Iowa football doesn't get 4-year reprieve from Ohio State after all

Iowa will play both Wisconsin and Ohio State in 2013 and 2014 as its two non-divisional, non-protected football opponents, Big Ten Senior Associate Commissioner Mark Rudner said today.

In what he labeled as "simple miscommunication," Rudner said last week Iowa would play Wisconsin and Illinois as its non-divisional, non-protected football opponents for those seasons.

"Just to be clear for Iowa in 2013 and 2014, the opponents will be the teams in their division, then you have Wisconsin and Ohio State and obviously Purdue," said Rudner, who is in charge of television administration and scheduling.

"Our hope is that we get the schedules out next week, hopefully next week."

Rudner's clarification means Iowa and Illinois will miss one another for six consecutive regular seasons. Iowa last played Illinois in 2008, a 27-24 loss in Champaign. It's the longest extended break between the two border rivals since a 15-year hiatus from 1952 until 1967.

"It's just how the randomness has played out," Rudner said. "We blew the thing up when Nebraska came in. We tried to maintain as much as we could, but it just didn't work out.

"Obviously (Iowa and Illinois will) play in 2015 and 2016 and it sort of goes to our discussion with some of our athletic directors about nine-game schedules because of the impact it has on determining conference championships."

Iowa's two non-protected, non-divisional opponents for the next two years are Penn State and Indiana.