Big Ten announces 2011 conference football match ups

In 2011, Nebraska will forget about Jayhawks, Tigers and Buffaloes and set its sights on Hawkeyes, Nittany Lions and Wolverines.

The Big Ten Conference announced its football division alignments and 2011 and 2012 conference schedules on Wednesday. Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Northwestern will join Nebraska in one division. Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin make up the other division. The names of the two divisions have yet to be announced.

The conference schedule will be similar to the Big 12 Conference schedule, but with a few tweaks. Big Ten teams will play the five other teams in their division and will face three from the other division. Each year there will be a guaranteed cross division match up, a difference from the Big 12. Nebraska's annual match up will be with the Nittany Lions of Penn State.

"Over the past several months, Big Ten staff and directors of athletics have met on several occasions to discuss and finalize division alignments," said Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany. "We focused on competitive equality, traditional rivalries and geography. We considered multiple models and countless permutations in an effort to achieve the most competitively balanced divisions while at the same time respecting our traditions, preserving existing rivalries and creating opportunities for the establishment and growth of new rivalries."

The addition of a 12th member, Nebraska, and split of the conference into divisions allows the Big Ten to have a conference championship game. The inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game will take place on Dec. 3, 2011, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

"I know the Big Ten Conference has made a great effort to create divisions that are competitive and fair while protecting rivalries, and I am confident they have done that," NU head coach Bo Pelini said. "I know it is exciting for our fans to think about, but that is a year away. Our focus is completely on the task at hand, which is Western Kentucky on Saturday night."

While Pelini and the Huskers are gearing up for the season opener Saturday, it's hard not to look ahead at NU's 2011 schedule.

Nebraska will open its 2011 conference season on Oct. 1 at Wisconsin and then come home the next weekend to take on Pelini's alma mater, the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Huskers will travel to Penn State for a Nov. 12 match up against the Nittany Lions and finish the conference slate at home against the Iowa Hawkeyes, a border battle that could blossom into an intriguing rivalry.

"The schedule will be challenging, but also interesting for our players, coaches and fans," NU athletic director Tom Osborne said. "Nebraska is not a voting member at this time, so we we're not able to vote on the schedule, but I was allowed to provide input. We look forward to being in the Big Ten, but at this point need to turn our attention fully to the task at hand this season. We hope to finish with a good year in the Big 12 Conference."

Dougburger@dailynebraskan.com