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B1G Schedule Released for 2024-2028

DuckTownHusker

Blackshirt Sith Lord
10 Year Member

The new model is called "Flex Protect XVIII." Over a 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.

Twelve traditional rivalries will be "protected", meaning they will be played each year:
  • Ohio State-Michigan
  • Michigan-Michigan State
  • Minnesota-Wisconsin
  • Minnesota-Iowa
  • Nebraska-Iowa
  • Indiana-Purdue
  • Illinois-Purdue
  • Illinois-Northwestern
  • Maryland-Rutgers
  • Oregon-Washington
  • USC-UCLA
 
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Nebraska SchedulesHome GamesAway Games
2024Illinois, Rutgers, UCLA, WisconsinIndiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Purdue, USC
2025Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, USCMaryland, Minnesota, Penn State, UCLA
2026Indiana, Maryland, Ohio State, WashingtonIllinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Oregon, Rutgers
2027Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon, Purdue, RutgersNorthwestern, Ohio State, Washington, Wisconsin
2028Northwestern, Penn State, UCLA, WisconsinIowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Purdue, USC

We get Iowa annually, and both Minnesota and Wisconsin three times.

From my perspective, the Big Ten did a good job of balancing out Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, USC, and Oregon. I was half-expecting a season of just playing those teams all back-to-back, given how the B1G has handled schedules.

It appears The Pac 4 are divided up nicely for Nebraska. Three years feature USC+UCLA, and the other two years have Oregon+Washington. In all cases, there is one west coast away game and one home game. So there's not a slog of Nebraska traveling to Seattle, Eugene and Los Angeles all in one season. I can't say the same for other Big Ten teams, though, so it looks like they finally gave Nebraska a fair shot on the scheduling.
 
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My Duck friends are already freaking out about UO's schedule for 2027.

The Ducks travel to Michigan, Nebraska, Washington, and UCLA, and then they have to host Ohio State and Penn State. That's gonna be like a 7-5 season for them, LOL.

That's the way the Big Ten welcomes in new members.
Maybe it means that Nebraska's turn is over and we can start playing schedules like Iowa gets almost every year.
 

The new model is called "Flex Protect XVIII." Over a 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.

Twelve traditional rivalries will be "protected", meaning they will be played each year:
  • Ohio State-Michigan
  • Michigan-Michigan State
  • Minnesota-Wisconsin
  • Minnesota-Iowa
  • Nebraska-Iowa
  • Indiana-Purdue
  • Illinois-Purdue
  • Illinois-Northwestern
  • Maryland-Rutgers
  • Oregon-Washington
  • USC-UCLA
So Penn State is the only school without a protected rivalry game.
 




That's the way the Big Ten welcomes in new members.
Maybe it means that Nebraska's turn is over and we can start playing schedules like Iowa gets almost every year.

I get it from a TV perspective. If you can line up Nebraska to play Oregon, Washington, USC, UCLA, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and Wisconsin, you've got a ton of great games to sell.

But from a fan perspective it's annoying looking at the season and deciding you're probably going to get at least six losses just from the teams on the calendar.
 
So Penn State is the only school without a protected rivalry game.
Who would they have for a protected rival?

They have rivalries with Minnesota, Michigan State, and Ohio State, but the Nittany Lions are like the third or fourth top rival for those other teams. Obviously Minnesota cares much more about playing Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin then they care about playing Penn State.

The only team that makes any real sense would be Maryland. Or just wait until we have a Big 74 and they can have a protected rivalry with Pitt and WVU.
 
Who would they have for a protected rival?

They have rivalries with Minnesota, Michigan State, and Ohio State, but the Nittany Lions are like the third or fourth top rival for those other teams. Obviously Minnesota cares much more about playing Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin then they care about playing Penn State.

The only team that makes any real sense would be Maryland. Or just wait until we have a Big 74 and they can have a protected rivalry with Pitt and WVU.
Yeah they don't really fit that well with most teams. I just thought it odd everyone gets a rival game but them.
 



Nebraska SchedulesHome GamesAway Games
2024Illinois, Rutgers, UCLA, WisconsinIndiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Purdue, USC
2025Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, USCMaryland, Minnesota, Penn State, UCLA
2026Indiana, Maryland, Ohio State, WashingtonIllinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Oregon, Rutgers
2027Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon, Purdue, RutgersNorthwestern, Ohio State, Washington, Wisconsin
2028Northwestern, Penn State, UCLA, WisconsinIowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Purdue, USC

We get Iowa annually, and both Minnesota and Wisconsin three times.

From my perspective, the Big Ten did a good job of balancing out Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, USC, and Oregon. I was half-expecting a season of just playing those teams all back-to-back, given how the B1G has handled schedules.

It appears The Pac 4 are divided up nicely for Nebraska. Three years feature USC+UCLA, and the other two years have Oregon+Washington. In all cases, there is one west coast away game and one home game. So there's not a slog of Nebraska traveling to Seattle, Eugene and Los Angeles all in one season. I can't say the same for other Big Ten teams, though, so it looks like they finally gave Nebraska a fair shot on the scheduling.
Way more balanced than I expected it to be. Helps that they seem to have canned the idea of keeping the east and the west split.

2024 schedule isn't too bad. UCLA, OSU, USC and Wisconsin should all be hard. Iowa, Purdue, Rutgers, Illinois and Indiana should be more manageable. Going down the list, if good teams stay good (which doesn't always happen), you are looking at 2028 being the hardest with Penn State, UCLA, Wisconsin, Michigan, and USC. Outside of that, it is pretty evenly split where we only have four of those top tier teams per year, which is more than enough for me.
 


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