Per Tom VH, Only 12 "Protected Rivalries" on the 2024-28 B1G Schedule Model
As the new 18-team B1G era begins, Tom VH (Hold me, TomVH!) gives us the list of yearly rivalries. Iowa is still locked in with three (Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin) while nobody cares enough about Penn State to marry them.
October 7th, 2023 at 9:09 AM ^
This. Ever since the tunnel and the rumbling that Michigan should ditch State as a protected rival, the utterly predictable response from Sparties is that Michigan is "afraid" to play them. By almost any metric Penn State is a better program, a more challenging opponent, yet they're who I'd rather play every year. It's the cultural and off-field shit that makes me wish Michigan could be done with that toxic program and its garbage fans, not any game outcome, because it really is just that, a damn game.
I really get tired of the media saying "chip on their shoulder" in a way that connotes a plucky underdog that refuses to let big, mean Michigan just have its way. No, guys, it's more like drunk assholes who are the exact same douches in their 30s, 40s, and 50s that they were at 20 and feel entitled to obnoxiously scream "GO GREEN!" into the faces of women, kids, and old people because they happen to be wearing Michigan gear, and yeah sorry, but that's not what having a "chip" is.
October 5th, 2023 at 3:20 PM ^
I'm sorry, but since when is Illinois-Purdue some major rivalry?
October 5th, 2023 at 3:21 PM ^
They have a cannon, I always assumed it was one of those big deal trophy games for both schools
October 5th, 2023 at 6:06 PM ^
Lots of trophy games didn't make the cut, though, including most of our trophy games: (Minnesota, Northwestern*, Nebraska**).
*Fake new trophy.
**Super fake new trophy.
October 5th, 2023 at 7:17 PM ^
Wait, the Scott Frost‘s Mom Trophy is not an actual thing?
October 6th, 2023 at 1:41 AM ^
The Jewett is REAL
October 5th, 2023 at 7:20 PM ^
It isn’t in the grand scheme of things but Purdue and Illinois are practically neighbors with both schools less than 100 miles away from each other basically right on an East-West line.
October 6th, 2023 at 10:41 AM ^
I mean, prior to the SoCal schools joining, they were behind only Michigan-MSU in terms of geographic proximity, I guess that has to count for something.
October 5th, 2023 at 3:29 PM ^
Still can’t believe one of the 18 isn’t ND. Maybe soon if they ever grow a pair.
October 5th, 2023 at 9:05 PM ^
The hell with Notre Dame.
October 5th, 2023 at 3:31 PM ^
Twelve protected rivalries - and, two are associated with Michigan.
I'm fine with an Ohio State University game annually - being protected.
The reason why MSU is on Michigan's protected rivalry list? It's probably because - the conference felt sorry for them - and, the closest school was in Ann Arbor. I'd have preferred to see an "MSU - Rutgers" game - or - perhaps "MSU - Indiana" - those might be competitive and help break ties in a certain part of the conference standings.
October 5th, 2023 at 5:02 PM ^
IL-Pur seems odd. never thought that was a rivalry. of course IL thinks they are a UM rival.
October 5th, 2023 at 5:17 PM ^
That’s fine. Leave MSU on there. I’d actually prefer we consistently thump them back into irrelevance for all the garbage their fans spewed during the Redlock and early-Tugger era.
October 5th, 2023 at 5:20 PM ^
Wow - while all of these rivalries are important to the participating schools (I hope), most of them don't look like they draw even regional interest.
October 5th, 2023 at 5:45 PM ^
I'm sick of MSU, wish we could give that protected rivalry to PSU.
The Michigan v MSU rivalry should be put on probation for next ten years, any MSU players assault Michigan players and the rivalry is dissolved.
October 5th, 2023 at 5:46 PM ^
I'm surprised that the Pac12 teams don't all play each other every year due to shorter distances. They seem to play 2 of the other 3 most of the time.
October 5th, 2023 at 7:11 PM ^
Add two more color universities and it’s Big Ten x 2. Or with relegation, Big Ten, Little Ten/Other Ten.
October 5th, 2023 at 7:24 PM ^
From Seth on why msu is protected:
https://mgoblog.com/content/big-ten-scheduling-showcase-proposal-redux
On the Michigan side, MSU is a schedule anchor that allows them to charge more than all but a few schools for season tickets on even years. I've been tracking the ticket market for years. The way Michigan prices their season tickets is when you add up the license fee and and all of the face values it equals the price of the same tickets on the secondary market. For appearances, they hide that by listing the face value of smaller games well above their market value, and put "$100" or some such on the MSU or OSU tickets. In reality you're paying ~$250 to $300 for that ticket, which is what those tickets cap out at on the secondary market. A PSU ticket, for comparison, can usually be had for $100 any day before the game. Would USC command enough to make up that $17 million difference? Probably that first time. But from Michigan's perspective why take on another OSU-caliber opponent when your fans (and MSU's) will pay that for MSU?
October 5th, 2023 at 8:32 PM ^
U of M vs new teams:
Washington
Oregon
USC
OSU vs new teams:
UCLA
Washington
Too funny
Posted this last week
09/30/2023 - 1:33am
Here is a selection of games you will see next year with our new additions.
UM @wash @oregon @USC
OSU vsUCLA vsWash(Penixless)
Cant make this shit up
October 5th, 2023 at 8:41 PM ^
Ohio st, Texas, Oregon, Washington, USC.
Who needs the playoff when you play them all during the regular season. Ive got a feeling we will all be wishing we had that 22/23 schedule back. No slips vs the bottom half and a 50/50 vs the top half of your schedule and you are done. At least we will be entertained.
How did I know UCLA would be the team left off the schedule?
October 5th, 2023 at 10:56 PM ^
Michigan plays SC and UW three times in that five year window. We are going to get used to Lincoln Riley.
October 5th, 2023 at 11:19 PM ^
Just another huge flaw in this new shit show of a conference. Sometimes have locked in protected rivalries with shitty programs while others have protected rivalries with perennial power houses and others have none. There is no way there will ever be balance in the future
October 5th, 2023 at 11:26 PM ^
Let's schedule ND as open invitation on our bye week every year and declare them a forfeit when they don't show. Just to say they chickened out.
If they show up, we play.
October 6th, 2023 at 9:26 AM ^
When there are this many teams in a conference keeping it divided up into two leagues is probably a good idea.
B1G North: B1G South:
Michigan OSU
MSU PSU
Wisconsin Rutgers
Oregon Maryland
Minnesota Indiana
Iowa Illinois
NW Nebraska
Purdue UCLA
Washington USC
Keep the main rivalries on the schedule even if they are in different leagues (U-M vs OSU, NW vs ILL, MSU vs PSU, Iowa vs Nebraska)