Big Ten releases 2015, 2016 football schedules

Posted May 21, 2012 12:34 pm

By Chad Thornburg

In-state rivals Illinois and Northwestern will close out the 2015 and 2016 Big Ten football regular seasons on the same field.

Each season will include the usual nine weeks of conference play with each team receiving one bye week, and the Big Ten Championship game will follow the regular season in early December. The 2015 game will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the site of the first five championship games beginning with last season. The 2016 location has yet to be announced.

In addition to playing the other five members of its division, each Big Ten team will face three opponents from the other division, including its permanent cross-division rivalry. The Illinois-Northwestern pairing is among the permanent matchups and will be featured every year.

Northwestern, in the Legends Division, will play the Leaders Purdue and Indiana in 2015 and 2016. Illinois, in the Leaders Division, will play the Legends Michigan and Iowa.

The Wildcats avoid Ohio State, Wisconsin and Nebraska in 2015 and 2016, and Nebraska, Minnesota and Michigan State are left off the Illini schedules.

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