Big Ten announces 2024 and 2025 football opponents

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Starting next season the Big Ten will move to a division-less nine-game conference schedule with the additions of USC and UCLA to the league. The conference is calling this new scheduling format the Flex Protect Plus, which features a number of protected opponents and rotating opponents for each school. Each institution will play three of the same conference opponents in both 2024 and 2025, with one game at home and the other away. These are called two-play opponents. The two-play opponents also include each school’s protected opponents, which are intended to protect conference rivalries. Protected opponents will be played annually beyond the 2025 season.

Nebraska’s lone protected opponent is Iowa. The Huskers’ two-play opponents for 2024 and 2025 are Minnesota and UCLA. Here is the rest of Nebraska’s conference foes for the next two seasons:

In 2024, Nebraska will host Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The Huskers will then play at Iowa, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue, and UCLA.

In 2025, Nebraska will play at Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio State, and USC. The Huskers will then welcome Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Rutgers, and UCLA to Lincoln.

Iowa is the only school in the league with three protected rivalries: Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. Here is the Hawkeyes conference opponents for the next two seasons:

In 2024, Iowa will be on the road at Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio State, Rutgers, and USC. The Hawkeyes will host Maryland, Nebraska, UCLA, and Wisconsin.

In 2025, the Hawkeyes will play at Indiana, Nebraska, Purdue, and Wisconsin. Iowa will then welcome Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Penn State to Kinnick Stadium.

At the end of the regular season, the top two teams in the conference will compete in the Big Ten Championship.

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