(Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
The Big Ten has officially announced its schedule for the 2020 football season, with things kicking off on Oct. 24 as the conference goes through an abbreviated nine-game season.
The conference announced its schedule for all 14 of its teams on Saturday morning, with all clubs playing a conference-only schedule and wrapping things up with a newly-created “Champions Week,” pitting teams from the east and west divisions against one another the week of Dec. 19.
The Illinois Fighting Illini, looking to build on a 6-7 season last year, will kick off their schedule on Oct. 24 when they head to Camp Randall to take on Wisconsin. Illinois is facing a tough slate of home games this season, with Minnesota coming to Champaign on Nov. 7 and the Ohio State Buckeyes rolling through on Nov. 28.
Here is Illinois’ full schedule:
Oct. 24: at Wisconsin
Oct. 31: vs. Purdue
Nov. 7: vs. Minnesota
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Nov. 14: at Rutgers
Nov. 21: at Nebraska
Nov. 28: vs. Ohio State
Dec. 5: vs. Iowa
Dec. 12: at Northwestern
Dec. 19: TBA
Here is the schedule for the entire Big Ten:
The Big Ten, which had originally moved its football season to the spring as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, moved football back to the fall after backlash from several schools, including Ohio State and Nebraska. The conference has also devised a lengthy health and safety plan, including rigorous testing and antigen testing for the virus, as well as studies into the potential long-term impacts of positive cases.
