Trev Alberts: Nebraska submitted Wisconsin, Minnesota as protected opponents during Big Ten schedule-making process

When the Big Ten unveiled its “Flex Protect Plus” schedule model for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Nebraska found out Iowa will be on its schedule each year. Schools were asked to submit programs they wanted to “protect” as opponents year in and year out, and the Cornhuskers’ rivalry with the Hawkeyes will remain in place.

However, according to Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts, he submitted two other rivals to the league office.

On Sports Nightly Thursday night, Alberts said he submitted Wisconsin and Minnesota as potential protected opponents. It was all a part of the schedule-making process as the Big Ten prepares to expand to 16 teams in 2024 with USC and UCLA joining the party.

It wasn’t as simple as submitting schools and getting what you wanted, though. There were plenty of moving parts.

“What the process was is we were asked by the league — and this was all independent — is, ‘If you protected one game, who would you select?’ And obviously, for us, it was Iowa,” Alberts said. “And then, if you wanted to protect two games, who would you select? I submitted Iowa and Wisconsin. Then, if you want to select three [protected] games, who would you select? Obviously, geographically for me, Minnesota made a lot of sense.

“But then, all of a sudden, a little gamesmanship started happening. You can imagine, ‘Well, if we can submit protected games, maybe we should just select the three teams that have been the least successful over the last 5-10 years in the Big Ten and protect them?’ Obviously, that wasn’t going to work. Ultimately, as all of these other teams submitted who their protected rivals were — sometimes, you submit a protected rival, and that school doesn’t submit you as the protected rival. So there’s nuance there.”

In addition to “protected” opponents, teams will have “two-play opponents” they’ll play home-and-home series against as part of the “Flex Protect Plus” format. The Big Ten only announced the 2024 and 2025 opponents, though, so Nebraska fans know the schedule for the next three seasons — ’23, ’24 and ’25. Nebraska’s two-play opponents for 2024 and 2025 are Minnesota and UCLA.

However, Alberts teased he knows even more about what the future might hold for the Cornhuskers. It’s part of the process of making a fair schedule, and he credited the Big Ten for how it handled everything.

“Iowa’s protected for us, but in ’24 and ’25, Minnesota and UCLA will be part of that. We did not release as part of this, but I know who in ’25 and ’26, who the other two are other than Iowa,” Alberts said. “So you just have to let these schedules sort of even out over time. We have to be consistent in its application in order for it to be equitable and fair.

“But I think the Big Ten did a very good job. There was nothing nefarious about the intent. It was very transparent. The bottom line is if you’re going to be a member of the Big Ten Conference, buckle up. We’re going to have difficult games every Saturday.”