.png&width=42&height=42&type=webp)
University of Minnesota Athletics
2011, 2012 Big Ten Football Schedules Released
9/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Big Ten Conference football schedules have been announced for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. The University of Nebraska joins the Big Ten beginning in 2011, which necessitated a new schedule format.
Minnesota will be in a division with Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska and Northwestern. The Gophers will play a protected crossover game with Wisconsin each season. Minnesota and Wisconsin have the most-played football rivalry in all of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. The Gophers and Badgers will play for the 120th time this season.
In addition to playing Wisconsin every year, Minnesota will also play games against Illinois and Purdue from the other division in 2011 and 2012.
Minnesota's first Big Ten Conference game in 2011 will be at Michigan on Oct. 1. The Gophers will follow that up with a trip to Purdue on Oct. 8. Following a bye week, Minnesota will host its first Big Ten game of the season on Oct. 22 when Nebraska comes to visit TCF Bank Stadium. The Iowa Hawkeyes will then invade The Bank on Oct. 29.
Minnesota will travel to Michigan State Nov. 5, before hosting Wisconsin in the battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe on Nov. 12. The Gophers travel to Evanston, Ill. for a matchup with Northwestern on Nov. 19 and wrap up the regular season with a home date vs. Illinois on Nov. 26.
"For the Gophers to play - on an annual basis - some of their traditional rivals, beginning with the opener next year at Michigan for the Little Brown Jug ... then playing Wisconsin and Iowa at home for Floyd and the Axe ... it is an extremely attractive schedule and we're excited about it from a Minnesota standpoint," Minnesota Director of Athletics Joel Maturi said.
In 2012, Minnesota will travel to Iowa City to play the Hawkeyes for Floyd of Rosedale in the Big Ten opener. The Gophers will host Northwestern, Purdue, Michigan and Michigan State in 2012. In addition to Iowa, Minnesota will go on the road to face Wisconsin, Illinois and Nebraska in 2012.
-UM-
