The Big Ten structure for 2024 and 2025 has officially been announced. 2024 will be a big year in not just the Big Ten but college football as a whole. The playoff expansion begins just as the Big Ten grows. USC and UCLA will join the conference in 2024, which led to a needed change in the opponent formats. The Big Ten structure for 2024 and 2025 was announced by the conference, and here is a look at how it will work.
Big Ten Structure: Protected Opponents/Two-Time Opponents
There will be a new scenario in the conference, which is the “two-play opponents.” These are the teams that colleges will play twice. One game will be home while the other will be away. This will include each team’s protected opponents as well. Something to be noted is that not every team has a protected opponent under this Big Ten structure. Here is a look at the two-play and protected opponents for each team in 2024 and 2025, according to the Big Ten on Twitter.
Penn State Linebacker Abdul Carter (11) – Matthew OHaren/USA TODAY Sports
Illinois
Protected Opponents: Northwestern; Purdue
Two-Play Opponent: Ohio State
Michigan
Protected Opponents: Michigan State; Ohio State
Two-Play Opponents: Maryland
Northwestern
Protected Opponents: Illinois
Two-Play Opponents: Ohio State; Purdue
Rutgers
Protected Opponents: Maryland
Two-Play Opponents: Penn State; UCLA
Indiana
Protected Opponents: Purdue
Two-Play Opponents: Maryland; Michigan State
Michigan State
Protected Opponents: Michigan
Two-Play Opponents: Penn State; Indiana
Ohio State
Protected Opponents: Michigan
Two-Play Opponents: Illinois; Northwestern
Michigan Wolverines QB J.J. McCarthy (9) – David Reginek/USA TODAY Sports
UCLA
Protected Opponents: USC
Two-Play Opponents: Rutgers; Nebraska
Iowa
Protected Opponents: Minnesota; Nebraska; Wisconson
The Iowa Hawkeyes will have three protected opponents that they will face twice every year.
Minnesota
Protected Opponents: Iowa; Wisconsin
Two-Play Opponents: Nebraska
Penn State
Two-Play Opponents: Michigan State; Rutgers; USC
Penn State is the only school to not have any protected opponents.
USC
Protected Opponents: UCLA
Two-Play Opponents: Penn State; Wisconsin
Maryland
Protected Opponents: Rutgers
Two-Play Opponents: Indiana; Michigan
Rutgers Scarlet Knights DL Kyonte Hamilton (48) Pressuring Maryland Terps QB Taulia Tagovailoa (3) – Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics
Nebraska
Protected Opponents: Iowa
Two-Play Opponents: Minnesota; UCLA
Purdue
Protected Opponents: Illinois; Indiana
Two-Play Opponents: Northwestern
Wisconsin
Protected Opponents: Iowa; Minnesota
Two-Play Opponents: USC
Big Ten Structure: Conference Opponent Breakdown 2024/2025
Here is a look at who each school faces in the new Big Ten structure in 2024 and 2025.
Illinois
2024: Michigan State; Northwestern; Ohio State; Rutgers; USC; Iowa; Maryland; Michigan; Purdue
2025: Nebraska; Penn State; Purdue; Wisconsin; Indiana; Minnesota; Northwestern; Ohio State; UCLA
Indiana
2024: Michigan State; Nebraska; Northwestern; Wisconsin; Maryland; Minnesota; Penn State; Purdue; UCLA
2025: Illinois; Maryland; Ohio State; Purdue; USC; Iowa; Michigan; Michigan State; Rutgers
Northwestern
2024: Minnesota; Ohio State; Penn State; Purdue; UCLA; Illinois; Indiana; Nebraska; USC
2025: Illinois; Iowa; Michigan; Michigan State; Maryland; Ohio State; Purdue; Rutgers; Wisconsin
Ohio State
2024: Michigan State; Minnesota; Penn State; UCLA; Illinois; Iowa; Michigan; Northwestern; Rutgers
2025: Illinois; Michigan; Northwestern; Purdue; Wisconsin; Indiana; Maryland; Nebraska; USC
Iowa
2024: Illinois; Minnesota; Ohio State; Rutgers; USC; Maryland; Nebraska; UCLA; Wisconsin
2025: Indiana; Nebraska; Purdue; Wisconsin; Michigan; Michigan State; Minnesota; Northwestern; Penn State
Maryland
2024: Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Michigan; Michigan State; Purdue; Rutgers; USC; Wisconson
2025: Minnesota; Northwestern; Ohio State; Rutgers; UCLA; Indiana; Michigan; Nebraska; Penn State
Penn State
2024: Indiana; Purdue; Rutgers; Wisconsin; Michigan State; Nebraska; Northwestern; Ohio State; USC
2025: Iowa; Maryland; Michigan; Michigan State; USC; Illinois; Minnesota; Rutgers; UCLA
Former Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Aidan O’Connell (16) – Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports
Purdue
2024: Illinois; Indiana; Maryland; Michigan State; Wisconsin; Nebraska; Northwestern; Penn State; USC
2025: Michigan; Northwestern; Rutgers; UCLA; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Minnesota; Ohio State
Michigan
2024: Illinois; Ohio State; Rutgers; USC; Maryland; Michigan State; Minnesota; UCLA; Wisconsin
2025: Indiana; Iowa; Maryland; Michigan State; Nebraska; Northwestern; Ohio State; Penn State; Purdue
Michigan State
2024: Michigan; Maryland; Nebraska: Penn State; Illinois; Indiana; Ohio State: Purdue: Rutgers
2025: Indiana; Iowa; Minnesota; USC; Wisconsin; Michigan; Northwestern; Penn State; UCLA
Rutgers
2024: Maryland; Michigan State; Minnesota; Ohio State; Illinois; Iowa; Michigan; Penn State; UCLA
2025: Indiana; Nebraska; Northwestern; Penn State; UCLA; Maryland; Purdue; USC; Wisconsin
UCLA
2024: Indiana; Iowa; Michigan; Rutgers; Minnesota; Nebraska; Northwestern; Ohio State; USC
2025: Illinois; Michigan State; Nebraska; Penn State; USC; Maryland; Purdue; Rutgers; Wisconsin
Minnesota
2024: Indiana; Michigan; Nebraska; UCLA; Wisconsin; Iowa; Northwestern; Ohio State; Rutgers
2025: Illinois; Iowa; Penn State; Purdue; Maryland; Michigan State; Nebraska; USC; Wisconsin
Nebraska
2024: Iowa; Northwestern; Penn State; Purdue; UCLA; Indiana; Michigan State; Minnesota; Wisconsin
2025: Maryland; Minnesota; Ohio State; USC; Illinois; Iowa; Michigan; Ruthers; UCLA
USC
2024: Maryland; Northwestern; Penn State; Purdue; UCLA; Illinois; Iowa; Michigan; Wisconsin
2025: Minnesota; Ohio State; Rutgers; Wisconsin; Indiana; Michigan State; Nebraska; Penn State UCLA
Wisconsin
2024: Iowa; Maryland; Michigan; Nebraska; USC; Indiana; Minnesota; Penn State; Purdue
2025: Minnesota; Northwestern; Rutgers; UCLA; Illinois; Iowa; Michigan State; Ohio State; USC
Big Ten Structure Takeaways
Some fans now may feel that their schedule is less interesting because they are not going to face some of their favorite opponents every year. Iowa having three protected opponents while Penn State has zero is an interesting takeaway from this announcement as well. Something to watch for will be how easy schedules are for certain teams. If a school is not facing Ohio State or Michigan in a year, are they going to appear better than they actually are?
It will be interesting to see how this all pans out in the coming years. The new Big Ten structure will begin in 2024, and it will be seen how this affects these schools making playoffs.
