It is getting real now. Big 10 opponents revealed through 2028

[D-train]

The wait is over.

(One wait, at least.)

Sixty-two days after Washington and Oregon announced moves to the Big Ten Conference in 2024, the Big Ten unveiled the Huskies’ league opponents for the next five seasons Thursday. The dates of each game have yet to be announced.

The Huskies’ list of looming match ups looks like this:

2024 season

Home games: Michigan, Northwestern, UCLA, USC

Road games: Indiana, Iowa, Oregon, Penn State, Rutgers

2025 season

Home games: Illinois, Ohio State, Oregon, Purdue, Rutgers

Road games: Maryland, Michigan, UCLA, Wisconsin

2026 season

Home games: Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Penn State

Road games: Michigan State, Nebraska, Oregon, Purdue, USC

2027 season

Home games: Maryland, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oregon, USC

Road games: Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers

2028 season

Home games: Michigan, Northwestern, UCLA, Wisconsin

Road games: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio State, Oregon

UW’s opponents were designated via the Big Ten’s “Flex Protect XVIII model,” which balances both protected rivals and other rotating foes. Outside of selected rivals, a team will play every other conference opponent at least twice — once home and once away — and no more than three times in a five-year period. The Huskies will continue to play nine conference games.

Twelve protected match ups — “a combination of historic and geographic rivalries, as well as trophy games,” according to a Big Ten release — will be played annually as well.

The guaranteed match ups — “finalized in conjunction with all 18 member institutions” — are UW-Oregon, Illinois-Northwestern, Illinois-Purdue, Indiana-Purdue, Iowa-Minnesota, Iowa-Nebraska, Iowa-Wisconsin, Maryland-Rutgers, Michigan-Michigan State, Michigan-Ohio State, Minnesota-Wisconsin and UCLA-USC.

The Dawgs and Ducks will still play every year.

But beyond that, prepare to travel.

For comparison’s sake, UW will log roughly 7,528 round trip miles for Pac-12 conference road games at Arizona, Stanford, USC and Oregon State in 2023.

Here’s how UW’s conference travel distances project over the next five seasons.

2024 (five games): 19,772 round trip miles

2025 (four games): 16,220 round trip miles

2026 (five games): 15,128 round trip miles

2027 (four games): 18,378 round trip miles

2028 (five games): 19,638 round trip miles

The Big Ten, meanwhile, listed the following “primary objectives” in assembling future schedules:

Balance of annual travel by distance, regions of the conference, and time zones.
Maintaining control and flexibility as the college football postseason format evolves, with the goal to create access for programs into an expanded College Football Playoff.
Balance of historic competitiveness and recent competitive trends, including home/away balance of traditionally competitive schools.
Washington will enter a new world next fall.

Start saving your airplane membership miles.

[Captain 97]

So over the next 5 years they play...
5 games against Oregon
3 games against Michigan, UCLA, USC, Northwestern, Indiana, Penn State, Rutgers and Maryland
2 games against Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Iowa, Illinois, Purdue Minnesota and Nebraska.

[Sibelius Hindemith]

So how they organize the divisions doesn't even matter really.

[D-train]

So how they organize the divisions doesn't even matter really.

Yeah I am surprised that we are going to the East Coast or close to it so often.

[Captain 97]

So how they organize the divisions doesn't even matter really.

I don't believe there are divisions. Just one league with an unbalanced schedule. Best two records play in the championship game.

[D-train]

Everyone freaking about the travel again. 16k miles. Seahawks flying 32k this season.

[Captain 97]

Why does Iowa have 3 "Rivals" that they play every year and we can't get a yearly matchup with USC?

[D-train]

Why does Iowa have 3 "Rivals" that they play every year and we can't get a yearly matchup with USC?

LOL yeah, I have massive FOMO now thinking I have been missing those three intense Iowa rivalry games every season!