But less football is better than no football at all, and the opening slate of games will give Big Ten fans the sport they otherwise might not have seen until 2021. Like the SEC, the Big Ten is going with a full conference slate, with a few differences. The Big Ten is going with an “8+1” schedule format, one that will see every team play nine games in nine weeks. The ninth and final game of the season will see every team play a cross-division opponent, including the Big Ten championship game.
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Those Week 9 games will be determined based on the finish in the Big Ten East and West divisions. Each team will face its counterpart in the opposing division: The No. 2 finisher in the East, for example, will play the No. 2 team in the West; the No. 3 division teams will play each other, and so on. The division winners will play in the Big Ten championship game.
It’s an unusual format, but strange times call for strange measures. And, should a team get through the Big Ten slate unscathed, they’ll have the opportunity for a nonconference game at the end of the season.
With that, everything you need to know about the start of the 2020 Big Ten college football season, and its Week 1 slate of games.
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When is the first Big Ten football game in 2020?
The Big Ten will begin its nine-week conference schedule starting with “Week 1” on Oct. 24 (Week 8 for the rest of college football). Like very week of the Big Ten’s season, it will feature seven conference games, both divisional and cross-divisional. Times and TV schedules have yet to be determined.
How to watch Big Ten football games in Week 1
(This section will be updated when TV information is released).
