Big Ten announces conference opponents for 2024 and 2025
The Big Ten on Thursday released the conference's future schedules for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. The Nittany Lions will host five games in 2024 at Beaver Stadium before hosting just four in 2025 as part of the Big Ten's new conference schedules which includes nine conference games per season.
Also new to the conference's scheduling is the Flex Protect Plus model which features two-play opponents and protected opponents.. Penn State does not have any truly protected opponents as of right now according to the Big Ten, meaning there is no opponent that the Nittany Lions are guaranteed to play on an annual basis. They are the only conference with no protected opponent.
Instead, they have three two-play opponents, Michigan State, Rutgers, and USC. Meaning they will face each of those opponents in the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
According to the conference, the guaranteed annual protected matchups are; Illinois-Northwestern, Illinois-Purdue, Indiana-Purdue, Iowa-Minnesota, Iowa-Nebraska, Iowa-Wisconsin, Maryland-Rutgers, Michigan-Michigan State, Michigan-Ohio State, Minnesota-Wisconsin, and UCLA-USC.
In 2024, Penn State will host Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, and USC while traveling to take on Indiana, Purdue, Rutgers, and Wisconsin. Notably, the Nittany Lions will not play the Michigan Wolverines next year for the first time since 2012. The Nittany Lions also won't face Maryland for the first time since 2014 as well.
In 2025, Penn State will host Illinois, Minnesota, Rutgers, and UCLA while traveling to Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, and USC. Penn State will not play Ohio State in 2025, The two sides have played annually since 1993.
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