Park Ridge, Ill. – The Big Ten announced the conference schedules for the 2016 and 2017 football seasons today, featuring nine-game slates for every Big Ten program for the first time since 1984. The 2016 season gets underway on Oct. 1 in advance of the Big Ten Football Championship Game, slated for Dec. 3. The 2017 season will open on Sept. 2 and conclude with the Big Ten Football Championship Game on Dec. 2. The full Nebraska 2016 and 2017 conference schedules can be seen below.

The 2016 season marks the return of a nine-game conference schedule, as teams from the East Division will host five conference home games during even-numbered years, while teams from the West Division will host five conference home games during odd-numbered years. As a result of the nine-game conference schedule and the Big Ten’s schedule rotation, every student-athlete will have the opportunity to play against every other team in the conference at least once during a four-year period. The Big Ten is returning to a nine-game conference schedule for all teams for the first time since the 1983 and 1984 seasons.

Beginning in 2014, the Big Ten football division alignments will feature Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers in the East Division and Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin in the West Division. Each school will play the other six schools in its division plus two teams from the other division in 2014 and 2015, which will serve as transitional years in which the schools will still be playing eight-game schedules. Beginning in 2016, each school will play three teams from the other division as part of its nine-game schedule. The cross-division games will include one protected matchup on an annual basis between Indiana and Purdue.

The Big Ten will hold the 2013 Football Media Days and 42nd annual Kickoff Luncheon on Wednesday and Thursday, July 24 and 25, at the Hilton Chicago, featuring all 12 head coaches and some of the nation’s top returning players. The 118th season of Big Ten football kicks off Thursday, August 29, and culminates with the third annual Big Ten Football Championship Game onSaturday, Dec. 7, to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and televised by FOX. The winner of the title game will earn the Big Ten Championship and a chance to play in either the Rose Bowl Game or Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game.

Nebraska will open the 2016 conference schedule on Oct. 1 against Illinois at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska will also welcome West Division foes Purdue (Oct. 22) and Minnesota (Nov. 12) to Lincoln, while traveling to Northwestern (Oct. 8), Wisconsin (Oct. 29) and Iowa (Friday, Nov. 25). In cross-division games, Nebraska will travel to Indiana (Oct. 15) and Ohio State (Nov. 5), while playing host to Maryland (Nov. 19) at Memorial Stadium. The 2016 matchup at Indiana will mark the first time the schools will square off as Big Ten opponents, while the visit from Maryland will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

Nebraska’s 2017 schedule will feature cross-division matchups in Lincoln with Rutgers (Sept. 23) and Ohio State (Oct. 14), while Nebraska will travel to Penn State on Nov. 18. In West Division matchups, Nebraska will host Wisconsin (Oct. 7), Northwestern (Nov. 4) and Iowa (Nov. 24), while traveling to Illinois (Sept. 30), Purdue (Oct. 28) and Minnesota (Nov. 11).

With Thursday’s announcement of the 2016 and 2017 schedules, Nebraska’s Big Ten schedules for 2013 to 2017 are finalized. The Big Ten announced the 2014 schedule in May and the 2015 slate in early June.

2016 Nebraska Big Ten Schedule

Oct. 1                    Illinois

Oct. 8                    at Northwestern

Oct. 15                  at Indiana

Oct. 22                  Purdue

Oct. 29                  at Wisconsin

Nov. 5                   at Ohio State

Nov. 12                 Minnesota

Nov. 19                 Maryland

Nov. 25                 at Iowa

2017 Nebraska Big Ten Schedule

Sept. 23                Rutgers

Sept. 30                at Illinois

Oct. 7                    Wisconsin

Oct. 14                  Ohio State

Oct. 21                  BYE

Oct. 28                  at Purdue

Nov. 4                   Northwestern

Nov. 11                 at Minnesota

Nov. 18                 at Penn State

Nov. 24                 Iowa

Lincoln – Nebraska offensive linemen Jake Long and Jeremiah Sirles were honored Thursday, as they were named to the Outland Trophy Watch List. Both players were on the 75-player watch list that goes to the nation’s most outstanding interior lineman by the Football Writers of America.

Long has been the anchor of the Huskers’ offensive line for the past two seasons. The 6-foot-4, 315-pounder has started the past 27 games for the Huskers at offensive guard. He has played a major role in the Huskers being ranked in the top 15 nationally in rushing in each of the past two years. As a junior, he started all 14 games, helping NU to a 10-4 mark and an appearance in the Big Ten Championship game. He was a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection and garnered second-team All-America honors from the AP and Walter Camp Foundation, becoming the first Husker All-American lineman since 2001.

Sirles has been a two-year starter at offensive tackle for the Huskers and enters his senior season with 40 career games played. As a junior, the 6-foot-6, 310-pound tackle enjoyed his best season, starting all 14 games at right tackles and earning second-team honors from both the Big Ten coaches and media. He helped a pair of Huskers rush for over 1,000 yards, while Nebraska led the Big Ten in total offensive and rushing offense.

Long and Sirles were two of the 10 players from the Big Ten on the list. The winner of the 2013 Outland Trophy will be announced as part of the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 12, and will be honored in Omaha on Jan. 9, 2014. The Husker football program has produced a nation-leading nine Outland Trophy winners, including Ndamukong Suh in 2009.