(Rosemont, IL) -- The Big Ten Conference is making changes to the 2024 and 2025 football seasons with the additions of UCLA and USC.
The conference is dropping divisions and will use the "Flex Protect Plus" model with protected and rotating opponents. The Big Ten said the nine-game conference schedule under the Flex Protect Plus system will:
- Maintain control and flexibility as the college football postseason format evolves, with the goal to create access for programs into an expanded College Football Playoff.
- Balance of annual travel by distance, regions of the conference, and time zones.
- Balance of historic competitiveness and recent competitive trends, including home/away balance of traditionally competitive schools.
- Balance and maximization of television inventory each season.
Iowa will play Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Minnesota every year with the rest of the conference filling out the schedule on a rotating basis.
In 2024, the Hawkeyes draw Maryland, Nebraska, UCLA, and Wisconsin at home and Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio State, Rutgers, and USC on the road.
Iowa plays Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Penn State at home in 2025 with trips to Indiana, Nebraska, Purdue, and Wisconsin.
Game dates for the 2024 football schedule will be announced later this year.