The Big Ten on Thursday became the first Power 5 conference to announce a major schedule change for 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The conference announced that, if it is able to participate in fall sports (men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, football, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball) based on medical advice, it will move to conference-only schedules in those sports for 2020.
For most Big Ten football teams, the cancellation of non-conference games in 2020 knocks out a trio of home contests at the beginning of the season.
From ESPN: "If college football can be played this fall, Big Ten presidents and athletic directors prefer playing a conference-only schedule, which would eliminate some long-distance travel and help ensure that their teams are being tested for the coronavirus universally. ...
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"Some Big Ten schools preferred playing only conference foes with one additional non-league game — which would preserve some of the marquee non-Big Ten matchups — but there is overwhelming support for a 10-game conference-only schedule."
Which means high-profile matchups like Ohio State at Oregon, Notre Dame at Wisconsin, Michigan at Washington, Iowa State at Iowa, Penn State at Virginia Tech and Miami at Michigan state are off the table for 2020.
Organized by school, below are all of the 2020 college football games that will be canceled by the Big Ten's decision to play a conference-only schedule in 2020.
Canceled 2020 college football games for each Big Ten team
Illinois
- Sept. 4: vs. Illinois State
- Sept. 12: vs. UConn
- Sept. 19: vs. Bowling Green
Indiana
- Sept. 12: vs. Western Kentucky
- Sept. 19: vs. Ball State
- Sept. 26: at UConn
Iowa
- Sept. 5: vs. Northern Iowa
- Sept. 12: vs. Iowa State
- Sept. 26: vs. Northern Illinois
Maryland
- Sept. 5: vs. Towson
- Sept. 12: vs. Northern Illinois
- Sept. 19: at West Virginia
Michigan
- Sept. 5: at Washington
- Sept. 12: vs. Ball State
- Sept. 19: vs. Arkansas State
Michigan State
- Sept. 12: at BYU
- Sept. 19: vs. Toledo
- Sept. 26: vs. Miami
Minnesota
- Sept. 3: vs. Florida Atlantic
- Sept. 12: vs. Tennessee Tech
- Sept. 26: vs. BYU
Nebraska
- Sept. 12: vs. Central Michigan
- Sept. 19: vs. South Dakota State
- Sept. 26: vs. Cincinnati
Northwestern
- Sept. 12: vs. Tulane
- Sept. 19: vs. Central Michigan
- Nov. 14: vs. Morgan State
Ohio State
- Sept. 5: vs. Bowling Green
- Sept. 12: at Oregon
- Sept. 19: vs. Buffalo
Penn State
- Sept. 5: vs. Kent State
- Sept. 12: at Virginia Tech
- Sept. 19: vs. San Jose State
Purdue
- Sept. 12: vs. Memphis
- Sept. 19: vs. Air Force
- Sept. 26: at Boston College
Rutgers
- Sept. 5: vs. Monmouth
- Sept. 12: vs. Syracuse
- Sept. 19: at Temple
Wisconsin
- Sept. 12: vs. Southern Illinois
- Sept. 19: vs. Appalachian State
- Oct. 3: vs. Notre Dame (at Lambeau Field)
The Big Ten's decision impacts 36 opposing programs across both the FBS and FCS, including six teams (Ball State, Bowling Green, BYU, Central Michigan, UConn and Northern Illinois) that had two Big Ten opponents on their 2020 schedules.