CHICAGO − With USC and UCLA set to join the Big Ten Conference in 2024, the league announced a new scheduling model on Thursday.
No longer will there be divisions, as has been the case since 2011 when Nebraska joined the conference.
The Big Ten will instead use what is called the Flex Protect Plus model.
In the Flex Protect Plus format, schools have protected and rotating opponents. Each league member will play nine intraconference games per season, with teams playing every other conference opponent at least twice in a four-year period, once at each team's home stadium.