Purdue Football: Big Ten Announces 2018 And 2019 Conference Schedules

It seems bizarre to think about, but the Big Ten released the conference schedules through the end of the decade today, meaning that Purdue's football schedule is all but complete through 2019. Let's take a look at Purdue, who is supposed to be int he West Division then unless the conference adds the University of Tehran and Pyongyang tech by then.

First, the non-conference for 2018:

September 22 at Notre Dame

That leaves two non-conference slots open, both of which will likely be home games since Purdue has only four conference games at home. Here is the rest of the schedule:

September 1: Northwestern

September 29: at Nebraska

October 13: at Illinois

October 20: Ohio State

October 27: at Michigan State

November 3: Iowa

November 10: at Minnesota

November 17: Wisconsin

November 24: at Indiana

This is the notable return of Ohio State tot he schedule for the first time since this season's upcoming game. It will also mark a gap of at least eight years before we return to the Horseshoe, as they are not on the 2019 schedule.

Now, onto 2019. Again, we start with the non-conference:

August 31: at Nevada

September 21: Notre Dame

That leaves one non-conference spot, and it will also likely be a home game. Purdue has not played two non-conference road games in the same season since 1998. Here is the rest:

September 28: Minnesota

October 5: at Penn State

October 12: Maryland

October 19: at Iowa

October 26: Illinois

November 2: Nebraska

November 9: at Northwestern

November 23: at Wisconsin

November 30: Indiana

Maryland officially makes its first trip to West Lafayette on my 40th birthday. This schedule does not include Rutgers, who is only on the 2017 road schedule so far (Purdue goes to Maryland in 2016). Some other odd quirks now that we know through 2019:

• Michigan only makes one appearance between 2012 and 2020, coming to Ross-Ade in 2017. That means after the 2011 trip to Ann Arbor Purdue will not play at the Big House until at least 2020.
  
• Ohio State is only on the schedule in 2018 after this year.
• Conversely, Michigan State is on the schedule four times between 2014 and 2019 despite being in the East.
• Indiana is the only protected rivalry that crosses Divisions, meaning Purdue is going to have more quirks since Division games and Indiana take up 7 of the 9 slots.
• Rutgers will be in the Big Ten at least 6 years before they visit West Lafayette.
• Penn State being in the East at least gets a home-and-home (2016 in WL, 2019 in HV) along with Maryland (2016 at Maryland, 2019 in WL).