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After weeks of rumors about the Big Ten’s 2020 conference-only schedule, the league office in Rosemont, Ill. unveiled the recently reconfigured slate of games for all 14 conference teams on Wednesday. Initially, Sports Illustrated reported that the slate of games would be released early in the morning on Tuesday, but that was before Rutgers had yet another COVID-19 flare up, which might have delayed the announcement.
Despite the delay and the elimination of non-conference games, action will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 3, and instead of opening the season against Bowling Green on Labor Day weekend, the Ohio State Buckeyes will get back into action against the Fighting Illini.
The football schedule starts as early as the weekend of Sept. 5 with final games slated for Nov. 21 to align with academic calendars. The Big Ten Football Championship Game remains scheduled for Dec. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium, though it could be moved as late as Dec. 19. pic.twitter.com/vWp3OSifBc
— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) August 5, 2020
We’ve been pretty pro-opening the season with The Game here at Land-Grant Holy Land, but the Buckeyes will instead play That Team Up North on October 24.