How will the 2024 Big Ten schedule release impact the 12-team playoff structure?

The Big Ten will expand to 16 teams in 2024 as the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans officially join the conference. The conference realignment will coincide with the College Football Playoff expanding from four to 12 teams, giving eight additional schools the opportunity to play postseason football.

What changes will come to the Big Ten following conference realignment?

The Big Ten will reportedly adopt a 'Flex Protect Model' that is designed to protect rivalries by giving programs, and permanent annual opponents. Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic discussed the model in The Athletic, stating:

"The Flex Protect concept is a flexible rivalry scheduling model that would allow schools to play between one and three protected annual opponents while cycling through the rest of the league’s schools over multiple years. The new model will begin when the Big Ten grows to 16 members in 2024, officially ending its divisional era. The Big Ten will continue to play nine conference games."

The Big Ten has also implemented two-play opponents, which will give teams a home and away series with different opponents every two years. The two-play opponents will ensure each team faces each other twice every four years.

Furthermore, the conference is planning to no longer utilize the East and West divisions. The move would allow the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines to play in the Big Ten Championship Game for the first time since its inception in 2011.

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How will the 2024 Big Ten schedule impact the 12-team College Football Playoff field?

The College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams for the first time in 2024. The Big Ten sent at least one team to the postseason in seven of the nine seasons under the old format, which only allowed four teams to qualify. Last season marked the first time that the conference was able to have two schools reach the postseason.

The eight appearances are tied with the Atlantic Coast Conference for second most, trailing only the Southeastern Conference. Under the new format, the Big Ten will have the opportunity to send more programs to the College Football Playoff.

The Ohio State Buckeyes have five appearances, followed by the Michigan Wolverines with two and the Michigan State Spartans with one. No other program has qualified for the postseason.

The new schedule will open the door for programs such as the Penn State Nittany Lions, who have consistently been among the best teams in the College Football Playoff era, to reach the postseason for the first time. While Penn State has struggled to emerge from the stacked Big Ten East, they will no longer need to win their division to play for a conference championship.

For programs such as the Buckeyes and Wolverines, a late season loss to one another will no longer complicate their postseason path.