Big Ten releases Nebraska football’s 2023 schedule

A Thursday season opener on the highway at Minnesota and 6 straight video games to finish the yr spotlight a reconfigured 2023 soccer schedule for Nebraska.

The slate, launched on BTN Wednesday morning, stored the identical opponents that Nebraska initially had on its schedule for subsequent season. The brand new lineup contains convention house video games towards Michigan (Sept. 30), Northwestern (Oct. 21), Purdue (Oct. 28) and Maryland (Nov. 11) along with nonconference foes Northern Illinois (Sept. 16) and Louisiana Tech (Sept. 23).

Street Massive Ten video games are Minnesota (Aug. 31), Illinois (Oct. 7), Michigan State (Nov. 4), Wisconsin (Nov. 18) and Iowa (Black Friday, Nov. 24). NU additionally performs at Colorado on Sept. 9.

The Massive Ten determined to increase its current divisional format another yr after months of inside debate on the subject. The league has had divisions since including Nebraska for the 2011 season – first the Legends and Leaders (2011-13) and later the East and West when Rutgers and Maryland joined.

Nebraska has been in divisional play for the reason that Massive Eight expanded to the Massive 12 in 1996. Husker season targets have begun with successful the North (1996-2010) or the Legends or the West.

Yet one more yr of divisions means Nebraska is just not but required to compete immediately with the Massive Three within the East – Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State – for the total size of a season in an effort to win a league crown. The trail to a title is theoretically simpler for another season as successful a much less top-heavy – however doubtlessly deeper – West would give the Huskers a puncher’s likelihood as a possible underdog within the championship sport.

In eight full years of the present East-West format, the East champ has gained the title sport yearly and by a mean of 20 factors. The West has been represented by Wisconsin (4 instances), Iowa (twice) and Northwestern (twice) in that stretch.

Divisions are disappearing all through the Energy 5 ranks. The Pac-12 eradicated them earlier than this season whereas the ACC will comply with swimsuit after this yr, transferring to a 3-3-5 format through which every workforce has three everlasting rivalry video games performed yearly with the opposite 10 opponents rotating on an every-other-year foundation.

The SEC agreed final summer time to scrap divisions when Oklahoma and Texas take part 2025. The Massive 12 has been division-less since Nebraska left however is reportedly exploring including them – at the least briefly – for 2023 because it expands to 14 groups.