The 2024 Big Ten slate will be a fascinating one. With the arrivals of UCLA and USC comes the corresponding winds of change to the league’s East-West division scheduling model.
Enter the brand spanking new Flex Protect Plus scheduling model. Under the new scheduling model, teams’ schedules feature a combination of protected opponents and rotating opponents. It allows for each school to play every conference opponent at least twice—once home and once away—over a four-year period.
For Iowa, that means protected trophy games against Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Iowa led the Big Ten with its three protected rivalries. It also means that the remaining 12 conference opponents will rotate in groups of six over the 2024 and 2025 seasons for the Hawkeyes.
In line with the feelings of most Iowa fans, CBS Sports’ Will Backus writes that the Hawkeyes are one of the winners under the Big Ten’s new scheduling format.
Considering any Big Ten West team a beneficiary of the new scheduling model is tough. In the West, the path to the Big Ten Championship Game was wide open every year with each team having a realistic shot. Now, they have to jostle with the Big Ten’s traditional powerhouses in the race for one of the top two spots in the standings. One may also look at the fact that Iowa has to play Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin every single year as a negative, but that is exactly what fans wanted. Tradition matters to the Hawkeyes, and preserving their biggest rivalries through a sea of change was a win. – Backus, CBS Sports.
Ultimately, Iowa fans are winners across the board. To Backus’ point, yes, the trophy games were incredibly important to Iowa fans. Hawkeye fans don’t want to live in a world where the Floyd of Rosedale or the Heartland Trophy aren’t up for grabs every single season.
Similarly, Iowa-Nebraska has morphed into a serious rivalry ever since the Huskers joined the Big Ten in 2011. The Heroes Trophy is important as well.
B1G things coming in 2024 & 2025.#Hawkeyes | #B1Gfootball24and25
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) June 8, 2023
Sure, like other teams from the soon-to-be defunct West division, the path to a Big Ten Championship game got much, much more difficult. But, think about the games that Hawkeye fans will get to witness every single season: each of those three protected rivalries and heavyweights from across the conference home and away.
Kinnick Stadium is set to be rocking for decades to come into the future with some of the best matchups college football can provide on an annual basis. Think about what the environment will be like when UCLA and USC come calling into Iowa City. It’s going to be electric.
Plus, fans will still be treated to the rest of the league opponents on a bi-annual basis and host each program once every four years. It really couldn’t have worked out any better for Hawkeye fans.
[lawrence-auto-related count=5]
[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF