The Big Ten's move on Thursday to limit its football teams to only conference games in 2020 will have repercussions throughout the sport, and it may only be the beginning of the adjustments needed for college football to be played this fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
For starters, the decision will eliminate several marquee nonconference matchups, many of which had been scheduled years in advance. Since Big Ten teams started playing nine league games in the 2016 season, they have been left with just three nonconference games. Two of those games are usually scheduled to be easy wins. But the majority of the league's teams had at least one game against a Power Five conference or quality Group of Five opponent on their nonconference schedules for 2020.
Among the key games that will be lost are Michigan's opening weekend showdown at Washington and Ohio State's trip to Oregon in the season's second week. The Buckeyes' trip to play the Ducks was one of several major nonconference games on the Big Ten's slate for the second week. Others included Penn State at Virginia Tech, Iowa vs. Iowa State, Michigan State at BYU, Purdue vs. Memphis and Rutgers vs. Syracuse.
Here is the full list of the Big Ten's nonconference games that will be eliminated by Thursday's decision:
Ohio State
- Sept. 6 vs. Bowling Green
- Sept. 12 at Oregon
- Sept. 19 vs. Buffalo
Penn State
- Sept. 5 vs. Kent State
- Sept. 12 at Virginia Tech
- Sept. 19 vs. San Jose State
Wisconsin
- Sept. 12 vs. Southern Illinois
- Sept. 19 vs. Appalachian State
- Oct. 3 at Notre Dame
Michigan
- Sept. 5 at Washington
- Sept. 12 vs. Ball State
- Sept. 19 vs. Arkansas State
Minnesota
- Sept. 3 vs. Florida Atlantic
- Sept. 12 vs. Tennessee Tech
- Sept. 26 vs. BYU
Iowa
- Sept. 5 vs. Northern Iowa
- Sept. 12 vs. Iowa State
- Sept. 26 vs. Northern Illinois
Michigan State
- Sept. 12 at BYU
- Sept. 19 vs. Toledo
- Sept. 26 vs. Miami (FL.)
Indiana
- Sept. 12 vs. Western Kentucky
- Sept. 19 vs. Ball State
- Sept. 26 at UConn
Nebraska
- Sept. 12 vs. Central Michigan
- Sept. 19 vs. South Dakota State
- Sept. 26 vs. Cincinnati
Purdue
- Sept. 12 vs. Memphis
- Sept. 19 vs. Air Force
- Sept. 26 at Boston College
Northwestern
- Sept. 12 vs. Tulane
- Sept. 19 vs. Central Michigan
- Nov. 14 vs. Morgan State
Illinois
- Sept. 4 vs. Illinois State
- Sept. 12 vs. UConn
- Sept. 19 vs. Bowling Green
Maryland
- Sept. 5 vs. Towson
- Sept. 12 vs. Northern Illinois
- Sept. 19 at West Virginia
Rutgers
- Sept. 5 vs. Monmouth
- Sept. 12 vs. Syracuse
- Sept. 19 at Temple
