Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen said earlier this week that the Huskers are preparing to adjust their non-conference schedule if and when the 24-team College Football Playoff becomes a reality. But wait, there's more! On Thursday, Ohio State AD Ross Bjork said the Big Ten is looking to also shift how the conference schedules are made.
Bjork said on The Ryan Day Show that the Big Ten is discussing changing the football scheduling model in 2028 to be based on the previous year’s standings. That kind of dynamic scheduling would mean conference schedules would no longer be set years in advance.
“What we’re talking about in the Big Ten now is starting probably in 2028, is can we have a different scheduling model that’s based on current year standings?” Bjork said. “So next year’s schedule, we would not know who we’re playing other than protecting the rivalry games."
For Ohio State, Bjork alluded to the Buckeyes keeping their rivalry game with Michigan. Nebraska would probably keep its rivalry with Iowa, though the Hawkeyes have big rivalries with other teams that might take precedence if they could protect only one rivalry game a year.
Ross Bjork says Big Ten could use previous-year standings to build football schedules
Bjork said that if the Big Ten changes its scheduling model based on the previous year's records, it would be more in line with the NFL. Teams that finish at the top of the Big Ten would get a tougher conference schedule, while teams that finish closer to the bottom would get a weaker Big Ten slate.
While some fans would claim that this kind of modeling rewards the Marylands, Purdues, and Rutgers of the world, it would also move closer to guaranteeing more marquee matchups between the Michigans, Ohio State, Indianas, and Oregons.
“We need to play more good games,” Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said in early October. “I think we’ve been really clear about that. We think that the season can start way better than it does. We’re committed to that. If we get to a 24-team playoff, you are going to see many more competitive games scheduled. That’s my belief."
Bjork was careful to say nothing is set in stone on adopting a more NFL-based conference scheduling model. However, he added that there are active conversations about ways to get the deal done.
He added that this kind of scheduling, which would be one of a kind in college football, would offer better matchups for TV. With money becoming increasingly important, and with worries that the 24-team playoff will diminish some rivalry games, more games with something at stake will be valuable.
It's not yet clear where Nebraska and Troy Dannen stand on this approach, but given how tough some of their schedules have been since joining the Big Ten, it's hard to believe they'd oppose such a move.
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