Yesterday's post came out in a rush, so I wanted to clarify a few things that I missed. Thank you to readers who pointed some of these out.
There are no more divisions. This was evident but I should have at least said the format is divisionless, with only the most important protected rivalries. There's a helpful graphic that shows the protected games and the two-plays for 2024-'25:
The Big Ten is probably not bringing them back either, because they stated they want every four-year player to get a chance to play in every Big Ten stadium during their careers. Or at least 15/16 Big Ten stadiums and Ford Field, since MSU is giving away its home games now.
The Championship Game will be one game between the top two schools. This is obviously very dumb and will lead to replays and controversies when there are multiple 1-loss teams deserving at the end of the season. In a press release last night the Big Ten clarified that they are still figuring out the tiebreaker rules for that. I cannot express the level of contempt I have for the direction they're going with this. Please somebody with any kind of sense, tell them to go to a Showcase model instead of a championship game. Three good games we haven't played yet and champions determined by best record >>>>>> replays and controversial champions.
Michigan has just six homes in 2025. They're probably talking to Oklahoma about flipping that series, that but my guess is they end up sticking with what they've got. Whatever they charged for the 2018 home schedule of Penn State, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Maryland, Indiana, WMU, and SMU they can charge for a 2025 home schedule of Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Northwestern, CMU, and New Mexico.
The 2024 dates might be pushed back. I have not seen it confirmed yet that the schedule will be pushed back a week to accommodate the 12-team playoff. As of last November it was under discussion according to Nicole Auerbach:
Commissioners have also sorted out the general calendar issues. Down the road, they may propose moving the entire college football season up a week to begin a full schedule the weekend before Labor Day, a stretch currently colloquially referred to as Week 0.
Moving the whole season back was not in the press release when they announced the 12-team playoff for 2024-'25. If that has been updated since please let me know and I'll note it here.
Warde fought to keep the MSU game and was absolutely correct to do so. Via Austin Meek at The Athletic (HT to reader Communist Football on the message board):
“Michigan is unique in having two games that even if, preference comes into mind, it’s really common sense that they need to be on their schedule every year,” Big Ten chief operation officer Kerry Kenny said. “Ohio State from a historical and competitive perspective, Michigan State from an in-state and historical perspective as well, and (athletic director) Warde (Manuel) was very forthright and vocal during the process that those two games needed to stay on their schedule every year.”
I hammered this point on WTKA yesterday and I'll hammer it again: Michigan is not canceling Michigan State over the tunnel incident. I agree that fan sentiment among the super-paying-attention shifted, but what hasn't shifted is that game makes big money at the gate and on television. It is an important game to most of the fanbase, an important game to the state, an important game to the players, and the only important game to Michigan State, who has just as much of a say in this as Michigan. One of Warde's major accomplishments as AD was to use the COVID season as an opportunity to get the home/road schedule with MSU moved back opposite OSU's so that there's a big rival home game to anchor the schedule every year.
I can put this into numbers because I know that they price the season tickets (seat licenses included) based on the maximum get-in price of the secondary ticket market, and I track that market. Nothing matches OSU--that was in the $450 range in 2021--but the only other game that tends to match MSU's $250 get-in maximum is Notre Dame. PSU/Wisconsin are more like $180. We'll see what Texas/Oklahoma/USC bring in the coming years, but if you can get Texas/Oklahoma/USC/Notre Dame kind of interest for a middle-of-the-pack Power 5 program every other year, a little bad behavior on their part is a small fee.
UCLA-USC is not Thanksgiving Weekend on ND@USC years. So technically UCLA could be available to play PSU or MSU that weekend.
That is all.
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East German Judge
June 9th, 2023 at 11:49 AM ^
Why the Nebraska / Iowa protected game, is this a Corn Trophy???
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RockinLoud
June 9th, 2023 at 1:32 PM ^
I can give some insight as I lived in the middle of corn country for a while. Iowa absolutely despises Nebraska - at least many of the fans do. Nebraska has this sort of entitled and superior attitude, in general, but specifically towards Iowa. They view Iowa as a quaint little program that thinks it's big-time, but really is nothing. Reason as best I can tell is due to proximity of the respective fans, the success of Nebraska in the 90's, the jealously of Iowa fans as a result, and then the inexplicable perceived arrogance of Nebraska fans despite the fact that Iowa has been a better program for nearly two decades. TL;DR: DISRESPEKT (basically)!! So Iowa wants to destroy Nebraska every single year, and they're not going to give up that opportunity.
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Hotel Putingrad
June 9th, 2023 at 2:16 PM ^
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HarBooYa
June 9th, 2023 at 11:55 AM ^
I was kind of surprised they didn't protect the rivalry between Rutgers and PSU or MSU and PSU, given PSU has none. I know the Rutgers fans view PSU as one and fight over recruits, much like MSU does with us, just to a much lesser degree.
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East German Judge
June 9th, 2023 at 12:10 PM ^
So PSU has no protected rivalry, hmm, what does that say about how the B1G feels about them???
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Blue Vet
June 9th, 2023 at 12:28 PM ^
Penn State: "Come on! SOMEONE dislike me. Anyone?"
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rice4114
June 9th, 2023 at 12:51 PM ^
They should create a Nebraska Ucla and PSU USC rivalry.
This would be a nice new addition for all teams involved.
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Goggles Paisano
June 9th, 2023 at 2:38 PM ^
Rivalries come about organically over time. I don't think you can create one on paper.
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Vasav
June 9th, 2023 at 5:00 PM ^
I feel like PSU sorta looks at Iowa as a rival. Really all their rivals went to the Big East , and the only Big East school that joined the Big Ten was never a rival. And now PSU just mostly looks at all their '80s rivals as if they're mid majors. Which kinda checks out over the last 20 years.
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Blue Vet
June 9th, 2023 at 2:54 PM ^
Like parents introducing their toddlers at a play date.
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oriental andrew
June 9th, 2023 at 3:50 PM ^
OTOH, as my older sister (a rising junior at UM) and I were driving to AA for my late freshman orientation, she said that her friend's younger brother was also going to late orientation and for us to be friends. I was like whatever. He ended up being best man at my wedding. So sometimes playdates do work out.
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Blue Vet
June 9th, 2023 at 4:56 PM ^
Of course!
Good for your sister. Good for your friend. Good for you.
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m83econ
June 9th, 2023 at 1:19 PM ^
I don't think it's a statement about the B1G's feelings; having no protected rivalries allows Penn State to almost be an independent within the conference and an easier path to a top 2 finish.
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Laser Wolf
June 9th, 2023 at 11:57 AM ^
Forgive me for being dense. What is a showcase model?
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East German Judge
June 9th, 2023 at 12:12 PM ^
Isn't that the lovely young lady on the Price is Right who waves her hand around the prize in the showcase???
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MMBbones
June 9th, 2023 at 12:19 PM ^
"Isn't that the lovely young lady on the Price is Right who waves her hand around the prize in the showcase???"
And the entire point of this post was to "go to a showcase model."
It is going to take me a few minutes to process this...
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what would Bo do
June 9th, 2023 at 12:13 PM ^
Showcase means the top ranked team would play the highest ranked team they've yet to play in lieu of a traditional "championship" game.
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SAM love SWORD
June 9th, 2023 at 12:17 PM ^
https://www.mgoblog.com/content/case-big-ten-showcase
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mgoja
June 9th, 2023 at 1:40 PM