Yahoo Finance Big Ten announces football schedule adjustments for 2021 after COVID-19-affected 2020 season
The Big Ten announced some minor adjustments to its 2021 conference schedule on Friday.
The conference’s 2021 schedule was set before the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the 2020 season. The Big Ten postponed the start of its 2020 season because of the pandemic and teams played eight non-conference games instead of the usual nine. That abbreviated schedule caused the conference to adjust the 2021 schedule, though there aren’t any significant changes to the 12-game schedules for each team.
Six Big Ten games were played at the same home stadium in both 2019 and 2020. Those six games are now at the visiting team’s stadium in 2021. Indiana’s games against Michigan and Michigan State, Michigan State’s game with Michigan, Nebraska’s games against Purdue and Wisconsin and Purdue’s game against Wisconsin are the six 2020 games that didn’t change locations from 2019.
Nine games were canceled due to COVID-19 in 2020. Those games have no bearing on the 2021 schedule. For example, Michigan and Ohio State didn’t play in 2020. That game was supposed to be in Columbus. The home-and-home rotation does not change and Ohio State travels to Michigan in 2021 as scheduled.
The conference also will play most of its rivalry games on the last week of the season. That includes Ohio State-Michigan, Michigan State-Penn State, Indiana-Purdue and Wisconsin-Minnesota.
Here’s the full Big Ten schedule:
Week 0 (Aug. 28)
Nebraska vs. Illinois (Dublin)
Week 1
Illinois vs. UTSA
Indiana at Iowa
Ohio State at Minnesota
Michigan State at Northwestern
Oregon State at Purdue
Penn State at Wisconsin
West Virginia at Maryland
Western Michigan at Michigan
Temple at Rutgers
Week 2
Illinois at Virginia
Iowa at Iowa State
Maryland at Minnesota
Buffalo at Nebraska
Indiana State at Northwestern
Purdue at UConn
Eastern Michigan at Wisconsin
Idaho at Indiana
Howard at Maryland
Washington at Michigan
Youngstown State at Michigan State
Oregon at Ohio State
Ball State at Penn State
Rutgers at Syracuse
Week 3
Maryland at Illinois
Kent State at Iowa
Minnesota at Colorado
Nebraska at Oklahoma
Northwestern at Duke
Purdue at Notre Dame
Cincinnati at Indiana
Northern Illinois at Michigan
Michigan State at Miami
Tulsa at Ohio State
Auburn at Penn State
Delaware at Rutgers
Week 4
Illinois at Purdue
Colorado State at Iowa
Bowling Green at Minnesota
Nebraska at Michigan State
Ohio at Northwestern
Notre Dame at Wisconsin
Indiana at Western Kentucky
Kent State at Maryland
Rutgers at Michigan
Akron at Ohio State
Villanova at Penn State
Week 5
Charlotte at Illinois
Iowa at Maryland
Minnesota at Purdue
Northwestern at Nebraska
Michigan at Wisconsin
Indiana at Penn State
Western Kentucky at Michigan State
Ohio State at Rutgers
Week 6
Wisconsin at Illinois
Penn State at Iowa
Michigan at Nebraska
Maryland at Ohio State
Michigan State at Rutgers
Week 7
Purdue at Iowa
Nebraska at Minnesota
Rutgers at Northwestern
Army at Wisconsin
Michigan State at Indiana
Week 8
Illinois at Penn State
Maryland at Minnesota
Northwestern at Michigan
Purdue at Wisconsin
Ohio State at Indiana
Week 9
Rutgers at Illinois
Iowa at Wisconsin
Minnesota at Northwestern
Purdue at Nebraska
Indiana at Maryland
Michigan at Michigan State
Penn State at Ohio State
Week 10
Illinois at Minnesota
Iowa at Northwestern
Ohio State at Nebraska
Michigan State at Purdue
Wisconsin at Rutgers
Indiana at Michigan
Penn State at Maryland
Week 11
Minnesota at Iowa
Southeastern Louisiana at Nebraska
Northwestern at Wisconsin
Purdue at Ohio State
Rutgers at Indiana
Maryland at Michigan State
Michigan at Penn State
Week 12
Illinois at Iowa
Minnesota at Indiana
Nebraska at Wisconsin
Purdue at Northwestern
Michigan at Maryland
Michigan State at Ohio State
Rutgers at Penn State
Week 13
Illinois vs. Northwestern (Chicago)
Iowa at Nebraska
Wisconsin at Minnesota
Indiana at Purdue
Maryland at Rutgers
Ohio State at Michigan
Penn State at Michigan State
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