UCLA’s first season in the Big Ten will include games against both Michigan and Ohio State.
The Big Ten revealed its schedule format for 2024 and 2025 on Thursday afternoon as it adjusts its scheduling model to accommodate the addition of UCLA and USC. The conference is ditching its divisions after the 2023 season and teams will rotate opponents throughout the conference with the exception of certain annual rivalry games.
The Bruins will play Ohio State at home and Michigan on the road in 2024 while USC will play Michigan at home. The Trojans also draw Penn State while UCLA doesn’t have the Nittany Lions on its schedule.
The game against the Nittany Lions will be the longest road trip for the Trojans while UCLA’s longest journey will be to Rutgers. The shortest road trip for USC is a game against Purdue while UCLA’s shortest commute is to Iowa.
USC will play four home games and five away games in 2024 while USC has five home games and four away games. Those totals reverse in 2025 as USC has Ohio State on the road and UCLA doesn’t have either of the two Big Ten teams that made the College Football Playoff after the 2022 season.
Every team has at least one annual rival except Penn State
Under the current Big Ten format, each team plays its six division opponents and a team from the other division on an annual basis and the remaining two games rotate among the other six non-division opponents.
With divisions going away after 2023, the Big Ten moved to protect certain rivalry games for the foreseeable future like Ohio State vs. Michigan and UCLA vs. USC. And some schools have more rivals than others.
Iowa, for example, has three rivalry games protected on its schedule starting in 2024. The Hawkeyes will play Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska every year until the Big Ten decides to change its schedule format again. Penn State, meanwhile, doesn’t have a protected rival at all.
Five teams have two protected rivalry games every year while nine teams have one. Below is the list of games that will be played every year.
Illinois vs. Northwestern
Illinois vs. Purdue
Indiana vs. Purdue
Iowa vs. Minnesota
Iowa vs. Nebraska
Iowa vs. Wisconsin
Maryland vs. Rutgers
Michigan vs. Michigan State
Michigan vs. Ohio State
Minnesota vs. Wisconsin
UCLA vs. USC