Why Big Ten should adopt a 10-game conference schedule for 18 teams in 2024

How will the Big Ten schedule change this time? 

Good question. The Big Ten expanded to 18 teams for 2024 with the addition of Washington and Oregon last week. 

What does that mean for the Big Ten schedule? 

That is one of the questions considering the conference unveiled its Flex Protect Plus nine-game schedule for the 2024 season. That featured uneven protected rivalries from school to school. ESPN's Adam Rittenberg reported the schedule will not change drastically despite the addition of the Ducks and Huskies. 

The Big Ten won't be starting from scratch on new 2024-25 football schedules, I'm told. The base of what was announced, including preserving the most important games and maintaining frequency of matchups, will remain. Some adjustments needed to make 18 teams work. https://t.co/mLZ3EUph3Q

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) August 4, 2023

Still, there will be some changes given this is the first 18-team power conference in college football. The Big Ten could be another innovator on that front if it pushes to a 10-game conference schedule in the future. 

We can spell out a case for a 10-game schedule once you answer the biggest questions about the Big Ten schedule in an 18-team landscape. 

MORE: What's next in conference realignment for SEC, ACC, Big Ten?

Will Big Ten go back to divisions? 

Rittenberg also reported that the Big Ten will not return to a divisional format. The Big Ten had the Legends and Leaders Divisions from 2011-13 before moving to the East and West in 2014. The 2023 season is the last year that the Big Ten will have a two-division setup. 

How many rivalry games are protected? 

The Big Ten has 11 protected rivalry games on the schedule, which means the teams are guaranteed to play every season. Washington-Oregon would theoretically be a 12th protected game now that the Ducks and Huskies are in the conference. 

A look at those games: 

Will Big Ten consider more conference games? 

The sheer number of teams might make it difficult to implement a consistent schedule with the Flex Protect Plus model the Big Ten proposed in June. The nine-game schedule is mandatory at this point. A 10-game schedule would give more schedule flexibility.

How could a 10-game Big Ten schedule work? 

After looking at those questions, the 10-game conference schedule makes sense because it would allow the Big Ten to give each school the proper number of protected games with the ability to play every team in the conference over a two-year period. 

It's simple. Each school would play three protected rivals, then they would alternate seven schools in home-and-way fashion every other year. You get five home games and five away games, which is a benefit the conference schedule does not enjoy for now with an uneven number of conference games. 

Of course, who those protected rivals are would generate the most discussion. 

Proposed Big Ten protected rivals in 10-game schedule

Here are Sporting News' picks if that 10-game conference schedule were to materialize: 

The Big Ten could also reserve the right to re-evaluate those protected rivals every four-to-eight years to see if changes to balance out the schedule need to be made. It's a neat, tidy model and it comes with more than enough benefits for the 12-team College Football Playoff era, which arrives in 2024. 

Reasons why a 10-game conference schedule works:

Improves strength of schedule 

This will create a better strength of schedule for the Big Ten. Remember when the SEC did a conference-only schedule in 2020? Alabama won the CFP championship game, and Florida, Georgia and Texas A&M played in the New Year's Day Six. The ACC played 10 conference games in 2020, too, and Clemson and one-year member Notre Dame made the CFP. 

Yes, half of the conference adds a loss – but that will not hurt as much when the CFP field expands to 12 teams. In fact, it might help the conference when it comes to head-to-head debates with other conferences. 

Maintains traditional rivalries

Every protected rivalry game on the original Flex Protect Plus model is protected, and this even added a few. Ohio State gets Penn State and Illinois – the battle for the Illibuck – back on the schedule. We contemplated putting Michigan-Minnesota – the Little Brown Jug game – on there, too, but the Wolverines and Gophers no longer play for that trophy every year anyway. A 10-game schedule guarantees those rivalries continue, and it looks better than having teams have a different number of rivalry games. Consistency counts for something. 

Time-zone friendly 

One of the largest concerns of the addition of four schools from the West Coast is the travel.

Here is a breakdown of the Big Ten schools by time zone: 

• Eastern: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers 
• Central: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Wisconsin 
• Pacific: Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington 

The only protected rivalry game on our list that would not match time zones is Ohio State-Illinois. 

Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington could play out the protected part of their schedule in November with this model – though that would bring up an awkward weather conversation. Still, this model addresses some of those travel concerns in all directions. 

Answers Notre Dame question

The Big Ten has a television deal with NBC, and Notre Dame is negotiating its next deal with the same network. If the Irish remain independent – and that remains their current stance – then NBC will still feed Notre Dame at least a few Big Ten opponents. That also is the reason why the Big Ten will never be able to cut the the Irish off the schedule altogether. Notre Dame has scheduled matchups against Purdue (2024-28), Michigan State (2026-27), Indiana (2030-31) and Michigan (2033-24) after this year's return game against Ohio State. With the protected rivals on its schedule, USC can still play the Irish every year, too. The Big Ten and Notre Dame are always going to be mentioned when realignment talks hit, but the Irish are clinging on to that independent status. Until that changes, this model suits both sides. 

Forces SEC to re-evaluate its schedule 

The SEC is welcoming Oklahoma and Texas in 2024, but the conference is sticking with an eight-game conference format at least one more season. If the Big Ten goes to 10 conference games, then that might compel SEC commissioner Greg Sankey to push a nine-game schedule a little bit harder. It's a bit of a reactionary move – and it would be a rare occurrence when the SEC reacts to something the Big Ten does. It has been the other way around for quite some time now. 

MORE: We're moving more and more toward an SEC-Big Ten world

What if the Big Ten adds more teams? 

This plan works on an 18-team model but would need to be re-evaluated if the Big Ten adds two more teams. That combination could include Stanford and Cal – the rumored leftovers from the Pac-12 implosion. A handful of ACC schools have been mentioned – but that's a much trickier proposition given the Grant of Rights Deal the conference has through 2036, not to mention the relationship with ESPN. If the Big Ten goes to 20 or more teams, then a new conference would have to be explored – one that could include two mini-conferences within the conferences. 

We'll wait until that happens before busting out that model.