HK3: The Big Ten

As part of the comprehensive HK3 proposal for college football, below is a sample four-year scheduling application of the HK3 scheduling protocol, for the realigned Big Ten Conference per the HK3 conference realignment structure.

The Big Ten Conference (B1G) was established in 1896 with seven founding institutions, six of which remain active members. One of those founding members, Michigan, re-entered the conference in 1916 after a nine-year absence as the-then 10th member, birthing the Big Ten.

Since then, Michigan State and Penn State joined the league in 1950 and 1990 respectively, while co-founder University of Chicago dropped out in 1946. Similarly to the SEC, it is this 1991 point at which the conference construct is paused and observed. Thusly, the 2011/14 additions of Nebraska (ex-B12), Rutgers (ex-Big East) and Maryland (ex-ACC) are reversed.

However, this would constitute 11 members, necessitating an additional member to meet the desired 12-team league uniformity. While Notre Dame was considered, in reality, it is contractually required to join the ACC (where it is a member for all non-football sports) if it were to join a conference. Iowa State (closer to B1G territory than Nebraska) becomes the 12th member of the Big Ten, alongside its in-state rival.

To offset Iowa State’s uneasy realignment, the Cyclones join the Big Ten with recurring matchups against Big 12 rivals Kansas State and Missouri as part of the HK3 scheduling protocol, as well as a Nebraska alternate game as part of the sample schedule below.

As a result of the Iowa State shift, the resulting Big 12 and Big Ten dovetail nicely geographically.

Big Ten Scheduling Protocol

Alongside the rest of the FBS, the Big Ten regular season would start 82 days before Thanksgiving, barring any Week 0 showcase game involvement, on a weekend typically coinciding with Labor Day Weekend.

The Big Ten regular season schedule is as follows:

• Weeks 1–12 — Regular Season
• Week 13 — Regular Season Rivalry Week
• Week 14 — Regular Season Championship Week
• Weeks 16–18 — Postseason Bowl Championship Series (BCS)
• Weeks 20–22 — Postseason College Football Playoff (CFP)

For each Big Ten team, the scheduling criteria is as follows:

• 14 weeks
• 12 games (2 byes each)
• I. 8 (+1) conference games (9 total games)
• II. Big 12 crossover games (1)
• III. P6 rotational crossover games (1)
• IV. Mid-American (G6) crossover games (1)

The Big Ten Week 13 Rivalry Week games are all conference games, half of which are in-state games. The W13 rivalries are:

• Illinois — Northwestern
• Indiana — Purdue
• Iowa — Iowa State
• Michigan — Ohio State
• Michigan State — Penn State
• Minnesota — Wisconsin

Based on the pre-determined start date for college football, Week 13 rivalry games would always fall on the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

I. Conference Games

All Big Ten teams would play 8 (+1) conference games, for a total of 9 each (54 total Big Ten conference games). Five conference games are annual, mimicking the feel of divisional play without the actual existence of divisions.

Each team would play 3/6 of their remaining conference opponents each year on an A-B-C rotational basis, whereas each team has 2As, 2Bs, 2Cs. Each team would:

A: Play both As in even years (alternating one home/one away)

B: Play both Bs in odd years (alternating one home/one away)

C: Play one C in back-to-back years (home/away); play the other C in back-to-back years (home/away)

Over a four year period, each team would play their two As, two Bs, and two Cs both home and away, once each. Therefore, over a standard four year college period, each school is guaranteed to host and visit every conference opponent at least once.

42 Big Ten conference games would take place within Weeks 1–12. Week 13 Rivalry Week comprises six additional Big Ten conference games.

A summary of the Big Ten annual conference games, the Big Ten A-B-Cs, and all Big Ten conference games contained in Weeks 1–13 for the four-year scheduling application is below:

Week 14: Week 14 comprises the final conference games (ninth for each team, 54th for the conference), which includes the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis, IN. Those games are determined and scheduled via the standings after eight conference games, as followed:

• 1 vs. 2 (Big Ten Championship Game) — Indianapolis, IN
• 3 vs. 4
• 5 vs. 6
• 7 vs. 8
• 9 vs. 10
• 11 vs. 12

Scheduling Note — The locations of Week 14 games (except the Indianapolis-based Big Ten Championship Game), are determined as follows:

• 1 — If there is an at least two game disparity in total number of home games (e.g. 5/6 vs 7/4), the team with lesser home games played would host (used 2x in this Big Ten four-year scheduling sample below).
• 2 — If no such disparity, if the Week 14 game is a rematch, the away team from the earlier matchup would host (13x).
• 3 — If not a rematch, if there is a one-game disparity in the number of home games, the team with one less home game played would host (3x).
• 4 — If no such disparity, the higher (better) seed, as ranked by the SEC’s tiebreaking criteria, would host (2x).

The results of these Week 14 matchups determine the final conference standings, which consequentially determines one non-conference game (III) as well as its location, as detailed in III below.

Important to note, teams cannot be ranked outside of the corresponding rankings to the Week 14 game it played. For example, the winner of the 5–6 game is the 5th ranked team in the final standings; the loser is 6th. As a result, it would not be uncommon for a 7th ranked team to have a better final record, yet lower ranking, than the 6th ranked team.

II. Big 12 Crossover Games

The Big Ten would play a minimum of 10 games against the Big 12, two of which are fixed on an annual basis:

• Iowa vs. Nebraska (The Heroes Game)
• Iowa State vs. Kansas State (Farmageddon)

TCU plays SMU in an annual game which usurps the Big Ten-Big 12 crossover game spot, creating an imbalance (12 available Big Ten schools versus 11 Big 12 schools).

As a result, a Big Ten team would play a Pac-12 team in an annual B1G-P12 displacement game. Proposed for this annual matchup are the following two rivalries:

• Illinois vs. UCLA
• Northwestern vs. Stanford

Both of these matchups would be played in back-to-back years. In the sample schedules below, Illinois plays UCLA in 2022 & 23, followed by Northwestern vs. Stanford in 2024 & 25.

When not playing in the displacement game, Illinois and Northwestern would play a Big 12 team.

Remaining are nine teams from the Big 12 and 10 from the Big Ten, with Illinois and Northwestern sharing a spot (whichever team is not represented in the B1G-P12 displacement game). The two conferences are broken into the following pods:

• B1G–1: Michigan State (1), Ohio State (2), Penn State (3)
• B1G–2: Indiana (4), Purdue (5), Illinois/Northwestern (6)
• B1G–3: Michigan (7), Minnesota (8), Wisconsin (9)
• B12–1: Texas (1), Texas A&M (2), Texas Tech (3)
• BI2–2: Baylor (4), Oklahoma (5), Oklahoma State (6)
• BI2–3: Colorado (7), Kansas (8), Missouri (9)

The 9-year team rotations (same for both conferences), as well as 18-year pod rotations (home/away) are as follows:

• 1s: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9…
• 2s: 3, 1, 2, 6, 4, 5, 9, 7, 8…
• 3s: 2, 3, 1, 5, 6, 4, 8, 9, 7…
• 4s: 7, 8, 9, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6…
• 5s: 9, 7, 8, 3, 1, 2, 6, 4, 5…
• 6s: 8, 9, 7, 2, 3, 1, 5, 6, 4…
• 7s: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 1, 2, 3…
• 8s: 6, 4, 5, 9, 7, 8, 3, 1, 2…
• 9s: 5, 6, 4, 8, 9, 7, 2, 3, 1…
• B1G–1: HAH-AHA-HAH-AHA-HAH-AHA…
• B1G–2: AHA-HAH-AHA-HAH-AHA-HAH…
• B1G–3: HAH-AHH-AAH-AHA-HAA-HHA…
• B12–1: AHA-AHA-HHA-HAH-HAH-AAH…
• B12–2: AHA-HAH-HAH-HAH-AHA-AHA…
• B12–3: HAH-HAA-AHA-AHA-AHH-HAH…

Finally, Penn State would play a Big East team every other year. The opponent would alternate between Pittsburgh and Syracuse. In such years, Penn State and Colorado’s would-be opponents, according to the scheduling protocol, would play in their stead.

There are a minimum of 10 B1G/B12 games within the protocol. Additional B1G/B12 games can originate from IV. An odd number of games is preferable as it would ensure a victor in a proposed, to-be-named B1G-B12 annual conference trophy. Though when there are an even number of games, a tied result would result in the reigning conference champion retaining the trophy, much like the Ryder Cup.

Regarding the sample schedule, below are Illinois and Northwestern’s B12 crossover games:

• 2022: Illinois @ UCLA, Oklahoma @ Northwestern
• 2023: UCLA @ Illinois, Northwestern @ Oklahoma State
• 2024: Baylor @ Illinois, Northwestern @ Stanford
• 2025: Kansas @ Illinois, Stanford @ Northwestern

Note — Once every four years (2025), Vanderbilt would play Duke, while Northwestern plays Stanford in an all-academia pair of matchups.

III. P6 Rotational Crossover Games

The Big Ten would rotate between the other P6 conferences, excluding the Big 12 which it plays every year, for an all-conference top-down series of games.

The P6 rotational crossover runs counter to II. As opposed to rotating matchups against the same conference, these matchups are determined by the prior season’s order of conference finish (1s play the 2s, 3s play the 4s…) against a rotation of four conferences.

For all matchups, the higher (better) seed is the home team, thus introducing a unique incentive. Not only do Week 14 matchups determine the P6 rotational crossovers for the following season, they are competed for an additional home game.

The Big Ten P6 rotational crossover game series are:

• 2022 — Big Ten vs. ACC
• 2023 — Big Ten vs. SEC
• 2024 — Big Ten vs. Pac-12
• 2025 — Big Ten vs. Big East

The only exception to the P6 Rotational Crossover is Notre Dame (ACC) versus Navy (BEAST), which creates an annual Notre Dame-Navy Adjustment Game.

As the Big Ten plays both the ACC and BEAST in III, the conference would take part in two Notre Dame-Navy Adjustment Games every four years.

An example (2022) of the Big Ten’s P6 rotational crossover games, which includes a Big Ten Notre Dame-Navy Adjustment Game, is below (assumes Notre Dame finished 2nd in ACC in 2021):

• #2 Big Ten @ #1 ACC; would-be-opponent of Navy (tbd) #1 Big Ten
• #4 Big Ten @ #3 ACC; #4 ACC @ #3 Big Ten
• #6 Big Ten @ #5 ACC; #6 ACC @ #5 Big Ten
• #8 Big Ten @ #7 ACC; #8 ACC @ #7 Big Ten
• #10 Big Ten @ #9 ACC; #10 ACC @ #9 Big Ten
• #12 Big Ten @ #11 ACC; #12 ACC@ #11 Big Ten

In the sample schedule below, Ohio State (#1 Big Ten) would have hosted Notre Dame (#2 ACC), but instead visits (by nature of coin toss) Alabama (#1 SEC), which would have hosted Navy (#2 Big East).

Note — Conference rotational matchups cannot duplicate displacement games. In other words, Illinois (Northwestern) cannot play UCLA (Stanford) in both the displacement and Big Ten-P12 games. If it were set to be so scheduled, rotational replacement games take place in which the teams (evens or odds) within 1–4, 5–8, or 9–12 are switched.

IV. MAC (G6) Crossover Games

As part of the FBS conference framework, the SEC is paired with the Sun Belt Conference (SBT) as its affiliate conference. Below is a summary of the SEC and SBT’s IV games:

• B1G: 8.5 MAC, 3 BEST, 0.5 B12
• MAC: 8.5 B1G, 2 BEAST, 1 BEST, 0.5 FCS

IV also represents an allowance for customization within the schedule. A Big Ten team can forego an B1G/MAC crossover game to schedule an alternate game, thereby forging a vacancy for the MAC team to schedule elsewhere.

As referenced in II above, the B1G and B12 would play a minimum of 11 games annually as part of the protocol’s crossover series; however, the alternate game latitude enables the preservation of rivalries. For example, Iowa State adds Nebraska in 2025.

Furthermore, Michigan adds a home/away with Notre Dame in 2022/24.

B1G-MAC: There are eight Big Ten teams defaulted against the MAC on an annual basis: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue.

There are two proposed annual non-affiliate crossovers between the B1G and Big West, as both Minnesota and Wisconsin rotate between North Dakota/North Dakota State/South Dakota/South Dakota State. Moreover, Iowa (even years) and Iowa State (odd years) alternate a matchup with Northern Iowa.

When not playing Northern Iowa, Iowa would play the MAC, while Iowa State would play Missouri (in such years, Ball State would play FCS Indiana State).

There are a maximum of 8-9 total B1G-MAC games, depending both on the availability of Iowa and the number of additionally scheduled B1G alternate games.

Sample Big Ten Schedules:

Below is the Big Ten scheduling protocol, as well as sample four-year schedules for each team.

All displacement, alternate and Notre Dame-Navy adjustment games (9) are italicized. Week 14 games are identified in bold/parenthesis.

Illinois Fighting Illini

2022

Home: Duke, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Western Michigan

Away: Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State, Purdue, UCLA, (Michigan State)

2023

Home: Indiana, Michigan State, Northern Illinois, Ohio State, Purdue, UCLA, Vanderbilt

Away: Iowa State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State, (Iowa)

2024

Home: Baylor, California, Iowa State, Michigan, Northwestern, Toledo, Wisconsin, (Indiana)

Away: Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Purdue

2025

Home: Akron, Indiana, Kansas, Louisville, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, (Iowa State)

Away: Iowa State, Michigan State, Northwestern, Wisconsin

Indiana Hoosiers

2022

Home: Baylor, Bowling Green, Florida State, Illinois, Michigan State, Northwestern, Wisconsin

Away: Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, (Northwestern)

2023

Home: Ball State, Iowa State, Michigan, Mississippi State, Penn State, Purdue, (Northwestern)

Away: Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Wisconsin

2024

Home: Illinois, Kent State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Oregon State

Away: Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue, (Illinois)

2025

Home: Colorado, Eastern Michigan, Iowa, Michigan, Penn State, Purdue

Away: Illinois, Iowa State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Rutgers, (Iowa)

Iowa Hawkeyes

2022

Home: Michigan, Nebraska, Northern Iowa, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue, Wake Forest

Away: Illinois, Iowa State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, (Purdue)

2023

Home: Indiana, Iowa State, Minnesota, Ohio, South Carolina, Wisconsin, (Illinois)

Away: Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue

2024

Home: Illinois, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northern Iowa, Penn State, Purdue, (Northwestern)

Away: Arizona, Iowa State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Wisconsin

2025

Home: Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kent State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Wisconsin, (Indiana)

Away: Indiana, Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State, Purdue

Iowa State Cyclones

2022

Home: Iowa, Michigan State, Missouri, Northwestern, Ohio State, (Minnesota)

Away: Illinois, Kansas State, Minnesota, Penn State, Virginia, Wisconsin

2023

Home: Illinois, Kansas State, Minnesota, Northern Iowa, Purdue, Wisconsin, (Michigan)

Away: Auburn, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern

2024

Home: Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern, Penn State, (Michigan State)

Away: Illinois, Kansas State, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio State, USC, Wisconsin

2025

Home: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas State, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin

Away: Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, (Illinois)

Michigan Wolverines

2022

Home: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, North Carolina, (Wisconsin)

Away: Colorado, Iowa, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue

2023

Home: Eastern Michigan, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State

Away: Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, (Iowa State)

2024

Home: Arizona State, Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Purdue

Away: Illinois, Iowa State, Missouri, Northwestern, Ohio State, (Penn State)

2025

Home: Central Michigan, Iowa State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Texas, Wisconsin

Away: Boston College, Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, Penn State

Neutral: Minnesota (Big Ten Championship)

Michigan State Spartans

2022

Home: Eastern Michigan, Minnesota, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, (Illinois)

Away: Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa State, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas

2023

Home: Central Michigan, Iowa State, Michigan, Northwestern, Ohio State, Texas A&M, (Purdue)

Away: Arkansas, Illinois, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin

2024

Home: Indiana, Ohio, Penn State, Purdue, Washington State, Wisconsin

Away: Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State, Texas Tech, (Iowa State)

2025

Home: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State, Western Michigan, (Penn State)

Away: Baylor, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue, Temple, Wisconsin

Minnesota Golden Gophers

2022

Home: Iowa, Iowa State, NC State, North Dakota, Purdue, Wisconsin

Away: Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Penn State, (Iowa State)

2023

Home: Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, South Dakota, Tennessee

Away: Iowa, Iowa State, Northwestern, Wisconsin, (Ohio State)

2024

Home: Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan State, North Dakota State, Stanford, Wisconsin, (Purdue)

Away: Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Penn State, Purdue

2025

Home: Indiana, Michigan, Northwestern, Penn State, South Dakota State, Texas Tech

Away: Iowa, Iowa State, Ohio State, South Florida, Wisconsin

Neutral: Michigan (Big Ten Championship)

Northwestern Wildcats

2022

Home: Michigan, Ohio, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Purdue, Wisconsin, (Indiana)

Away: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Maryland

2023

Home: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Kent State, Minnesota

Away: Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Purdue, (Indiana)

2024

Home: Iowa, Michigan, Northern Illinois, Penn State, Purdue

Away: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Stanford, UCLA, Wisconsin, (Iowa)

2025

Home: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Michigan State, Stanford, Toledo, (Purdue)

Away: Baylor, Michigan, Minnesota, Penn State, Purdue

Ohio State Buckeyes

2022

Home: Akron, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State

Away: Alabama, Iowa State, Northwestern, Penn State, Texas A&M, Wisconsin

Neutral: Penn State (Big Ten Championship)

2023

Home: Georgia, Iowa, Northwestern, Penn State, Texas Tech, Toledo, Wisconsin, (Minnesota)

Away: Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota

2024

Home: Bowling Green, Illinois, Iowa State, Michigan, Michigan State

Away: BYU, Indiana, Penn State, Purdue, Texas, Wisconsin

Neutral: Wisconsin (Big Ten Championship)

2025

Home: Minnesota, Ohio, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, (Wisconsin)

Away: BYU, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma, West Virginia

Penn State Nittany Lions

2022

Home: Indiana, Iowa State, Kent State, Minnesota, Ohio State

Away: Clemson, Iowa, Michigan State, Purdue, Texas Tech, Wisconsin

Neutral: Ohio State (Big Ten Championship)

2023

Home: Akron, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Purdue, Texas

Away: Alabama, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State

Neutral: Wisconsin (Big Ten Championship)

2024

Home: Eastern Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio State, Utah, Wisconsin, (Michigan)

Away: Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan State, Northwestern, Texas A&M

2025

Home: Army, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Northern Illinois, Northwestern

Away: Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, (Michigan State)

Purdue Boilermakers

2022

Home: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Toledo, (Iowa)

Away: Iowa, Miami, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern

2023

Home: Bowling Green, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Wisconsin

Away: Baylor, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Ole Miss, Penn State, (Michigan State)

2024

Home: Central Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio State, Oklahoma

Away: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Washington, (Minnesota)

2025

Home: Ball State, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan State, Missouri, Northwestern, Syracuse

Away: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Wisconsin, (Northwestern)

Wisconsin Badgers

2022

Home: Iowa, Iowa State, North Dakota State, Ohio State, Penn State

Away: Indiana, Kansas, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Virginia Tech, (Michigan)

2023

Home: Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, South Dakota State

Away: Iowa, Iowa State, LSU, Ohio State, Purdue

Neutral: Penn State (Big Ten Championship)

2024

Home: Iowa, Iowa State, North Dakota, Northwestern, Ohio State

Away: Colorado, Illinois, Michigan State, Minnesota, Oregon, Penn State

Neutral: Ohio State (Big Ten Championship)

2025

Home: Central Florida, Illinois, Michigan State, Minnesota, Purdue, South Dakota, Texas A&M

Away: Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan, Ohio State, (Ohio State)