Big Ten Reportedly Takes Stance on 10th Power Four Opponent — Does it Impact Purdue?
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The Big Ten may have set the scheduling standard by playing nine conference games beginning in 2016, but it may fall behind the SEC, ACC, and Big 12 in the near future. According to a report from On3's Brett McMurphy, the Big Ten will be the only major league in college football not requiring its teams to schedule at least one Power Four opponent in non-conference play.
Some teams might breathe a sigh of relief, but it doesn't really impact Purdue, at least right now. Except for the 2032 season, in which there are no non-conference games currently scheduled, the Boilermakers will play at least one Power Four opponent in non-conference play through 2034.
Purdue will play 11 Power Four opponents — including its nine Big Ten games — from 2026 through 2028.
According to McMurphy's report, the Big Ten has "not discussed" the idea of forcing teams to schedule at least one Power Four opponent in the non-conference portion of the season. The other three leagues have recently implemented the policy.
For years, the Big Ten has battled the SEC and ACC, trying to pressure the two leagues to play nine conference games and level the playing field for College Football Playoff evaluation. Recently, those two leagues decided to increase their conference schedule to nine games, starting in 2026.
Adding a 10th Power Four opponent is a twist not many saw coming, and one that could give those other three conferences an advantage over the Big Ten when it comes to selecting teams for the College Football Playoff.
While Purdue is not in that conversation right now, if it ever finds itself in a position to compete for one of the 12 spots in the field, it may have an advantage over other teams because of the nonconference schedule for the next decade.
Purdue's future non-conference schedules
The Big Ten may not require teams to play a Power Four opponent outside of conference play, but Purdue will be playing at least 10 teams from power conferences for the next decade. Here's a rundown of their future schedules, though these could change at any time.
As it stands, Purdue has 12 Power Four opponents on the schedule and just three FCS foes.
2026
- Sept. 5 — vs. Indiana State
- Sept. 12 — vs. Wake Forest
- Sept. 26 — vs. Notre Dame
2027
- Sept. 4 — at Notre Dame
- Sept. 11 — vs. North Carolina
- Sept. 18 — vs. Miami (Ohio)
2028
- Sept. 2 — vs. Western Illinois
- Sept. 9 — at Wake Forest
- Sept. 23 — vs. Notre Dame
2029
- Sept. 1 — vs. UConn
- Sept. 8 — at Vanderbilt
- Sept. 15 — vs. Indiana State
2030
- Sept. 14 — at TCU
2031
- Sept. 13 — at North Carolina
2033
- Sept. 10 — at Ole Miss
2034
- Sept. 9 — vs. Ole Miss
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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