April 6, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; -
2013 Big Ten Football Schedule
2014 Big Ten Football Schedule
Click Here to Read a Breakdown of Penn State and the Big Ten Schedules
Penn State will resume its rivalries with Michigan and Minnesota during the 2013 and 2014 football seasons, as the Big Ten Conference office today announced the conference schedules for both seasons.
Michigan and Minnesota will return to the Nittany Lions' schedule in 2013 for the first time since the 2010 season. Penn State has won its last three clashes with Michigan and its last four meetings with Minnesota. The winner of the Penn State-Minnesota game claims the Governor's Victory Bell.
With Nebraska officially joining the Big Ten on July 1, 2011, the Cornhuskers will begin conference play in all sports in 2011-12, giving the Big Ten 12 members. For football only, the conference members will be split into divisions, with the winners meeting to determine the Big Ten champion.
The Big Ten football division alignments starting this season are:
LEADERS DIVISION - Penn State, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin
LEGENDS DIVISION - Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern
The winner of each Big Ten division will meet in the inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game, to be played in primetime on December 3, 2011, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The championship game will determine the Big Ten Champion and the conference's participant in the Rose Bowl Game or Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game. FOX Sports is the official broadcast partner of the 2011-16 Big Ten Football Championship Games.
The Big Ten Champion will be presented the Stagg-Paterno Championship Trophy. The trophy pays homage to Penn State's Joe Paterno, the all-time wins leader among FBS coaches (401-135-3), and Amos Alonzo Stagg, who won 199 games at University of Chicago when the Maroons were Big Ten members. Stagg (578) and Paterno (539) rank 1-2 in all-time games on the sideline among major college coaches.
Each Big Ten team will play the other five schools within its division and will also face three teams from the other division, including one cross-division matchup guaranteed, on an annual basis. Penn State's guaranteed cross-division matchup is Nebraska and the two national powers will resume their rivalry on Nov. 12, 2011 in Beaver Stadium. Penn State owns a 7-6 series edge, with the teams last meeting in 2003 in Lincoln. The Cornhuskers last played in Happy Valley in 2002.
During the 2013 Big Ten schedule, Penn State will host: Michigan (Oct. 12), Illinois (Nov. 2), Purdue (Nov. 16) and Nebraska (Nov. 23). The Nittany Lions will visit Indiana (Oct. 5), Ohio State (Oct. 26), Minnesota (Nov. 9) and Wisconsin (Nov. 30). The Big Ten Football Championship Game will be December 7, 2013 at a location to be determined.
During the 2014 Big Ten schedule, Penn State will host: Minnesota (Sept. 27), Indiana (Oct. 18), Ohio State (Nov. 15) and Wisconsin (Nov. 29). The Nittany Lions will visit: Nebraska (Oct. 11), Michigan (Oct. 25), Purdue (Nov. 1) and Illinois (Nov. 22). The Big Ten Football Championship Game will be December 6, 2014 at a location to be determined.
Penn State and Wisconsin will meet in a Leaders Division game on the final week of the regular season during the next four years. The teams have split their 12 meetings since Penn State began Big Ten competition in 1993. The Nittany Lions and Badgers last met in 2008.
Among the highlights of Penn State's 2013 and 2014 non-conference schedules are renewals of series with Syracuse and Rutgers and visits to Beaver Stadium by Virginia and Temple. The Nittany Lions also will host Akron, Eastern Michigan and Kent State from the Mid-American Conference (Complete 2011-14 schedules are below).
Coach Joe Paterno's squad is preparing for its 19th year as a Big Ten member. The Nittany Lions will conclude spring practice with the highly-anticipated Blue-White Game presented by AAA on April 16. The contest will kick at 2:00 p.m. in Beaver Stadium. As in previous years, there is no admission or parking fee for the Blue-White Game.
The Nittany Lions launch their 125th season on Saturday, Sept. 3, hosting Indiana State and Alabama visits Beaver Stadium for the first time since 1989 on Sept. 10. Penn State begins Big Ten play Oct. 1 with a Leaders Division game at Indiana.
The 116th season of Big Ten football begins Sept. 1, 2011.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can call 1-800-648-8269 (1-800-NITTANY).
Future Penn State Football Schedules
2011
Sept. 3 INDIANA STATE
Sept. 10 ALABAMA
Sept. 17 at Temple
Sept. 24 EASTERN MICHIGAN
Oct. 1 at Indiana
Oct. 8 IOWA
(All-University/Varsity "S" Day)
Oct. 15 PURDUE
(Homecoming)
Oct. 22 at Northwestern
Oct. 29 ILLINOIS
Nov. 12 NEBRASKA
Nov. 19 at Ohio State
Nov. 26 at Wisconsin
Dec. 3 Big Ten Championship Game
(Lucas Oil Stadium; Indianapolis)
2012
Sept. 1 OHIO
Sept. 8 at Virginia
Sept. 15 NAVY
Sept. 22 TEMPLE
Sept. 29 at Illinois
Oct. 6 NORTHWESTERN
(Homecoming)
Oct. 20 at Iowa
Oct. 27 OHIO STATE
Nov. 3 at Purdue
Nov. 10 at Nebraska
Nov. 17 INDIANA
Nov. 24 WISCONSIN
Dec. 1 Big Ten Championship Game
(Site TBA)
2013
Aug. 31 vs. Syracuse
(at New Meadowlands Stadium; East Rutherford, N.J.)
Sept. 7 EASTERN MICHIGAN
Sept. 14 VIRGINIA
Sept. 21 KENT STATE
Oct. 5 at Indiana
Oct. 12 MICHIGAN
Oct. 26 at Ohio State
Nov. 2 ILLINOIS
Nov. 9 at Minnesota
Nov. 16 PURDUE
Nov. 23 NEBRASKA
Nov. 30 at Wisconsin
Dec. 7 Big Ten Championship Game
(Site TBA)
2014
Aug. 30 TEMPLE
Sept. 6 AKRON
Sept. 13 at Rutgers
Sept. 20 TBA
Sept. 27 MINNESOTA
Oct. 11 at Nebraska
Oct. 18 INDIANA
Oct. 25 at Michigan
Nov. 1 at Purdue
Nov. 15 OHIO STATE
Nov. 22 at Illinois
Nov. 29 WISCONSIN
Dec. 6 Big Ten Championship Game
(Site TBA)