Episode No. 88 focuses on the Big Ten’s announcementregarding football conference opponents for the 2024 and 2025 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.
A big positive is the elimination of divisions beginning in the 2024 season. The bad news is that Rutgers plays every former East foe during that 2024 season with the exception of Indiana. They are essentially replaced with UCLA.
Big Ten: We are eliminating divisions!
Rutgers: Finally!
Big Ten: Oh…right.
Rutgers you still play every East foe in 2024 except we’re replacing Indiana with UCLA. Cool?
Rutgers: But they’re no divisions?
Big Ten: Right. And you keep Iowa.
Good luck with the rebuild!
Havin Maryland as an annual rivalry game makes a lot of sense. I don’t know if it will actually manifest a true rivalry type of build up, but it gives Rutgers a logical pairing against an opponent that should be beatable most seasons. Of course, they can say the same of RU as well.
This episode also looks at the 2024 and 2025 scheduled in depth including the non-conference. While year five of Schiano 2.0 has a very steep hill to climb, the schedule in year six looks like a golden opportunity to break through. The one x-factor yet to be announced is the actual schedule with the flow of games. That will be important in analyzing these schedules further.
I also discuss the non-conference scheduling in 2024 and 2025 as well as the potential philosophy moving forward.
There are no easy schedules or opponents in the Big Ten. But life moving forward without the Big Ten East division existing is a very positive development.
Thanks for listening and watching to The Scarlet Faithful podcast once again. See you tomorrow.
Audio
Video
Thanks for reading the The Scarlet Faithful. For more Rutgers Athletics content from The Scarlet Faithful, follow us on Twitterand Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can subscribe to The Scarlet Faithful podcast on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts and anywhere else you listen to podcasts. For advertising inquiries or to reach out directly, email at breitmanaaron@gmail.com
