How Big Ten’s elimination of divisions, new scheduling format could impact Iowa football

IOWA CITY — The Big Ten will eliminate football divisions in 2024 and institute a scheduling model that protects some rivalries, the conference announced Thursday.

After having the winners of two divisions — initially the Leaders and Legends from 2011-13 and then the East and West since 2014 — play in the Big Ten championship game, the conference will instead send the top two overall teams to Indianapolis.

The new scheduling model will protect Iowa’s annual rivalries with Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska while the other six opponents each year will rotate.

No other school has three protected rivalries under the “Flex Protect Plus” plan. Penn State, for example, does not have any protected games.

Assuming the conference maintains the format beyond 2025, the Hawkeyes will play each opponent twice in a four-year span — once at home and once on the road.

Challenging path to Indy

A division-free Big Ten will likely lead to a more complicated path to Indianapolis for the Hawkeyes.

Had the Big Ten sent the top two teams to the conference championship rather than each division champion, Iowa still would have gone to Indianapolis in 2015. However, 2021 would have featured Ohio State-Michigan instead of Iowa-Michigan.

Now with USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten in 2024, Iowa will need to be one of the top two overall teams in a 16-team conference rather than the best in a seven-team division that did not have heavyweights Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State.

The expected strength of Iowa’s future Big Ten schedules also could be an obstacle on Iowa’s path to Indianapolis.

Iowa’s 2024 schedule will include Ohio State, USC and UCLA — three teams that finished in the top 18 of the 2022 College Football Playoff rankings. The 2025 schedule will include Michigan and Penn State.

Therefore, a 7-2 mark in conference play in 2024 or 2025 could potentially be more difficult than in 2021 or 2023.

Key rivalries protected

The new scheduling format is a win for fans who want to see the Hawkeyes’ signature rivalries happen every year.

Iowa’s three Big Ten rivalries with traveling trophies — Minnesota (Floyd of Rosedale Trophy), Wisconsin (Heartland Trophy) and Nebraska (Heroes Trophy) — are all protected.

Other regional foes such as Illinois, Purdue and Northwestern, meanwhile, will play Iowa on an every-other-year occurrence.

Big House not in near future

The East-West configuration resulted in few trips for Iowa to some Big Ten East destinations.

The Hawkeyes’ last game at Michigan was in 2019. Their last game at Indiana was in 2018, and their last game at Michigan State was in 2017.

Iowa will go to Indiana in 2025.

Michigan and Michigan State will not be on the Hawkeyes’ travel itinerary, however, until at least 2026.

The Spartans and Wolverines will travel to Kinnick Stadium in 2025.

More travel for fans in 2024

Die-hard Hawkeye fans with an adequate travel budget likely will be spending more time at The Eastern Iowa Airport in 2024.

Four of Iowa’s five 2023 road games are within a six-hour drive of Cedar Rapids or Iowa City.

In 2024, only two road games will be six or fewer hours away from Cedar Rapids or Iowa City. In 2025, four games will be within six hours.

Future Big Ten opponents

Home 2024: UCLA, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Maryland

Away 2024: Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio State, Rutgers, USC

Home 2025: Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State

Away 2025: Indiana, Nebraska, Purdue, Wisconsin

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com