The 2014 Big Ten Football Schedule was officially announced today. Conference play begins on September 13 when Penn State travels to face Rutgers.
For the 2014 season, the Big Ten adds Maryland and Rutgers and will have a 14-team alignment with new divisions. The Legends and Leaders divisions have been replaced by new East and West divisions.
The East Division features Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, and Rutgers. Teams in the West Division include Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, and Wisconsin.
In 2014 and 2015, each team will play every other team within its division plus two teams from the opposite division. Then in 2016 when the nine-game schedule begins, each team will play every other team within its division plus three teams from the opposite division. The only cross-division protected rivalry will be Indiana-Purdue.
2014 Big Ten Football Schedule
East Division
- 2014 Indiana Football Schedule
- 2014 Maryland Football Schedule
- 2014 Michigan Football Schedule
- 2014 Michigan State Football Schedule
- 2014 Ohio State Football Schedule
- 2014 Penn State Football Schedule
- 2014 Rutgers Football Schedule
West Division
eastern division is heavy!
Iowa’s 2014 schedule is an absolute joke
How did the Big 10 manage not to have a single matchup between the east powers (Michigan and Ohio State) and the west powers (Nebraska and Wisconsin)? Will Cowherd throw a tantrum about Ohio State’s strength of schedule? As for Nebraska and Wisconsin, their strength of schedule will be so bad with that line-up in the west, they might be better off playing a Sun Belt schedule.
And how does Minnesota get both Michigan AND Ohio St.? If anyone should get both of them, it should be either Wisconsin or Nebraska. Ditto for Rutgers getting both Wisconsin and Nebraska. Again, it should be either Michigan or Ohio St. that gets that assignment.
I think that it is GREAT that someone finally introduced the B1G to geography!
Agreed.
I wouldn’t blame Rutgers for suing the B1G for hazing. They get both Wisconsin and Nebraska for out of division? I hope all this money they are getting is worth it to them.
Well they can sell a lot of tickets, Penn State, Michigan, and Nebraska are home games. And the return games in 2015 mean they get Ohio State, Michigan State, and Wisconsin at home. Never mind the coach, the ticket office is ecstatic.
The Buckeyes got a joke in cross games, so-so Illinois and dreadful Minnesota. I think the B1G is trying to let the heavy weights not play each other, so the CCG is a fresh match up and so more teams can win 10 games.
well you can thANK Urban Myers for this, he ran from the SEC, WHEN HE SAW HE COULDNT COMPETE WITH NOT GETTING HIS WAY, SO RHE RAN TO THE WEAK BIG 10, STARTED LOBBYING FOR THE CONFERENCE, HE KNEW ALL THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, BIG 10 YOUR NOTHING IN THE COUNTRIES EYES OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANYMORE, LOOK WOW WE WON ALL 38 GAMES THIS YEAR, 38-0, WHO THE HELL DID YOU PLAY, IMPRESSED? IM SURE AS HELL NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rutgers and Maryland just not good choices for Big 10. Bark all you want about media markets, very few in NJ really care about Rutgers and Maryland is probably about the same. Both have such huge pro markets and college is always secondary. Rutgers is terrible and Maryland is right there with them. Rutgers could not even win the watered down big east after Miami, VT and BC left and then could not win it last year with WVU gone. Good luck in the Big 10!
Football is really not relevant at all at Maryland. During football season everyone is more interested in the Redskins. A couple of years ago, the MD/FSU game at Byrd Stadium was for the division championship and they couldn’t even sell that one out. B1G is definately a bad fit for Maryland. I’ve always said that the best fit for them would’ve been a Big East that includes WVU, Cinncy, Pitt, Temple (as a full time member), Rutgers, Syracuse, UConn, USF, and one other school, preferably a southern school to give USF a rival. Good football conference, dynamite basketball conference.
Not disagreeing with you, Bill, but this isn’t about football, it’s about TV and economics. (Of course, everyone in the TV industry lies, so that makes it fitting). I’m a Nebraska guy, and I’m completely unthrilled about seeing schools added for markets that have no value as football schools, but it is what it is. It’s all about making a bigger offer to Notre Dame, even if there’s no chance the Irish will come to the Big 10.
What Maryland and Rutgers lack in football there basketball program will fit yhe big ten
Does anyone have any idea how they made these selections???? I have followed the Big Ten for many years and normally have a good understanding of their thought process (whether it’s correct or not, there’s a pattern) and for the life of me I don’t understand what went into this scheduling. I thought for sure each of the standing members would have played at least one of the two new comers in their first season. I realize and see the Conference is afraid of exposing the weakness of the west, so hence no games between Wisconsin/Nebraska vs. Michigan/Ohio State, but come on….. let’s get real……. it is what is. Wisconsin plays both Rutgers & Maryland and Minnesota plays both Michigan & Ohio State, really???? Something smells very fishy.
Yea it does make you believe that. If anybody in the west should have to play both Michigan and Ohio St., it should be either Wisconsin or Nebraska. And if anybody in the east should have to play both Wisconsin and Nebraska, it should be either Michigan or Ohio St., not Rutgers.
The alternative divison names was “Champions” and “Runner-Ups”
Looking forward to opener for the Spartans. I’m a JSU alum. Hopefully, we will keep it competitive. This is our first Big Ten opponent I do believe. We beat Ole Miss a few years ago. Nearly beat Florida State around the same time. Last year, we stayed in the game with Arkansas and Florida until the fourth quarter. Good luck in ’14!
Last game in the West each season should be Wisconsin – Nebraska! Major mistake for Big Ten to keep Iowa – Nebraska as last game of season. The developing and very real rivalry between Wisconsin and Nebraska should be the season finale in the West division, not the “made up”, boring Iowa – Nebraska game. A Wisconsin – Nebraska rivalry weekend game would result in the nation’s attention every year and balance out the Michigan – OSU contest in the East.
For a West team—the worst 2-game combo of course would be Mich–Ohio St on your fb schedule for 2014.
The Iowa Hawkeyes play the weakest combo (21 out of 21 combo’s) Maryland and Indiana
LAME
Minnesota is getting both Michigan and Ohio St. in 2014. I’m surprised that Nebraska didn’t get the Maryland and Indiana combo. I figured that they would’ve lobbied hard for that considering their history for playing Cupcake City…….
For an East team the worst two game comb would be Nebraska and Wisconsin which Rutgers did draw. Why not Michigan or Ohio State……..
Wow, MSU gets Nebraska, UM, and OSU at home. I better keep some extra funds in the coffers for those ones.
Lots of scheduling problems in my book. Let’s see some games between that power houses. Hopefully big ten will figure it out soon. Go hawks.
the big ten is nothing more than COWARDS, AFRAID TO PLAY SOMEONE WITH CLOUT. WHO CARES OTHER THAN THE MEDIA, IF THEY GO 20-0 WITH SCHEDULES LIKE THIS, GO AHEAD AND PUT OHIO ST IN THE PLAYOFF, ITS ALL IN THE FIX!!! PLEASE FORWARD TO ALL REAL, REAL FOOTBALL BELIEVERS!!!
The big ten should have got west virginia and notre dame or if not N.D…then at least a team like pitt..cincinnati or louisville…they all have decent basketball programs to boot.