By Danielle Daniels
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Fans looking to see and experience the Ohio State Buckeyes in action at Ohio Stadium will have eight opportunities to do so in the 2024 season as opponents, but not dates, for the 2024 and 2025 Big Ten Conference football seasons were announced by the conference office today.
The 2024 Ohio State season will feature eight home games at Ohio Stadium, including the 120th all-time matchup against Michigan, and four more Big Ten home games: vs. Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern and Rutgers. Additional home games will be against Southern Mississippi, Western Michigan and Marshall.
Big Ten away games for Ohio State in 2024 will be at Michigan State, Minnesota, Penn State and UCLA. The dates for the 2024 games will be announced later this fall.
Divisions Eliminated
The 2024 season will feature the elimination of divisions in the Big Ten Conference with all 16 teams, including the additions of UCLA and USC, playing a nine-game conference season highlighted by a model that has every team playing every other conference opponent at least twice – once home and once away – in a four-year period. The Big Ten has used a two-division format since the 2011 season, the year Nebraska joined the league.
The Big Ten Conference championship game, beginning in 2024, will match the top two teams in the overall conference standings at Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis, with the winner the Big Ten champion. Tiebreaking procedures will be announced at a later date.
The 2024 season will also be the first year of the expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff format that will reward the four highest-seeded conference champions with first-round byes, while the teams ranked Nos. 5-thru-8 will host first-round CFP games against the teams ranked Nos. 12-thru-9, respectively.
Ohio State season ticket holders for the 2023 season will be able to start renewing season tickets for the 2024 season this fall. Those interested in becoming season ticket holders or learning more about other ticket packages for the 2023 season should visit https://go.osu.edu/fbtix.
USC and Texas at Ohio Stadium in 2025
The 2025 seven-game Ohio State home season will kick off with a national game of the week-caliber game against Texas in Ohio Stadium Aug. 30, and it will also feature the first visit to Ohio Stadium by the USC Trojans in 16 years, or since the 2009 season.
In addition to Texas and USC, Ohio State’s 2025 home schedule will include Big Ten games against Indiana, Maryland and Nebraska, and a non-conference game against UConn with one non-conference opponent still to be announced.
Away games for Ohio State in 2025 will be at Illinois, Michigan, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin.
New Flex Protect Plus Scheduling Model
The 2024 Big Ten football season will debut the Big Ten’s new Flex Protect Plus scheduling model, which features a combination of protected opponents and rotating opponents for universities. Each member institution will continue to play nine intraconference games per season, and teams will play every other conference opponent at least twice – once home and once away – in a four-year period.
Conference schedules will include 11 protected matchups that will continue to be played annually, including the Ohio State vs. Michigan game.
2023 Ohio State Football Schedule
Sept. 2 – at Indiana (3:30 p.m.; CBS)
Sept. 9 – Youngstown State (12 noon; BTN)
Sept. 16 – Western Kentucky (4 p.m.; FOX)
Sept. 23 – at Notre Dame (7:30 p.m.; NBC & Peacock)
Sept. 30 – Off
Oct. 7 – Maryland/Homecoming (12 noon/3:30 p.m./4 p.m.; TBD)
*Oct. 14 – at Purdue
*Oct. 21 – Penn State
*Oct. 28 – at Wisconsin
*Nov. 4 – at Rutgers
Nov. 11 – Michigan State (7:30 p.m; NBC)
*Nov. 18 – Minnesota
Nov. 25 – at Michigan (12 Noon; FOX)
Dec. 2 – Big Ten Championship Game (8 p.m.; FOX)
*Game times announced during the in-season 12-/6-day selection process
2024 Ohio State Schedule Snapshot
Aug. 31 – Southern Mississippi
Sept. 7 – Western Michigan
Sept. 14 – Off
Sept. 21 – Marshall
Big Ten Home Games
Illinois
Iowa
Michigan
Northwestern
Rutgers
Big Ten Away Games
Michigan State
Minnesota
Penn State
UCLA
2024 schedule dates announced in the Fall of 2023
2025 Ohio State Schedule Snapshot
Aug. 30 – Texas
Oct. 18 – UConn
One non-conference game still to be added
Big Ten Home Games
Indiana
Maryland
Nebraska
USC
Big Ten Away Games
Illinois
Michigan
Northwestern
Purdue
Wisconsin
2025 schedule dates announced in the Fall of 2024
COURTESY OSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
