CHICAGO (AP) – The Big Ten released its 10-game conference-only football schedule beginning as early as Labor Day weekend but cautioned there is no certainty games will be played.
The Big Ten had announced a month ago it would shorten the season and eliminate nonconference games because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Under the revised schedule, teams will play conference opponents they originally were set to meet and will have one additional cross-division game.
The regular season starts the weekend of Sept. 5 and runs through Nov. 21. Nov. 28 is a uniform open date. The 10 games would be played over at least 12 weeks, with each team having two open dates, for a total of three. If necessary, makeup games can be played during bye weeks.
The Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis remains scheduled for Dec. 5 but could moved as late as Dec. 19.
The conference will allow teams to begin preseason practices Friday, or earlier if a team’s season begins before Sept. 5.
Rutgers, Michigan State and Northwestern have shut down voluntary workouts because of COVID-19 outbreaks.
“In making this announcement, the Conference acknowledges that there is much work to be done on our campuses, in our communities and across the country to gain control of a virus that continues to spread at an alarming rate,” the conference said in a statement. “While the Conference remains hopeful for a September 2020 start in all fall sports, including football, issuing a schedule does not guarantee that competition will occur. While our strategy is to continue planning for all fall sports, if the virus continues to spread among our students despite our many preventative measures, including testing and quarantine protocols, we are also prepared to delay or cancel competition pursuant to local and state public health orders or the recommendations of our medical experts.”
In addition to plans for the 2020 football season, the Big Ten competition start dates for men’s and women’s cross-country, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball have been postponed through at least Sept. 5. Conference-only schedules for these sports will be released at a later date.
The conference also released its medical policies and protocols for all sports on testing requirements, and quarantine and isolation. Testing will be managed by a third-party laboratory to ensure consistency across the conference.
Sports that have a high risk of contact will have a minimum of two tests per week during the competitive season. All other sports will have a minimum of one test per week.
“Our institutions are committed to taking the necessary measures to facilitate a safe return to campus for our students this fall,” said Northwestern president Morton Schapiro, chairman of the Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have prioritized the health and safety of our students. Their welfare is paramount and remains at the forefront of all of our decisions.”
Here is the 2020 Big Ten Conference football schedule (Game times TBA):
WEEK ONE
September 3, 2020 (Thursday):
Illinois at Ohio State
September 4, 2020 (Friday):
Indiana at Wisconsin
September 5, 2020 (Saturday):
Minnesota at Michigan State
Nebraska at Rutgers
Northwestern at Penn State
Purdue at Michigan
Maryland at Iowa
WEEK TWO
September 12, 2020 (Saturday):
Illinois at Nebraska
Iowa at Purdue
Michigan at Minnesota
Wisconsin at Northwestern
Penn State at Indiana
Michigan State at Maryland
Rutgers at Ohio State
WEEK THREE
September 19, 2020 (Saturday):
Illinois at Indiana
Iowa at Minnesota
Wisconsin at Nebraska
Northwestern at Michigan State
Ohio State at Purdue
Rutgers at Maryland
Penn State at Michigan
WEEK FOUR
September 26, 2020 (Saturday):
Purdue at Illinois
Nebraska at Iowa
Minnesota at Wisconsin
Maryland at Northwestern
Indiana at Ohio State
Michigan at Rutgers
Michigan State at Penn State
WEEK FIVE
October 3, 2020 (Saturday):
Northwestern at Iowa
Minnesota at Nebraska
Wisconsin at Maryland
Michigan State at Michigan
Penn State at Rutgers
WEEK SIX
October 10, 2020 (Saturday):
Iowa at Illinois
Indiana at Minnesota
Nebraska at Ohio State
Purdue at Wisconsin
WEEK SEVEN
October 17, 2020 (Saturday):
Illinois at Northwestern
Rutgers at Purdue
Michigan at Indiana
Maryland at Penn State
Ohio State at Michigan State
Maryland at Penn State
WEEK EIGHT
October 24, 2020 (Saturday):
Illinois at Wisconsin
Iowa at Penn State
Purdue at Minnesota
Nebraska at Northwestern
Maryland at Indiana
Michigan at Ohio State
Rutgers at Michigan State
WEEK NINE
October 31, 2020 (Saturday):
Minnesota at Illinois
Michigan State at Iowa
Penn State at Nebraska
Northwestern at Purdue
Wisconsin at Michigan
Indiana at Rutgers
Ohio State at Maryland
WEEK TEN
November 7, 2020 (Saturday):
Illinois at Rutgers
Indiana at Michigan State
Maryland at Michigan
Ohio State at Penn State
WEEK ELEVEN
November 14, 2020 (Saturday):
Wisconsin at Iowa
Northwestern at Minnesota
Nebraska at Purdue
WEEK TWELVE
November 21, 2020 (Saturday):
Penn State at Illinois
Iowa at Ohio State
Minnesota at Maryland
Michigan State at Nebraska
Michigan at Northwestern
Purdue at Indiana
Rutgers at Wisconsin
WEEK THIRTEEN
November 28, 2020 (Saturday):
OPEN (potential make-up dates for virus postponements)
WEEK FOURTEEN
December 5, 2020 (Saturday):
Big Ten Football Championship Game – Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, IN
