Four months ago, the Big Ten released its schedule model for the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the impending arrival of USC and UCLA to the conference. But that came before another round of realignment added two additional Pac-12 teams to the Big Ten and forced league officials to scrap the entire scheduling plan.
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On Thursday, the Big Ten announced its latest revision, revealing league opponents for the next five seasons, from 2024 through 2028, in an 18-team conference that won’t include divisions. Here are key takeaways on what the schedule means for Wisconsin.
How the schedule looks
The Big Ten has yet to announce the dates or order of opponents for any games in the next five seasons. But this is the breakdown of Wisconsin’s slate:
2024
Home: Minnesota, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue
Away: Iowa, Nebraska, Northwestern, Rutgers, USC
2025
Home: Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Ohio State, Washington
Away: Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon
2026
Home: Michigan State, Minnesota, Rutgers, USC
Away: Iowa, Maryland, Penn State, Purdue, UCLA
2027
Home: Iowa, Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State, UCLA
Away: Illinois, Michigan State, Minnesota, USC
2028
Home: Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon
Away: Iowa, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Washington
Wisconsin’s 2024 and 2025 schedules are slightly different from what they were under the previous scheduling model. Wisconsin still plays Purdue, Penn State and Minnesota at home in 2024. Oregon has replaced Indiana as the other home matchup. The road schedule still features Iowa, Nebraska and USC. But Northwestern and Rutgers have replaced Maryland and Michigan.
Wisconsin’s 2025 home schedule features three of the same matchups as before: against Illinois, Iowa and Ohio State. Maryland and Washington replace Michigan State and USC. Wisconsin’s 2025 road slate is the most different. The only matchup that is the same as before is Wisconsin at Minnesota. Indiana, Michigan and Oregon are new road matchups that have replaced games at Northwestern, Rutgers and UCLA.
Exciting new matchups
Wisconsin fans looking to make new trips to the four Pac-12 programs joining the league will have the opportunity to do so for each of those schools over the next five years. Wisconsin plays at USC in 2024 and 2027, at Oregon in 2025, at UCLA in 2026 and at Washington in 2028. That means the Badgers will make one West Coast trip per season.
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Wisconsin has played USC just once since 1966, when the Badgers beat the Trojans 23-21 in the 2015 Holiday Bowl. The two programs matched up in the 1953 Rose Bowl, which USC won 7-0, as well as the 1963 Rose Bowl in which No. 1 USC defeated No. 2 Wisconsin 42-37. USC leads the all-time series 6-1.
Wisconsin and UCLA haven’t played since the 2000 Sun Bowl, which the Badgers won 21-20. Wisconsin has won the last three matchups, including the 1994 Rose Bowl and the 1999 Rose Bowl. UCLA holds a 7-4 series advantage all-time.
Wisconsin and Oregon played most recently in the 2020 Rose Bowl, which the Ducks won, 28-27. Oregon also beat Wisconsin 45-38 in the 2012 Rose Bowl. The two teams are tied at 3-3 in the all-time series, with Wisconsin’s last victory coming at home in 2000.
Wisconsin and Washington have played the fewest matchups among the new additions to the league. Washington holds a 4-0 series lead, which includes a 44-8 victory in the 1960 Rose Bowl. The teams last played in 1992, when No. 2 Washington defeated Wisconsin 27-10 at Husky Stadium as Barry Alvarez began his third season with the Badgers.
Tough road to the title game
From 2014 through this season, it was easy to look at Wisconsin’s schedule, identify the relative strengths and weaknesses of the team’s divisional crossover games and see a clear path to the Big Ten Championship Game. Wisconsin needed to win the West Division, which seemed to be there for the taking more often than not. The Badgers played two crossover games from 2014-15 and three from 2016 on as the league moved to nine conference games. From 2014 through its victory against Purdue two weeks ago, Wisconsin’s record against West Division teams is 40-12.
But without divisions moving forward, Wisconsin’s path to a title game appearance seems to be as challenging as it has ever been. The top two teams in the overall conference standings at the end of the regular season will earn a spot in the championship game. Tiebreaking procedures will be announced later.
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Consider some of the schedules that Wisconsin has to play in upcoming seasons. In 2025, Wisconsin will play Ohio State, Washington, Michigan and Oregon. Those four teams are all undefeated this season and rank in the top eight of the AP Top 25. Obviously, there is no way to predict what those teams will look like in two years. But each of those programs has been to the College Football Playoff and none are currently on a downswing.
The same is true for USC and Penn State, two more undefeated teams ranked in the top 10 this season. Wisconsin must play Oregon, Penn State and USC next season. And in 2028, just like in 2025, Wisconsin again will play Ohio State, Washington, Michigan and Oregon, among others. Wisconsin also has challenging nonconference games against Alabama in 2024 and 2025 and against Notre Dame in 2026.
Protected rivalries still intact
Wisconsin’s two protected rivalry games are the same as they were before: against Iowa and Minnesota. There will be a total of 12 protected matchups across the league, which is now set to include Oregon-Washington. The other guaranteed annual protected matchups are Illinois-Northwestern, Illinois-Purdue, Indiana-Purdue, Iowa-Minnesota, Iowa-Nebraska, Maryland-Rutgers, Michigan-Michigan State, Michigan-Ohio State and UCLA-USC.
Wisconsin and Minnesota have played 132 times, making it the most-played FBS matchup in the country. Wisconsin and Iowa have played 96 times in what has become one of the fiercest games in the league.
As for the other 15 teams in the league that Wisconsin will play, the Big Ten announced that teams will play every other conference opponent at least twice — once home and once away — and will play rotating opponents no more than three times in a five-year period.
(Photo of Luke Fickell: John Fisher / Getty Images)
