The Big Ten announced future conference opponents for the 2024 and 2025 football seasons on Thursday. It included a new “Flex Protect Plus Model” that eliminates divisional formats. The Big Ten will continue with a nine game league schedule that now includes 16 members with the additions of UCLA and USC.
There are eleven guaranteed annual protected matchups across the Big Ten. Rutgers is matched with Maryland, which is essentially a permanent pairing. Other schools have two or three protected matchups. Here is the full list:
Illinois-Northwestern, Illinois-Purdue, Indiana-Purdue, Iowa-Minnesota, Iowa-Nebraska, Iowa-Wisconsin, Michigan-
Michigan State, Michigan-Ohio State, Minnesota-Wisconsin, and UCLA-USC.
Each school will face three opponents in a home and home series in 2024 and 2025. In addition to Maryland, Rutgers will play Penn State and UCLA twice. These two unprotected matchups will change every two seasons. Every program plays the other 15 opponents in the Big Ten at least once over a two year period.
In regard to the two new members of the Big Ten, Rutgers will host UCLA in 2024. They will travel to UCLA in 2025 while also hosting USC.
In 2024, Rutgers will play every former East divisional opponent except Indiana. They’ll also play former West foes Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota.
In 2025, Rutgers will only play former East foes Maryland, Penn State and Indiana. They’ll also face former West opponents Purdue, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Northwestern in addition to USC and UCLA.
On paper, the 2024 schedule appears more difficult. However, replacing Michigan and Ohio State with USC and Wisconsin in year three under Luke Fickell might not be much different in 2025.
Dates, kickoff times and broadcast information will be announced in the future.
Here is a full look at Rutgers 2024 and 2025 Big Ten opponents.
2024 Big Ten Opponents
Home: Illinois
Home: Iowa
Home: Michigan
Home: Penn State
Home: UCLA
Away: Maryland
Away: Michigan State
Away: Minnesota
Away: Ohio State
Non-Conference: Akron, At Virginia Tech, TBD
2025 Big Ten Opponents
Home: Maryland
Home: Purdue
Home: USC
Home: Wisconsin
Away: Indiana
Away: Nebraska
Away: Northwestern
Away: Penn State
Away: UCLA
Non-Conference: Ohio, TBD, TBD
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Biochemist01
June 8, 2023 at 10:44 pm
2024 has RU going 0-4 against MSU, OSU, PSU, and Michigan. 2025 drops that to PSU alone. This is a good schedule change for RU.
RU should have Maryland and PSU as yearly rivals. That is maintained across 2024-2025. I think that Indiana should be the 3rd rival.
Aaron Breitman
June 9, 2023 at 7:22 am
I don’t think replacing Ohio State and Michigan with USC and Wisconsin in year three under Fickell will be that much different. But agree there are 4-5 seemingly winnable conference games on paper in 2025. Only Iowa got three rivalry games and my hunch is they’re keeping most open because expansion is coming after 2025 and they’ll need the scheduling flexibility.
thevinman
June 8, 2023 at 11:23 pm
Glad to see we get to play UCLA quickly. Their blue uniforms are great to see in person as I have watched them play CAL several times. I also get a short plane ride to LA to see us play them at the Rose Bowl. We were supposed to play UCLA a home and home in 2015, 2016 but it was cancelled so better late than never. I never imagined our home and home would happen as part of the Big Ten.