The controversial move of the Big Ten Conference to play a series of games during prime-time on Friday nights received an official schedule on Tuesday afternoon.
The games will be televised by either ESPN or FOX, but are seen by many schools as potentially harmful to high school football in their states, with Penn State and Michigan among those particularly outspoken about their displeasure over the decision, seen as a “money grab” by many.
The prime-time schedule will start on Friday, September 1st, with the Washington Huskies, the current leaders of the Pacific-12 Conference, playing at Big Ten upstart Rutgers. On that same evening, the Wisconsin Badgers host Utah State.
On September 8th, the Purdue Boilermakers will challenge the Ohio Bobcats. The first Big Ten Conference game on the docket will involve the Nebraska Cornhuskers, with the “Big Red” traveling to Champaign, Illinois to play the Fighting Illini on September 29th.
In October, Northwestern will play at Maryland on the 13th, with Michigan State at Northwestern on the 27th.
The Big Ten’s new conference television agreement will mean every Big Ten football game, for the next six seasons, will be carried by either ABC/ESPN, Fox, or the Big Ten Network (BTN).