Iowa To Be Tested By Brutal 2024 Football Schedule

The college football landscape is changing. Perhaps nowhere more than the Big Ten Conference. Starting next season, four West Coast teams will join, raising the level of competition and creating travel nightmares for all teams involved. Yesterday, Iowa got a look at who they'll match up against in one of the most anticipated college football seasons ever.

In 2024, the Big Ten will add former Pac-12 powerhouses USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington. It will also get rid of divisions. Iowa will no longer be able to take advantage of a weak Big Ten West schedule. No more years playing only one of the Big Ten East's top teams. Hawk Central reports that in 2024, only the league's top two teams will make the title game in Indianapolis. Here is the gauntlet of a schedule Iowa will have to navigate next year.

• August 31st, Illinois State
• September 7th, Iowa State
• September 14th, Troy
• September 21st, at Minnesota
• September 28th BYE
• October 5th, at Ohio State
• October 12th, Washington
• October 19th, at Michigan State
• October 26th, Northwestern
• November 2nd, Wisconsin
• November 9th, at UCLA
• November 16, BYE
• November 23rd, at Maryland
• November 29th, Nebraska

The new Big Ten will be a tough road no matter who you are for travel reasons alone! Iowa will visit the West Coast at UCLA and the East Coast in Maryland. And a trip to the Horse Shoe in Columbus, Ohio is also calling. Iowa does have some cupcakes to start the year, and if they can top the Cyclones at home have a shot at starting the year 4-0 before their first bye week.

But it doesn't get much more brutal than at Ohio State and then home against Washington. I personally can't wait for the new and improved Big Ten. I can't wait to see the Hawks out West. Who won't tune in to see the Michigan versus USC game, or Oregon taking on Ohio State? The number of must-see games will be off the hook!

And I'm sure the Hawkeyes will have all those offensive issues ironed out by then, right?