The Big Ten conference announced Thursday that they were eliminating divisions beginning in 2024 with the addition of USC and UCLA. © Provided by Buckeyes Now on FanNation An addendum to the terms, as part of its Flex Protect Plus nine-game scheduling model, is that each Big Ten team has a set number of protected rivalries with two conference opponents that they’ll play a two-year home-and-home with, the latter of which change after every two years. The Ohio State Buckeyes’ only protected rivalry is “The Game” against Michigan, which had fans wondering why Penn State nor Illinois — which the Buckeyes and Fighting Illini play for the Illibuck Trophy — weren’t included in the Big Ten’s protected games. Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith joined Big Ten Network’s “B1G Live” to give perspective on what went into excluding the Nittany Lions from annual matchups with the Buckeyes. “I’m OK with it.…
Continue Reading: Ohio State AD Gene Smith 'OK' With Not Protecting 'Competitive' Penn State Rivalry
