Big Ten releases 2015 and 2016 football schedules
Fans of what used to be a popular annual Iowa-Wisconsin football rivalry can forget it.
For now.
And for fans crazy about Iowa and Nebraska meeting annually on the Friday after Thanksgiving — that possibility will be discussed.
“I’m anticipating it will be under discussion,” Iowa athletic director Gary Barta said Monday after the Big Ten Conference released football schedules for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
While Hawkeye-Cornhusker games will be played annually, either on the Friday after Thanksgiving or on traditional Saturdays, the biggest news is that no Hawkeye-Badger games will be played in 2015 or 2016.
“That’s one of the downsides when we went to divisions,” Barta said. “We lost Wisconsin as an annual rival.”
The border rivals, with campuses 175 miles apart, will play a two-year home-and-home series starting at Kinnick Stadium in 2013, but after that, no go until at least 2017.
“We talked about making sure we gave the new setup enough time so it has some brand awareness — there would be no knee-jerk reactions, Barta said. “Looking at getting Wisconsin back as an annual opponent is something we could discuss down the road, but it won’t happen immediately.”
Purdue, not Wisconsin, was selected to be Iowa’s cross-over Leaders Division rival when the conference added Nebraska and went to divisions before last season.
The Hawkeye-Boilermaker game is annual, while Iowa-Wisconsin isn’t.
“We knew when we entered into this that there would be positives and negatives,” Barta said. “The positives are keeping Minnesota and adding Nebraska. The downside is that we don’t get to play Wisconsin on a yearly basis.
“The positives far outweigh the negatives. We’ll get the opportunity to compete (against Wisconsin), but not on an annual basis.”
Iowa and Nebraska, Legends Division rivals, will compete annually, but for now they’re sticking to the script. Games beyond this season are scheduled on Saturdays.
“We agreed last year to play in 2011 and 2012 on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and then re-evaluate,” Barta said.
The Cornhuskers won last season’s game 20-7 before the customary Memorial Stadium sellout of 85,585.
This season’s game is Friday, Nov. 23, at Kinnick Stadium.
“When we made the agreement to play the first two on Fridays, Nebraska had a history of playing on their campus the Friday after Thanksgiving,” Barta said.
“We didn’t, and for that reason, it was important to see how we could logistically manage a game that close to Thanksgiving.
“Assuming all goes well — and I think everybody anticipates that it will — I assume we’ll revisit … playing it on Friday (after Thanksgiving).”
2013 Iowa Football Schedule:
Aug. 31 — NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Sept. 7 — MISSOURI STATE
Sept. 14 — at Iowa State
Sept. 21 — WESTERN MICHIGAN
Sept. 28 — at Minnesota
Oct. 5 — MICHIGAN STATE (HC)
Oct. 12 — bye
Oct. 19 — at Ohio State
Oct. 26 — NORTHWESTERN
Nov. 2 — WISCONSIN
Nov. 9 — at Purdue
Nov. 16 — bye
Nov. 23 — MICHIGAN
Nov. 30 — at Nebraska
2014 Iowa Football Schedule:
Aug. 30 — NORTHERN IOWA
Sept. 6 — BALL STATE
Sept. 13 — IOWA STATE
Sept. 20 — at Pittsburgh
Sept. 27 — Open
Oct. 4 — at Wisconsin
Oct. 11 — Open
Oct. 18 — OHIO STATE
Oct. 25 — PURDUE
Nov. 1 — at Michigan
Nov. 8 — at Northwestern
Nov. 15 — MINNESOTA
Nov. 22 — at Michigan State
Nov. 29 — NEBRASKA
2015 Iowa Football Schedule:
Sept. 5 — ILLINOIS STATE
Sept. 12 — at Iowa State
Sept. 19 — PITTSBURGH
Sept. 26 — NORTH TEXAS
Oct. 3 — NORTHWESTERN
Oct. 10 — MICHIGAN STATE
Oct. 17 — at Purdue
Oct. 24 — at Minnesota
Oct. 31 — ILLINOIS
Nov. 7 — at Penn State
Nov. 14 — bye
Nov. 21 — MICHIGAN
Nov. 28 — at Nebraska
Dec. 5 — Big Ten Championship Game
2016 Iowa Football Schedule:
Sept. 3 — NORTH DAKOTA STATE
Sept. 10 — IOWA STATE
Sept. 17 — CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Sept. 24 — TBA
Oct. 1 — MINNESOTA
Oct. 8 — at Michigan State
Oct. 15 — PURDUE
Oct. 22 — at Northwestern
Oct. 29 — at Illinois
Nov. 5 — PENN STATE
Nov. 12 — bye
Nov. 19 — at Michigan
Nov. 26 — NEBRASKA
Dec. 3 — Big Ten Championship Game
Category: Iowa Hawkeyes Football
