Big Ten Unveils 2024 Football Schedule; Features USC vs. Michigan, Oregon vs. OSU

It will be a busy 2024 season for the largest Big Ten in college football history.

The conference schedule released Thursday features 18 teams for the first time in Big Ten history thanks to the additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington.

USC will open conference play with a contest against Michigan in Ann Arbor. If these two teams don't meet up in the playoffs, it will be their first matchup since the 2007 Rose Bowl.

Ohio State will visit Oregon for the teams' first contest since the Ducks granted the Buckeyes their first regular-season loss in almost three years with a season-opening upset in 2021.

Oregon will finish out conference competition against Washington in a Rivalry Week contest that recently reached new heights. When the teams played one another for the 115th time last month, it was the first time in the rivalry's history both teams were ranked in the top 10.

The Ducks will then face a challenge as the only team in the Big Ten with eight uninterrupted weeks of conference play.

While some teams will see travel increase thanks to the expanded size of the conference next season—Illinois' games span from coast to coast with away games at Rutgers and Oregon—others will see similar travel schedules to 2023, like Ohio State and Michigan, who will avoid Californian road trips next fall.

One day to mark on the calendar next year will be October 12, a Saturday featuring marquee matchups in Ohio State at Oregon and Penn State at USC.

Another Saturday not to miss will be November 2, host to a busy slate of big games including Oregon at Michigan, USC at Washington, UCLA at Nebraska, Ohio State at Penn State and Wisconsin at Iowa.

The conference will continue hosting Friday night games in 2024 despite pushback from OSU as to the logistical challenges of weeknight games and schedule clashes with high school football.