The expanded Big Ten promises to deliver a thrilling conference championship race and many of college football’s most vaunted teams for the 2024 season, but before league play gets underway in this 18-team era, non-conference action offers the first look at how these squads could stack up over the course of the campaign. College Football Playoff hopefuls like Michigan and Penn State must first get past a few early-season tests before they can set their sights on their biggest goals.
Multiple rivalry games stand among the numerous highly-anticipated, non-conference showdowns featuring Big Ten teams. The rematch between Nebraska and Colorado figures to draw massive attention, while the annual Cy-Hawk battle pits a pair of physical squads against each other in Iowa and Iowa State. The second leg of the rekindled Penn State-West Virginia game should also deliver some pageantry.
Not all non-conference games are created equally, and some Big Ten teams do not even face a single power conference squad outside of league play. Most have at least one challenge, though.
Get the latest football and recruiting scoop on your favorite college team today.
Here are the 10 toughest non-conference games involving Big Ten teams during the 2024 season:
