UPDATE: The revised 2020 schedule has been released. GO HERE to see it.
We don’t know what the revised 2020 Big Ten football schedule looks like yet, but one interesting component of the new plan emerged on Wednesday.
Wisconsin Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez has led the efforts to develop a new schedule for a season that will start on the weekend of Oct. 23-24.
The league is expected to move forward with an eight game regular season schedule, with each team playing four home and away games.
According to Alvarez, a ninth game is contemplated that will pair the teams from the East and West divisions that finish in the same spot in their respective standings.
❗ Scheduling News ❗
Barry Alvarez shares that the 2020 season will feature an extra "Champions Week" game for each team, plus an update on when to expect a football schedule: pic.twitter.com/DCeagI8xeV
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 16, 2020
“We will play eight games, plus one, with a very unique champions week, Alvarez said during a press conference aired on BTN on Wednesday.
“The teams from East and West will match up, and play one another. Two vs. two, three vs. three, four vs. four, etc., with the championship game being played at the end of that week, Dec. 18 or 19. It gives everyone an opportunity to play nine games.”
Alvarez indicated that a revised 2020 schedule should be released by the league later this week. The location of the ninth game has not been determined.
In theory the format could lead to an unprecedented two games in the same season between Indiana and Purdue.
Indiana traditionally plays rival Purdue on the final weekend of the regular season. Presumably in any scenario that regular season rivalry game will be protected and be included in the revised schedule.
If IU and Purdue were to finish in the same position in their respective divisions, could they meet again, perhaps even on consecutive weekends?
While the programs and their fans might welcome such a scenario, Alvarez indicated that the league will endeavor to avoid rematches if possible.
See also: No fans to be permitted at 2020 games | Watch full press conference | Full Big Ten release
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