washington
Wisconsin | Indiana
Iowa
Michigan State
Penn State
UCLA | Illinois
Ohio State
Oregon
Rutgers | Maryland
Michigan State
Nebraska
Northwestern
USC |
Away | Illinois
Indiana
Ohio State
Washington | Maryland
Michigan State
Nebraska
Northwestern
USC | Minnesota
Ohio State
Oregon
Rutgers | Indiana
Iowa
Michigan State
Penn State
UCLA | Ohio State
Purdue
Washington
Wisconsin |
Michigan State
|
Home | Indiana
Iowa
Ohio State
Purdue
Rutgers | Maryland
Michigan
Penn State
UCLA | Illinois
Nebraska
Northwestern
Oregon
Washington | Indiana
Michigan
Rutgers
Wisconsin | Iowa
Minnesota
Penn State
Purdue
USC |
Away | Illinois
Maryland
Michigan
Oregon | Indiana
Iowa
Minnesota
Nebraska
USC | Michigan
Rutgers
UCLA
Wisconsin | Northwestern
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Washington | Illinois
Maryland
Michigan
Oregon |
Minnesota
|
Home | Iowa
Maryland
Penn State
USC | Michigan State
Nebraska
Purdue
Rutgers
Wisconsin | Iowa
Michigan
Northwestern
UCLA | Illinois
Indiana
Ohio State
Washington
Wisconsin | Iowa
Maryland
Nebraska
Oregon |
Away | Illinois
Michigan
Rutgers
UCLA
Wisconsin | Iowa
Northwestern
Ohio State
Oregon | Indiana
Penn State
Purdue
Washington
Wisconsin | Iowa
Maryland
Nebraska
USC | Michigan State
Ohio State
Rutgers
UCLA
Wisconsin |
Nebraska
|
Home | Illinois
Rutgers
UCLA
Wisconsin | Iowa
Michigan
Michigan State
Northwestern
USC | Indiana
Maryland
Ohio State
Washington | Iowa
Minnesota
Oregon
Purdue
Rutgers | Northwestern
Penn State
UCLA
Wisconsin |
Away | Indiana
Iowa
Ohio State
Purdue
USC | Maryland
Minnesota
Penn State
UCLA | Illinois
Iowa
Michigan State
Oregon
Rutgers | Northwestern
Ohio State
Washington
Wisconsin | Iowa
Michigan
Minnesota
Purdue
USC |
Northwestern
|
Home | Illinois
Indiana
Ohio State
Wisconsin | Michigan
Minnesota
Oregon
Purdue
UCLA | Illinois
Iowa
Penn State
Rutgers | Maryland
Michigan State
Nebraska
Ohio State
Washington | Illinois
Indiana
USC
Wisconsin |
Away | Iowa
Maryland
Michigan
Purdue
Washington | Illinois
Nebraska
Penn State
USC | Indiana
Michigan State
Minnesota
Ohio State
Oregon | Illinois
Rutgers
UCLA
Wisconsin | Maryland
Michigan
Nebraska
Purdue
Washington |
Ohio State
|
Home | Indiana
Iowa
Michigan
Nebraska
Purdue | Minnesota
Penn State
Rutgers
UCLA | Illinois
Maryland
Michigan
Northwestern
Oregon | Michigan State
Nebraska
Purdue
USC | Michigan
Minnesota
Rutgers
Washington
Wisconsin |
Away | Michigan State
Northwestern
Oregon
Penn State | Illinois
Michigan
Purdue
Washington
Wisconsin | Indiana
Iowa
Nebraska
USC | Michigan
Minnesota
Northwestern
Oregon
Rutgers | Illinois
Maryland
Penn State
UCLA |
Oregon
|
Home | Illinois
Maryland
Michigan State
Ohio State
Washington | Indiana
Minnesota
USC
Wisconsin | Michigan
Nebraska
Northwestern
UCLA
Washington | Iowa
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue | Illinois
Michigan State
Rutgers
USC
Washington |
Away | Michigan
Purdue
UCLA
Wisconsin | Iowa
Northwestern
Penn State
Rutgers
Washington | Illinois
Michigan State
Ohio State
USC | Maryland
Michigan
Nebraska
UCLA
Washington | Indiana
Minnesota
Penn State
Wisconsin |
Penn State
|
Home | Illinois
Maryland
Ohio State
UCLA
Washington | Indiana
Nebraska
Northwestern
Oregon | Minnesota
Purdue
Rutgers
USC
Wisconsin | Maryland
Michigan
Michigan State
Washington | Indiana
Iowa
Ohio State
Oregon
UCLA |
Away | Minnesota
Purdue
USC
Wisconsin | Iowa
Michigan State
Ohio State
Rutgers
UCLA | Maryland
Michigan
Northwestern
Washington | Illinois
Indiana
Purdue
Oregon
Wisconsin | Michigan State
Nebraska
Rutgers
USC |
Purdue
|
Home | Nebraska
Northwestern
Oregon
Penn State | Illinois
Indiana
Ohio State
Rutgers
USC | Maryland
Minnesota
Washington
Wisconsin | Illinois
Indiana
Michigan State
Penn State
UCLA | Iowa
Michigan
Nebraska
Northwestern |
Away | Illinois
Indiana
Michigan State
Ohio State
Wisconsin | Michigan
Minnesota
Northwestern
Washington | Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Penn State
UCLA | Maryland
Nebraska
Ohio State
Oregon | Illinois
Indiana
Michigan State
Rutgers
USC |
Rutgers
|
Home | Illinois
Minnesota
UCLA
Washington
Wisconsin | Iowa
Maryland
Oregon
Penn State | Indiana
Michigan
Michigan State
Nebraska
USC | Maryland
Northwestern
Ohio State
Washington | Illinois
Minnesota
Penn State
Purdue
UCLA |
Away | Maryland
Michigan State
Nebraska
USC | Illinois
Minnesota
Ohio State
Purdue
Washington | Maryland
Northwestern
Penn State
Wisconsin | Indiana
Michigan
Michigan State
Nebraska
UCLA | Iowa
Maryland
Ohio State
Oregon |
UCLA
|
Home | Indiana
Iowa
Minnesota
Oregon
USC | Maryland
Nebraska
Penn State
Washington | Illinois
Michigan State
Purdue
USC
Wisconsin | Michigan
Oregon
Northwestern
Rutgers | Indiana
Maryland
Minnesota
Ohio State
USC |
Away | Nebraska
Penn State
Rutgers
Washington | Indiana
Michigan State
Northwestern
Ohio State
USC | Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
Oregon | Illinois
Iowa
Purdue
USC
Wisconsin | Nebraska
Penn State
Rutgers
Washington |
USC
|
Home | Nebraska
Penn State
Rutgers
Wisconsin | Iowa
Michigan
Michigan State
Northwestern
UCLA | Maryland
Ohio State
Oregon
Washington | Illinois
Indiana
Minnesota
UCLA
Wisconsin | Iowa
Nebraska
Penn State
Purdue |
Away | Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
UCLA
Washington | Illinois
Nebraska
Oregon
Purdue | Indiana
Penn State
Rutgers
UCLA
Washington | Iowa
Maryland
Ohio State
Washington | Michigan
Michigan State
Northwestern
Oregon
UCLA |
Washington
|
Home | Michigan
Northwestern
USC
UCLA | Illinois
Ohio State
Oregon
Purdue
Rutgers | Indiana
Iowa
Minnesota
Penn State | Maryland
Michigan State
Nebraska
Oregon
USC | Michigan
Northwestern
UCLA
Wisconsin |
Away | Indiana
Iowa
Oregon Penn State
Rutgers | Maryland
Michigan
UCLA
Wisconsin | Michigan State
Nebraska
Oregon
Purdue
USC | Minnesota
Northwestern
Penn State
Rutgers | Illinois
Indiana
Maryland
Ohio State
Oregon |
Wisconsin
|
Home | Minnesota
Oregon
Penn State
Purdue | Illinois
Iowa
Maryland
Ohio State
Washington | Michigan State
Minnesota
Rutgers
USC | Iowa
Nebraska
Northwestern
Penn State
UCLA | Indiana
Michigan
Minnesota
Oregon |
Away | Iowa
Nebraska
Northwestern
Rutgers
USC | Indiana
Minnesota
Michigan
Oregon | Iowa
Maryland
Penn State
Purdue
UCLA | Illinois
Michigan State
Minnesota
USC | Iowa
Nebraska
Northwestern
Ohio State
Washington |
