What is Big Ten's 'Flex Protect' football schedule for 2024? Exploring how USC, UCLA and 14 other teams fit in the conference's short football season

The Big Ten will announce the football schedule for the 2024 season, when the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins will join the conference, on Thursday. The conference's Twitter page made the announcement on Wednesday:

"We have B1G 🏈news. Commissioner Petitti, @KerryBKenny & @OSU_AD will join a special edition of B1G Live tomorrow to reveal the new 2024-25 Big Ten Football schedule model and opponents #B1Gfootball24and25"

Check out the announcement regarding the 2024 schedule below.

We have B1G 🏈news. Commissioner Petitti, @KerryBKenny & @OSU_AD will join a special edition of B1G Live tomorrow to reveal the new 2024-25 Big Ten Football schedule model and opponents #B1Gfootball24and25 https://t.co/BWXBaOW3m2

According to Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic, the conference will reportedly use a "Flex Protect" model, which will give programs permanent annual opponents:

"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."

Auerbach wrote that the "Flex Protect" model would allow schedule-makers to work around the challenges of teams traveling to Los Angeles to play the Trojans and Bruins.

The conference is already planning to do away with 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.

Have any games been leaked from the 2024 Big Ten schedule?

The conference will release the 2024 football schedule at 4:30 p.m. EST. Before the release, however, Brett McMurphy of Action Network leaked 10 of the planned games for the 16-team conference:

"Big Ten’s 2024 conference schedule, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ, includes: Michigan at USC, Ohio State at UCLA, Wisconsin at Michigan, Iowa at USC, UCLA at Michigan, Wisconsin at USC, Nebraska at UCLA, Iowa at Ohio State, USC at Penn State, UCLA at Iowa"

Check out the tweet from Brett McMurphy below.

Big Ten’s 2024 conference schedule, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ, includes:

Michigan at USC
Ohio State at UCLA
Wisconsin at Michigan
Iowa at USC
UCLA at Michigan
Wisconsin at USC
Nebraska at UCLA
Iowa at Ohio State
USC at Penn State
UCLA at Iowa

The most notable aspect about the leaked set of games is that the UCLA Bruins will have a tough schedule in their first season in the conference.

In addition to their rivalry games with the USC Trojans, UCLA will have to face the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines, both of whom are coming off of appearances in the College Football Playoff. They will also face an Iowa Hawkeyes team that has been very good at times and a Nebraska Cornhuskers team that should improve under coach Matt Rhule.

UPDATE:

Official Big Ten 2024 and 2025 conference opponents released, via Brett McMurphy

Big Ten 2024 & 2025 conference opponents https://t.co/C8E4hlxZSj