Big Ten releases men's basketball schedule that allows for COVID-19-related makeup dates
CHICAGO — The Big Ten released its long-awaited men’s basketball schedule Wednesday, proceeding with a 20-game schedule that includes built-in open dates to provide makeups for potential COVID-19-related postponements.
The conference season tips off Dec. 13 with Penn State at Michigan and features four games on Christmas: Wisconsin at Michigan State, Iowa at Minnesota, Michigan at Nebraska and Maryland at Purdue.
The Big Ten Tournament is scheduled for March 10-14 at the United Center. Last season’s tournament in Indianapolis was canceled after one day of games at the onset of the pandemic.
COVID-19 testing protocols will be similar to what’s in place for Big Ten football with daily antigen testing, cardiac screening and an “enhanced data-driven approach when making decisions” about practices and competition, according to a news release.
The schedule addresses a chief complaint about the football schedule by providing flexibility to reschedule games postponed because of COVID-19 outbreaks within programs.
Big Ten football, which opened a nine-game, nine-week schedule Oct. 23, has had to cancel three games so far because of outbreaks at Wisconsin and Maryland.
Two sets of “collapsible byes” for basketball will be built in — one for the periods of Jan. 18-21 and Jan. 25-28 and the other for the periods of Feb. 22-25 and March 1-5. Each team has one open window for potential makeups in each of the sets of byes.
Each team will play seven conference opponents twice — once at home and once on the road — and six opponents once, with those games split evenly between home and road.
No. 8 Illinois’ conference season tips off Dec. 15 against Minnesota at the State Farm Center in Champaign. The Illini’s most anticipated game will come Jan. 29 at home against No. 5 Iowa.
Northwestern begins conference play Dec. 20 against No. 13 Michigan State at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston.
The Illini and Wildcats meet Jan. 7 in Evanston and Feb. 16 in Champaign.
Seven Big Ten teams — Iowa, No. 7 Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan State, No. 23 Ohio State, No. 24 Rutgers and No. 25 Michigan — were ranked in the preseason Associated Press Top 25.
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2020-21 Big Ten men’s basketball schedule
Sunday, Dec. 13
Penn State at Michigan
Monday, Dec. 14
Rutgers at Maryland
Tuesday, Dec. 15
Minnesota at Illinois
Wednesday, Dec. 16
Ohio State at Purdue
Sunday, Dec. 20
Michigan State at Northwestern
Illinois at Rutgers
Monday, Dec. 21
Nebraska at Wisconsin
Tuesday, Dec. 22
Purdue at Iowa
Wednesday, Dec. 23
Northwestern at Indiana
Rutgers at Ohio State
Illinois at Penn State
Friday, Dec. 25
Wisconsin at Michigan State
Iowa at Minnesota
Michigan at Nebraska
Maryland at Purdue
Saturday, Dec. 26
Indiana at Illinois
Ohio State at Northwestern
Monday, Dec. 28
Michigan State at Minnesota
Maryland at Wisconsin
Tuesday, Dec. 29
Northwestern at Iowa
Purdue at Rutgers
Wednesday, Dec. 30
Penn State at Indiana
Nebraska at Ohio State
Thursday, Dec. 31
Michigan at Maryland
Minnesota at Wisconsin
Saturday, Jan. 2
Purdue at Illinois
Michigan State at Nebraska
Iowa at Rutgers
Sunday, Jan. 3
Northwestern at Michigan
Ohio State at Minnesota
Wisconsin at Penn State
Monday, Jan. 4
Maryland at Indiana
Tuesday, Jan. 5
Rutgers at Michigan State
Nebraska at Purdue
Wednesday, Jan. 6
Minnesota at Michigan
Penn State at Ohio State
Thursday, Jan. 7
Iowa at Maryland
Illinois at Northwestern
Indiana at Wisconsin
Friday, Jan. 8
Purdue at Michigan State
Saturday, Jan. 9
Michigan at Penn State
Ohio State at Rutgers
Sunday, Jan. 10
Maryland at Illinois
Indiana at Nebraska
Sunday, Jan. 10, or Monday, Jan. 11
Minnesota at Iowa
Tuesday, Jan. 12
Wisconsin at Michigan
Rutgers at Penn State
Wednesday, Jan. 13
Illinois at Nebraska
Northwestern at Ohio State
Thursday, Jan. 14
Purdue at Indiana
Michigan State at Iowa
Friday, Jan. 15
Wisconsin at Rutgers
Saturday, Jan. 16
Ohio State at Illinois
Nebraska at Maryland
Michigan at Minnesota
Sunday, Jan. 17
Indiana at Michigan State
Penn State at Purdue
Sunday, Jan. 17, or Monday, Jan. 18
Iowa at Northwestern
Tuesday, Jan. 19
Maryland at Michigan
Wednesday, Jan. 20
Penn State at Illinois
Minnesota at Nebraska
Thursday, Jan. 21
Indiana at Iowa
Friday, Jan. 22
Michigan at Purdue
Saturday, Jan. 23
Illinois at Michigan State
Maryland at Minnesota
Northwestern at Penn State
Ohio State at Wisconsin
Sunday, Jan. 24
Rutgers at Indiana
Nebraska at Iowa
Wednesday, Jan. 27
Purdue at Ohio State
Northwestern at Wisconsin
Thursday, Jan. 28
Michigan State at Rutgers
Friday, Jan. 29
Iowa at Illinois
Saturday, Jan. 30
Wisconsin at Maryland
Indiana at Michigan
Penn State at Nebraska
Minnesota at Purdue
Sunday, Jan. 31
Rutgers at Northwestern
Michigan State at Ohio State
Tuesday, Feb. 2
Illinois at Indiana
Purdue at Maryland
Penn State at Wisconsin
Wednesday, Feb. 3
Nebraska at Michigan State
Michigan at Northwestern
Thursday, Feb. 4
Ohio State at Iowa
Minnesota at Rutgers
Friday, Feb. 5, or Saturday, Feb. 6
Maryland at Penn State
Saturday, Feb. 6
Wisconsin at Illinois
Michigan State at Michigan
Northwestern at Purdue
Sunday, Feb. 7
Iowa at Indiana
Sunday, Feb. 7, or Monday, Feb. 8
Nebraska at Minnesota
Monday, Feb. 8, or Tuesday, Feb. 9
Ohio State at Maryland
Tuesday, Feb. 9
Penn State at Michigan State
Wednesday, Feb. 10
Rutgers at Iowa
Indiana at Northwestern
Thursday, Feb. 11
Illinois at Michigan
Purdue at Minnesota
Wisconsin at Nebraska
Saturday, Feb. 13
Iowa at Michigan State
Indiana at Ohio State
Northwestern at Rutgers
Sunday, Feb. 14
Minnesota at Maryland
Nebraska at Penn State
Michigan at Wisconsin
Tuesday, Feb. 16
Northwestern at Illinois
Michigan State at Purdue
Wednesday, Feb. 17
Minnesota at Indiana
Maryland at Nebraska
Thursday, Feb. 18
Rutgers at Michigan
Ohio State at Penn State
Iowa at Wisconsin
Saturday, Feb. 20
Michigan State at Indiana
Illinois at Minnesota
Purdue at Nebraska
Sunday, Feb. 21
Penn State at Iowa
Wisconsin at Northwestern
Michigan at Ohio State
Maryland at Rutgers
Wednesday, Feb. 24
Nebraska at Illinois
Indiana at Rutgers
Thursday, Feb. 25
Ohio State at Michigan State
Friday, Feb. 26, or Saturday, Feb. 27
Purdue at Penn State
Saturday, Feb. 27
Michigan at Indiana
Northwestern at Minnesota
Saturday, Feb. 27
Illinois at Wisconsin
Sunday, Feb. 28
Michigan State at Maryland
Iowa at Ohio State
Rutgers at Nebraska
Tuesday, March 2
Wisconsin at Purdue
Wednesday, March 3
Maryland at Northwestern
Minnesota at Penn State
Thursday, March 4
Iowa at Michigan
Saturday, March 6
Illinois at Ohio State
Indiana at Purdue
Saturday, March 6, or Sunday, March 7
Rutgers at Minnesota
Nebraska at Northwestern
Sunday, March 7
Penn State at Maryland
Wisconsin at Iowa
Michigan at Michigan State
Tuesday-Sunday, March 10-14
Big Ten Tournament at the United Center, Chicago
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