Live Thread: Big Ten Football Schedule Release

8:17 am (CT)

Fall camp can start on time - this Friday based on this new schedule.

8:14 am (CT)

Commissioner Warren is still using language like “if we are fortunate enough to play fall sports”. Even with the schedule release, the virus is still in control. Decisions will be “based on the health and safety of our student athletes.”

8:09 am (CT)

Commissioner Warren on why they chose to start the season “on time” rather than push the opening back a week or two.

• maintain flexibility so that if games do have to be postponed, there are open dates later to reschedule

On health and safety - the testing protocols

• Low contact sports will test a minimum of weekly
• High contact sports (like football) will be tested a minimum of twice per week

8:06 am (CT)

Joint statement from UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green and Athletic Director Bill Moos regarding today’s announcements from the Big Ten Conference:

“We welcome these important steps forward for fall football from the Big Ten. There has been a tremendous amount of consultation and hard work to get to this point. It was a team effort with valuable input from the Big Ten Conference staff, University chancellors and presidents, head coaches and athletic directors to develop a football schedule that prioritizes divisional games and provides some needed flexibility.

“The top priority remains to conduct a football season in the safest and healthiest manner possible for everyone involved. There are still many steps ahead before we can take the field in September, beginning with opening preseason camp later this week. But there is no question this is an exciting day at Nebraska. Our players and coaching staff now have a schedule in front of them, and Husker fans can see how the 2020 season will unfold.

“Our next task is finalizing many of the details and protocols for football game days at Memorial Stadium in 2020. We will be announcing those details very soon after consultation with state and local officials. We want to especially thank Dr. Chris Kratochvil of UNMC for his work leading the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases. He has been immensely helpful in helping to guide the conference forward.

“Nebraska is getting closer to seeing our beloved Huskers take the field. We, and all of Husker Nation, very much look forward to our first away game on September 5 at Rutgers and our first home game the following week against Illinois.”

8:00 am (CT)

For reference, here was the original football schedule for the Huskers in 2020. The non-conference games on Sept 12-26 were cancelled earlier this summer when the Big Ten announced they were going to a conference-only schedule.

Sept. 5 Purdue
Sept. 12 Central Michigan
Sept. 19 South Dakota State
Sept. 26 Cincinnati
Oct. 3 at Northwestern
Oct 10 Illinois
Oct 24 at Rutgers
Oct 31 at Ohio State
Nov 7 Penn State
Nov 14 at Iowa
Nov 21 at Wisconsin
Nov 27 Minnesota

The Huskers now get to host Wisconsin instead of traveling to Madison but will now have to travel to Purdue. Michigan State is the new opponent added to the conference slate.

7:57 am (CT)

There is a contingency plan that the Big Ten Championship game could be moved back a week or two (to Dec 12 or Dec 19) if necessary to finish the regular season slate.

7:53 am (CT)

The Huskers’ schedule - six division games and four crossover games make up the slate. The Quadrangle of Hate all gets mashed into weeks 3, 4 and 5.

9/5 @ Rutgers
9/12 Illinois
9/19 Wisconsin
9/26 @ Iowa
10/3 Minnesota
10/10 @ Ohio State
Bye Week
10/24 @ Northwestern
10/31 Penn State
Bye Week
11/14 @ Purdue
11/21 Michigan State

7:49 am (CT)

10 games for every team. Everyone plays the first four weeks before any bye weeks start. Each team will have two bye weeks. Everyone starts over Labor Day weekend and finishes right before Thanksgiving. The bye weeks were set up to be shared by opponents in a way that if earlier games have to be postponed, the bye week can be used to reschedule.

The Big Ten championship game is currently scheduled for December 5. Even if regular season games have to be pushed back a week or two, it will still be possible to get some played before the championship.

7:48 am (CT)

7:46 am (CT)

We knew the schedule would be only conference games, but it is unknown how many games. There were nine conference games on the Huskers’ schedule originally and it seems likely the league will try to play at least 10 games.

7:42 am (CT)

The discussion is now about players that have opted out of the season, including Minnesota’s Rashod Bateman and Illinois’ Ra’Von Bonner. Bateman is a likely first round draft pick who probably had very little to gain by playing anyway. Bonner is a running back for the Illini.

There are more players than these two that have opted out, but these were the ones being discussed by the announcers.

7:35 am (CT)

7:30 am (CT)

Not related to the Big Ten or the Huskers schedule, but notable nonetheless:

7:23 am (CT)

Today at 7:30 a.m. CT, the Big Ten Network will begin live coverage of the soon-to-be-released 2020 Big Ten Football Schedule. Following the announcement, Commissioner Kevin Warren is expected to join the show to share his insight on the 2020 scheduling process.

Join us here and comment on Nebraska’s opponents!