CHICAGO — Welcome to the 2024 college football season.
The transfer portal is closed, preseason camps are over and there soon will be a slight chill in the air. Regional conferences are no more, with the Big Ten having officially expanded from 14 to 18 schools with a footprint that now stretches from coast to coast.
To help you prepare for the season, we’ve put together this preview with the information you need to know.
Here’s a look at the new, very big Big Ten.
Who’s new
Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington are set to begin their inaugural Big Ten seasons.
A little more than two years since the Big Ten’s Council of Presidents and Chancellors voted unanimously to admit UCLA and USC and more than a year since they voted for the admission of Oregon and Washington, the 18-team conference kicks off for the first time. The addition of the four West Coast universities makes the Big Ten the largest conference in the country.
With the introduction of the new members, Big Ten schools will face extensive travel. UCLA will travel the most, racking up more than 25,000 round-trip miles this season.
No divisional format
The Big Ten introduced a schedule model that includes 12 protected matchups and eliminates divisions, making this the first year the conference championship game will pit the two teams with the best Big Ten records. The conference announced a six-step tiebreaker process Monday. Since the Big Ten implemented East and West divisions in 2014, the East winner had won every conference title.
The model, called “Flex Protect XVIII,” maintains a nine-game conference schedule and contains both guaranteed annual matchups and rotating ones. Every conference pairing will take place at least twice in a four-year span, once at each school.
Here are the protected games:
— Illinois-Northwestern
— Illinois-Purdue
— Indiana-Purdue
— Iowa-Minnesota
— Iowa-Nebraska
— Iowa-Wisconsin
— Maryland-Rutgers
— Michigan-Michigan State
— Michigan-Ohio State
— Minnesota-Wisconsin
— Oregon-Washington
— UCLA-USC
What’s new in college football?
— Expanded playoff
Beginning this season, the College Football Playoff will expand from four teams to 12.
The five highest-ranked conference champions will receive automatic bids, and the seven highest-ranked remaining teams will round out the 12-team field. Rankings are determined by the CFP selection committee.
The top four conference champions will receive a bye to the quarterfinals. The Nos. 5-12 seeds will play in the first round with the higher-seeded teams hosting first-round games.
The quarterfinals and semifinals will be played in the New Year’s Six bowl games (Rose, Sugar, Orange, Cotton, Fiesta and Peach), and the national championship game will continue to be at a neutral site. There’s no limit on the number of playoff teams from a conference.
— In-helmet communication
In April, the NCAA announced teams will have the option of using coach-to-player communication through the helmet of one player on the field, signaled with a green dot on the helmet. Coach-to-player communication will be shut off with 15 seconds left on the play clock or the snap of the ball, whichever comes first.
The playing rules oversight committee also approved the use of computer tablets to view in-game video, which can be viewed by all team personnel but cannot connect to other devices, project larger images or provide data and analytics.
— New clock-stoppage rules
The rules committee also approved a running clock on first downs, except in the last two minutes of the second and fourth quarters, bringing the NFL’s two-minute warning to college football. The change serves to alleviate potential back-to-back TV timeouts from broadcasters.
— Big Ten TV deal — and how to watch
The Big Ten completed a seven-year media rights agreement in 2022 with Fox, CBS and NBC that is set to bring in $7 billion total. The agreement was the biggest in the history of college athletics, giving contract holders access to some of college football’s highest-ranked and most-watched teams.
The conference expects to distribute between $80 million and $100 million annually to each member school. The deal runs through the end of the 2029-30 athletic year.
Big Ten football games can be watched this season on all three of those networks in addition to Big Ten Network and FS1 and can be streamed on Peaco*ck, the Fox Sports app and Paramount+. At least 55 conference games will air on broadcast networks.
BTN will air up to 50 games a season from 2024 through 2029. Fox will carry 24-32 games, while NBC will carry 14-16 games plus eight games a year on Peaco*ck. CBS will broadcast 14-15 each season.
Fox, the Big Ten’s primary broadcast partner, has carried the conference title game since its inception in 2011 and will broadcast it in 2025, 2027 and 2029. CBS will carry the championship game in 2024 and 2028, and NBC will have it in 2026.
— Important dates and matchups
— Thursday: Season kickoff
— Sunday: USC vs. LSU in Las Vegas (6:30 p.m., ABC)
— Sept. 7: Texas at Michigan (11 a.m., Fox)
— Sept. 14: Alabama at Wisconsin (11 a.m., Fox)
— Sept. 21: USC at Michigan (2:30 p.m., CBS)
— Oct. 12: Ohio State at Oregon
— Oct. 19: Michigan at Illinois
— Nov. 2: Oregon at Michigan; Ohio State at Penn State
— Nov. 16: Ohio State vs. Northwestern at Wrigley Field
— Nov. 30: Michigan at Ohio State (11 a.m., Fox); Illinois vs. Northwestern at Wrigley Field; Washington at Oregon; Notre Dame at USC
— Dec. 7: Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis (7 p.m., CBS)
— Dec. 20-21: First-round College Football Playoff games
— Dec. 31-Jan. 1: CFP quarterfinals
— Jan. 9-10: CFP semifinals
— Jan. 20: CFP national championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (6:30 p.m., ESPN)
Interesting items
— Five head coaches are in their first season in charge of their program: Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, Washington’s Jedd Fisch, UCLA’s DeShaun Foster, Michigan’s Sherrone Moore and Michigan State’s Jonathan Smith. Northwestern’s David Braun is in his first full season as full-time head coach after having the interim tag removed on Nov. 15 during an 8-5 season.
— Vegas Kickoff Classic: Big Ten newcomer USC and SEC powerhouse LSU will face off Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The teams have met only twice (1-1), with the Tigers winning the last matchup, 23-3, on Sept. 28, 1985.
— Temporary home(s) for Northwestern: With Ryan Field being reconstructed and set to open in 2026, Northwestern will play its first five home games at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium, the lakeside home of the Wildcats lacrosse and soccer teams on the Evanston campus.
Earlier this month, the Wildcats announced a two-year naming rights partnership with Northwestern Medicine that brands the temporary venue as Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.
The stadium will hold about 15,000 fans, compared with 47,130 at the old Ryan Field and 35,000 at the new stadium.
The Wildcats will play their final two home games at Wrigley Field: Nov. 16 versus Ohio State and Nov. 30 against Illinois. Wrigley Field hosted three Northwestern football games over the last 14 seasons, with the Wildcats losing to Illinois in 2010, to Purdue in 2021 and to Iowa last year.
— Illinois to honor Red Grange: On Oct. 19 against Michigan, the Illini will wear 1920s-themed uniforms to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Red Grange’s historic six-touchdown performance against the Wolverines during the Memorial Stadium dedication game in 1924.
The helmets, jerseys and pants were designed to mirror the attire worn by Grange and the Illini teams of the era. Grange also won the inaugural Chicago Tribune Silver Football for the 1924 season.
— Archie Griffin to dot the “i”: Archie Griffin, a two-time Heisman Trophy (1974-75) and Silver Football (1973-74) winner, will participate in an Ohio State tradition as he dots the “i” in Script Ohio during halftime of Saturday’s game against Akron. The game will honor the 50th anniversary of Griffin’s first Heisman. He is the only two-time winner of the award.
What to know about each Big Ten team
— Illinois
The Illini finished with a losing record in 11 of the last 12 seasons, including a 5-7 record in 2023 — with each of those wins coming by six points or fewer.
Junior quarterback Luke Altmyer returns after throwing for 1,883 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and rushing for 282 yards in nine games as a sophom*ore. But the loss of starting running back Reggie Love III to Purdue via the transfer portal leaves questions about the offense. Also gone are standout defensive linemen Johnny Newton, a second-round draft pick by the Washington Commanders, and Keith Randolph Jr.
In Bret Bielema’s fourth season at the helm, can Illinois make gains on both sides of the ball and bounce back in an even larger Big Ten field?
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— Indiana
After failing to win more than four games for three consecutive seasons, the Hoosiers parted with coach Tom Allen and hired James Madison’s Curt Cignetti (52-9 at JMU, 119-35 overall) to turn around the program.
James Madison went 19-5 under Cignetti during its first two years as an FBS program. He brought seven members of his Dukes coaching staff and 12 transfers with him. Nine of those players are expected to start. Of Indiana’s 22 projected starters on offense and defense, 15 are incoming transfers.
Indiana had three winning seasons in the last 29 years. Can Cignetti and Co. bring the Hoosiers to football relevance?
— Iowa
Kirk Ferentz, the longest-tenured FBS coach, has been at Iowa since 1999 and has led the Hawkeyes to 11 straight winning seasons. They finished 10-4 last season (7-2 in the Big Ten) and won the Big Ten West before getting shut out by eventual national champion Michigan in the conference championship game. They also were shut out by Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl.
Under Ferentz, Iowa has been known for its tough defense but has underperformed on offense, keeping the Hawkeyes from competing consistently against the perennial Big Ten powerhouses.
In January, Iowa hired offensive coordinator Tim Lester. The Wheaton, Ill., native previously served as head coach at St. Joseph’s College, Elmhurst College and Western Michigan and was most recently a senior analyst with the Green Bay Packers.
Quarterback Cade McNamara returns after a season-ending injury in the fifth game of 2023, and the Hawkeyes offense looks to improve after three straight seasons as one of the nation’s least efficient.
— Maryland
Since joining the Big Ten in 2014, Maryland hasn’t made a significant mark in the conference. But Mike Locksley’s Terrapins have won at least seven games in each of the last three seasons — including all three of their bowl games.
For the first time in five years, all-time Big Ten passing leader Taulia Tagovailoa (11,356 yards) won’t start at quarterback. Locksley has chosen a replacement from among redshirt junior Billy Edwards Jr., N.C. State transfer MJ Morris and redshirt sophom*ore Cameron Edge, but he won’t announce it before Saturday’s opener.
In previous seasons in the East Division, Maryland had to face Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State annually, but the new divisionless Big Ten means it won’t have to.
— Michigan
For the first time since 1998, Michigan enters the season as the reigning national champion. Offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore takes over as head coach after Jim Harbaugh’s departure to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Moore served as interim coach during two Harbaugh suspensions over a sign-stealing controversy and recruiting violations, going 5-0 with wins against Penn State and Ohio State and giving an emotional interview that went viral.
Wink Martindale, who brings 19 years of NFL coaching experience, takes over as defensive coordinator after Jesse Minter joined Harbaugh with the Chargers. Moore also will need to replace quarterback J.J. McCarthy, drafted in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings, while Donovan Edwards steps in for Blake Corum (third round, Los Angeles Rams) at running back.
The Wolverines will face No. 4 Texas at home in their second game in one of the most anticipated matchups of the season.
While the defense looks to be solid again, what will the offense look like as Moore and Michigan mount their title defense?
— Michigan State
Named the replacement for longtime Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio in 2020, Mel Tucker signed a $95 million contract extension after an 11-win 2021 season. In 2023, after coaching two games, Tucker was fired for breach of contract amid allegations of sexual harassment. Defensive backs coach Harlon Barnett took over and the Spartans finished 4-8.
Jonathan Smith was hired in November after leading Oregon State to three consecutive winning seasons and being named 2022 Pac-12 Co-Coach of the Year. Dual-threat sophom*ore quarterback Aidan Chiles joined Smith from the Beavers and will be key to the energy the Spartans bring on offense. Last season Chiles completed 68.6% of his passes (24 of 35) with four touchdowns and no interceptions.
Also following Smith to Michigan State were tight end Jack Velling, offensive lineman Tanner Miller and six assistant coaches, including offensive line coach and run game coordinator Jim Michalczik.
— Minnesota
After a second consecutive 9-4 season in 2022, P.J. Fleck’s Golden Gophers took a tumble in 2023, finishing 6-7 with a 30-24 victory over Bowling Green in the Quick Lane Bowl. The Gophers are 50-34 in seven seasons under Fleck and 5-0 in bowl games.
New Hampshire transfer Max Brosmer will step in at quarterback after Antioch, Ill., native Athan Kaliakmanis transferred to Rutgers. Minnesota also welcomes new defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman and special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky.
Fleck and the Gophers are seeking their first 10-win season since 2019, but the schedule won’t be easy. Minnesota opens conference play with three straight ranked opponents in Iowa, Michigan and USC.
— Nebraska
In his first season with the Cornhuskers, Matt Rhule led Nebraska to a 5-7 record, the program’s seventh consecutive losing record. The Huskers have had one winning season since 2014 and are looking to end a bowl drought that dates to the 2016 season.
Freshman Dylan Raiola, Rivals.com’s No. 1 quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class, has been named the starter. Raiola initially committed to Ohio State, then picked Georgia before ultimately flipping to Nebraska in December. He is the son of former Rimington Trophy-winning Nebraska center and Detroit Lions mainstay Dominic Raiola.
After years of being an easy “W” on opponents’ schedules, can Rhule restore optimism — and winning seasons — to long-suffering Nebraska fans?
— Northwestern
Coming off a 1-11 2022 season and the firing of longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern finished a surprising 8-5 under interim coach David Braun. After Fitzgerald, the longest-tenured football coach in Northwestern history, was fired in July 2023 in the aftermath of a hazing scandal, Braun was thrust into the role six months after joining the staff as defensive coordinator.
With the interim title gone and his position official, Braun looks to make his mark on a program that won a total of four games in Fitzgerald’s last two seasons. Braun made offseason changes to the coaching staff, hiring Zach Lujan, the 2023 FCS Coordinator of the Year at South Dakota State, as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The Wildcats also landed veteran Big Ten assistant Harlon Barnett as assistant head coach and safeties coach.
Quarterback Mike Wright, who previously played at Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, has thrown for 2,520 yards in his career with 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions and has rushed for 1,229 yards and 10 scores.
— Ohio State
Ohio State was undefeated in 2023 until it ran into eventual national champion Michigan in the final game of the regular season. It was the third straight season the Buckeyes failed to beat their biggest rival or make the conference championship game.
Quarterback Kyle McCord transferred out and Will Howard joined the Buckeyes through the portal after four seasons at Kansas State. Howard started 28 games and helped the Wildcats to the 2022 Big 12 title. He set a Kansas State record with 48 career touchdown passes and tied a single-season mark with 24 TD passes last fall. Howard has 5,786 career passing yards and has accounted for 67 total touchdowns.
Quinshon Judkins, who rushed for 2,725 yards and 31 touchdowns in two season at Ole Miss, joins TreVeyon Henderson at running back, while heralded freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith will help replace Marvin Harrison Jr.
The Buckeyes also gained an impact player on defense in safety Caleb Downs, a second-team AP All-American last season as a freshman at Alabama. Downs entered the portal after Nick Saban announced his retirement.
There’s only one major question for Ohio State: Is this the year they get over the hump with coach Ryan Day?
— Oregon
Dan Lanning and the Ducks enter their first season in the Big Ten as the No. 3 team in the country. Oregon finished 12-2 last season with both losses coming against Washington.
Quarterback Bo Nix is gone, but transfer Dillon Gabriel is the new starter. In two seasons at Oklahoma and three at Central Florida, Gabriel has made 49 starts, passed for 14,865 yards and 125 touchdowns and rushed for 26 scores.
The Ducks should be a contender in the new-look conference right off the bat, but they haven’t appeared in the College Football Playoff since the inaugural one in 2014. After finding themselves on the outside looking in last year thanks to a loss in the Pac-12 championship game, will this be the year they return?
— Penn State
In coach James Franklin’s 10 seasons, the Nittany Lions have been consistently close to the top, winning the Big Ten in 2016 and finishing third in the East the last two years behind perennial powers Michigan and Ohio State.
Franklin hired three new coordinators this offseason: Andy Kotelnicki (offense) from Kansas, former Indiana head coach Tom Allen (defense) and Justin Lustig (special teams) from Vanderbilt. The development of quarterback Drew Allar under Kotelnicki is crucial to this season’s success. In 2023, Allar completed 59.9% of his passes for 2,631 yards and 25 touchdowns with only two interceptions.
On the defensive side, the Nittany Lions led the nation in sacks and tackles for a loss and allowed the fewest total yards and yards per play.
— Purdue
The Boilermakers finished 4-8 overall and 3-6 in the conference in coach Ryan Walters’ first season. Quarterback Hudson Card completed 58.9% of his attempts for 2,387 yards with 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Senior running back Reggie Love III joined Purdue via the transfer portal after four seasons at Illinois. He led the Illini last season in carries (116), yards (567), yards per game (70.9) and rushing touchdowns (four).
On the defensive side, Purdue was the worst in the Big Ten, allowing 30 points per game. Despite the elimination of divisions, the Boilermakers still face a tough schedule and an uphill battle in the conference.
— Rutgers
Coach Greg Schiano led the Scarlet Knights to their first bowl win in nine years as they finished 7-6 (3-6 in the Big Ten).
Running back Kyle Monangai returns after leading the conference with 1,262 rushing yards last season. Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis joins him after transferring from Minnesota.
Despite having the worst pass rush in the Big Ten, Rutgers allowed only 21 points per game last season.
— UCLA
UCLA won eight games in 2023, including the LA Bowl, but coach Chip Kelly stepped down to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator. DeShaun Foster, a former All-America running back for the Bruins, is the new head coach, while Eric Bieniemy brings his many years of NFL experience as the new offensive coordinator.
After defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn left for USC, Ikaika Malloe is leading the Bruins defense. Malloe handed the defensive play calling as the interim coordinator for the 35-22 LA Bowl victory over Boise State. The Bruins finished as a top-10 defense in 2023, allowing 301.5 yards per game and just 25 touchdowns, with only five coming on the ground.
It’s a new era for the Bruins in more ways than one as they embark on their inaugural Big Ten season. How will they show up and stand out among a top-heavy conference?
— USC
In coach Lincoln Riley, USC has one of the game’s greatest offensive minds on the sideline. Now entering his third season — and his first without quarterback Caleb Williams — Riley looks to junior Miller Moss to step into the starting role.
Moss threw for 372 yards and a record six touchdowns in USC’s 42-28 victory over Louisville in the Holiday Bowl. The previous bowl record of four touchdown passes was held by four players, including former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon in BYU’s 46-45 comeback victory over SMU in 1980.
While Riley’s offenses have been elite for the most part, defense has been a problem for USC. Riley hired defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn away from UCLA this offseason as the Trojans join a more defensive-minded conference.
— Washington
The Huskies went 14-1 in 2023 and won the Pac-12 championship before losing to Michigan in the national championship game — the first appearance in a title game in program history.
Kalen DeBoer left to be Nick Saban’s successor at Alabama. Now Jedd Fisch is tasked with rebuilding the offense after the departures of all five starters on the offensive line, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and key receivers Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan.
Washington also lost all four starters on its defensive line to the NFL draft, so the pass rush needs special attention as well. That’s where new defensive coordinator Steve Belichick comes in. Belichick previously worked with Fisch in 2020 when Fisch was the Patriots quarterbacks coach.
In three seasons at Arizona, Fisch took the Wildcats from 1-11 to 10-3 with an Alamo Bowl victory. Can he rebuild the Huskies and make them a Big Ten powerhouse?
— Wisconsin
After firing Paul Chryst midway through the 2022 season, Wisconsin hired former Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell to lead the program. Having taken the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff in 2021, Fickell brought hope that the Badgers might return to the Big Ten conversation, but they finished 7-6 for the second consecutive season.
Fickell, who led Cincinnati to perfect regular seasons in 2020 and 2021, needs to revive the Badgers in a big way. Miami transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke (2,703 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2023) and wide receiver Will Pauling (837 yards, six TDs) will look to make an impact in the offense.
On the other side of the ball, the defensive line is an issue. Coordinator Mike Tressel made some moves in the transfer portal to try to bolster a moderately effective defense that allowed more than 24 points twice last season.
The Badgers haven’t won double-digit games since 2019 and have yet to make the College Football Playoff. Can Fickell lead them to both?
