Just over a month after the Big Ten canceled its college football season, the conference released its 2020 fall schedule on Saturday following the decision to resume play.
The Big Ten initially had concerns about playing football amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with the conference citing a lack of rapid testing and potential long-term risks for student-athletes. Following pushback from players, coaches and fans, college football is returning to the Big Ten in 2020.
Big Ten releases 2020 conference-only schedule will start Oct. 24
On Saturday, with the ACC and Big 12 conferences entering their second week of action, the Big Ten unveiled each program’s eight-game schedule for the fall. Every program will have just over a month to ramp up activity and prepare for the season before it kicks off on Oct. 24.
Due to the prolonged absence, there will be no bye week for any program this year in the Big 10. We will see eight consecutive weeks of conference-only action before the Big Ten Championship Game is held on Dec. 19.
The other conference teams who don’t play in the title game, they will place in cross-divisional games the final week against an opponent based on the division standings.
Latest on Big Ten football and COVID-19 pandemic
After releasing their college football schedule, it’s evident the Big Ten is moving forward with playing football this fall. It comes with greater access to rapid COVID-19 testing and a better understanding of myocarditis, a heart issue that has been found in athletes who tested positive for the coronavirus.
However, there are still looming concerns regarding the pandemic that highlight the risks of returning.
The Wisconsin Badgers recently suspended workouts for two weeksfollowing a rise in COVID-19 cases on campus. In addition, Penn State’s total coronavirus cases experienced another large jump this weekend. Just as alarming, an Ohio State study discovered four of its student-athletes who tested positive for COVID-19 showed signs of myocarditis.
Fortunately, all three programs seem to be handling the situations well and the addition of rapid testing will be a major benefit to help lessen the risk of an outbreak. With that in mind, here is each team’s conference-only football schedule for the 2020 season.
Ohio State Buckeyes football schedule
- Oct. 24 – vs. Nebraska
- Oct. 31 – @ Penn State
- Nov. 7 – vs. Rutgers
- Nov. 14 – @ Maryland
- Nov. 21 – vs. Indiana
- Nov. 28 – @ Illinois
- Dec. 5 – @ Michigan State
- Dec. 12 – vs. Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football schedule
- Oct. 24 – @ Minnesota
- Oct. 31 – vs. Michigan State
- Nov. 7 – @ Indiana
- Nov. 14 – vs. Wisconsin
- Nov. 21 – @ Rutgers
- Nov. 28 – vs. Penn State
- Dec. 5 – vs. Maryland
- Dec. 12 – @ Ohio State
Wisconsin Badgers football schedule
- Oct. 24 – vs. Illinois
- Oct. 31 – @ Nebraska
- Nov. 7 – vs. Purdue
- Nov. 14 – @ Michigan
- Nov. 21 – @ Northwestern
- Nov. 28 – vs. Minnesota
- Dec. 5 – vs. Indiana
- Dec. 12 – @ Iowa
Penn State Nittany Lions football schedule
- Oct. 24 – @ Indiana
- Oct. 31 – vs. Ohio State
- Nov. 7 – vs. Maryland
- Nov. 14 – @ Nebraska
- Nov. 21 – vs. Iowa
- Nov. 28 – @ Michigan
- Dec. 5 – @ Rutgers
- Dec. 12 – vs. Michigan State
Minnesota Golden Gophers football schedule
- Oct. 24 – vs. Michigan
- Oct. 31 – @ Maryland
- Nov. 7 – @ Illinois
- Nov. 14 – vs. Iowa
- Nov. 21 – vs. Purdue
- Nov. 28 – @ Wisconsin
- Dec. 5 – vs. Northwestern
- Dec. 12 – @ Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football schedule
- Oct. 24 – @ Ohio State
- Oct. 31 – vs. Wisconsin
- Nov. 7 – @ Northwestern
- Nov. 14 – vs. Penn State
- Nov. 21 – vs. Illinois
- Nov. 28 – @ Iowa
- Dec. 5 – @ Purdue
- Dec. 12 – vs. Minnesota
Michigan State Spartans football schedule
- Oct. 24 – vs. Rutgers
- Oct. 31 – @ Michigan
- Nov. 7 – @ Iowa
- Nov. 14 – vs. Indiana
- Nov. 21 – @ Maryland
- Nov. 28 – vs. Northwestern
- Dec. 5 – vs. Ohio State
- Dec. 12 – @ Penn State
Iowa Hawkeyes football schedule
- Oct. 24 – @ Purdue
- Oct. 31 – vs. Northwestern
- Nov. 7 – vs. Michigan State
- Nov. 14 – @ Maryland
- Nov. 21 – @ Penn State
- Nov. 28 – vs. Nebraska
- Dec. 5 – @ Illinois
- Dec. 12 – vs. Wisconsin
Maryland Terrapins football schedule
- Oct. 24 – @ Northwestern
- Oct. 31 – vs. Minnesota
- Nov. 7 – @ Penn State
- Nov. 14 – vs. Ohio State
- Nov. 21 – vs. Michigan State
- Nov. 28 – @ Illinois
- Dec. 5 – @ Michigan
- Dec. 12 – vs. Rutgers
Purdue Boilermakers football schedule
- Oct. 24 – vs. Iowa
- Oct. 31 – @ Illinois
- Nov. 7 – @ Wisconsin
- Nov. 14 – vs. Northwestern
- Nov. 21 – @ Minnesota
- Nov. 28 – vs. Rutgers
- Dec. 5 – vs. Nebraska
- Dec. 12 – @ Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers football schedule
- Oct. 24 – vs. Penn State
- Oct. 31 – @ Rutgers
- Nov. 7 – vs. Michigan
- Nov. 14 – @ Michigan State
- Nov. 21 – @ Ohio State
- Nov. 28 – vs. Maryland
- Dec. 5 – @ Wisconsin
- Dec. 12 – vs. Purdue
Northwestern Wildcats football schedule
- Oct. 24 – vs. Maryland
- Oct. 31 – @ Iowa
- Nov. 7 – vs. Nebraska
- Nov. 14 – @ Purdue
- Nov. 21 – vs. Wisconsin
- Nov. 28 – @ Michigan State
- Dec. 5 – @ Minnesota
- Dec. 12 – vs. Illinois
Rutgers Scarlet Knights football schedule
- Oct. 24 – @ Michigan State
- Oct. 31 – vs. Indiana
- Nov. 7 – @ Ohio State
- Nov. 14 – vs. Illinois
- Nov. 21 – vs. Michigan
- Nov. 28 – @ Purdue
- Dec. 5 – vs. Penn State
- Dec. 12 – @ Maryland
Illinois Fighting Illini football schedule
- Oct. 24 – @ Wisconsin
- Oct. 31 – vs. Purdue
- Nov. 7 – vs. Minnesota
- Nov. 14 – @ Rutgers
- Nov. 21 – @ Nebraska
- Nov. 28 – vs. Ohio State
- Dec. 5 – vs. Iowa
- Dec. 12 – @ Northwestern