The College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams in 2024. If Wisconsin has any hope of reaching it, the Badgers will have to overcome what on paper looks like one of its toughest schedules in recent memory.

As part of revealing its new scheduling model Thursday afternoon that will go into place next year with the arrival of USC and UCLA to the conference, the Big Ten also announced the home and away opponents for 2024 and 2025 for each school.

In Wisconsin’s case, it shapes up to be a difficult assignment in the first year, especially on the road. Though exact dates haven’t been set, the Badgers will travel to face USC, Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska and Maryland, while welcoming Minnesota, Penn State, Purdue and Indiana to Madison. Wisconsin’s non-conference schedule also includes a home game against national power Alabama on Sept. 14, along with visits from Western Michigan (Aug. 31) and South Dakota (Sept. 7).

Things flip a bit in 2025, with a home schedule that features several marquee opponents. The Badgers will see Ohio State, USC, Illinois, Iowa and Michigan State at Camp Randall Stadium, with Miami (OH) and Middle Tennessee State also coming as part of the non-conference portion. Wisconsin’s road schedule appears more manageable, with trips to Minnesota, UCLA, Rutgers and Northwestern, though they will also go to Tuscaloosa on Sept. 13 for the return game of the home-and-home series with Alabama.

As for the new scheduling model, the Big Ten eliminated the East and West divisions and took on a flex-scheduling approach. It means some teams will have one, two or three protected rivals that they will play each year, while rotating opponents the other seven games. For Wisconsin, it will face Minnesota and Iowa each season. In the first two years of the scheduling model, Wisconsin will play every other team in the conference at least once, while getting USC twice.

Wisconsin future schedules

2024
8/31 – Western Michigan
9/7 – South Dakota
9/14 – Alabama
TBD – Indiana
TBD – Minnesota
TBD – Penn State
TBD – Purdue
TBD – at Iowa
TBD – at Maryland
TBD – at Michigan
TBD – at USC
TBD – at Nebraska

2025
8/30 – Miami (Ohio)
9/6 – Middle Tennessee
9/13 – at Alabama
TBD – Illinois
TBD – Iowa
TBD – Michigan State
TBD – Ohio State
TBD – USC
TBD – at Minnesota
TBD – at Northwestern
TBD – at Rutgers
TBD – at UCLA