In July 2015, the Big Ten set forth a rule that each program must schedule a least one Power Five opponent for a non-conference game each season with a few exceptions.
At the time, the Big Ten would also not allow FCS opponents to be scheduled, that rule has since been amended. Now, in seasons in which Big Ten programs host four conference games, they could schedule FCS opponents.
Now, the requirement to schedule one Power Five opponent for a non-conference game per season could be in its final days.
With UCLA and USC’s additions to the Big Ten just a year away, the Big Ten is “strongly considering” eliminating their rule that member institutions must schedule at least one Power 5 non-conference game each season according to a report from Action Network Brett McMurphy.
The idea of the Big Ten eliminating the requirement for each program to face at least one non-conference Power Five team shouldn’t come as a surprise. Over the last few years, it’s been clear that the College Football Playoff committee does not value the strength of schedule for Power Five teams as heavily as it does for Group of Five teams.
Additionally, the Big Ten is already well regarded as one of the top two conferences in college football alongside the SEC. With programs such as Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin often ranked inside the top-25 along with a multitude of other high-quality programs, Big Ten programs already have quality strength of schedule numbers thanks to the overall quality of the conference. That quality will only become greater when UCLA and USC join in July of 2024.
Of course, the expansion of the College Football Playoffs likely has a big part in this decision as well. With now 12 teams able to make the playoffs starting in 2024, both the SEC and Big Ten any given season should be able to have upwards of 3-4 teams in contention for the playoffs.
Requiring Big Ten teams to schedule a Power Five opponent each season may raise their strengths of schedule, but it also could mean that the Big Ten misses out on additional College Football Playoff selections. In what already will be a tough conference, in which most top teams will already have two losses, a third loss could be one that eliminates teams from contention in an expanded College Football Playoff format.
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