8-game regular season unveiled
Terps open with Northwestern Oct. 24
Maryland football will begin its new eight-game, regular-season schedule Oct. 24 atNorthwestern.
The BigTen unveiled its 2020 football schedule Saturday, three days after the conference reversed its decision to postpone the football season.
The Terps’ home opener comes the following week, on Oct. 31 against Minnesota. Maryland will then travel to Happy Valley to play Penn State on Nov. 7 before hosting Ohio State on Nov. 14. The Terps will play a second straight home game against Michigan State on Nov. 21 and then play at Indiana on Nov. 28. Maryland will play at Michigan on Dec. 5 before closing the regular season at home on Dec. 12 against Rutgers.
TheBigTeninitiallyannounceditwas moving to a 10-game, conference-only schedule in August before ultimately postponing the season just days later. While the conference’s initial schedule reveal had multiple open dates to account for postponements caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Big Ten hopes each team can play eight regularseason games over eight weeks before crowning a conference champion. This would allow the season to be completed by Dec. 19, one day before the College Football Playoff committee releases its final ranking of the season.
The eight-game slate allows each program to play every school in its division along with two crossover division games. Each school will also play a ninth game, matching up with the team in the opposite division that finished in the same place as them.
Fanswon’t be permitted at games, but the Big Ten is looking to make accommodations for family of players and staff.