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As Big Ten officials put the final touches on the league’s upcoming media rights package, the next high-profile decision will come from what to do with divisional alignment and future scheduling.

In nearly every public comment by Big Ten athletics directors, there is an expectation the league will eliminate divisions. The question then becomes how many annual rivalries the league will choose to protect. The most likely scenarios involve two or three. If it’s two, then teams play the other 11 opponents seven times over 11 years. If it’s three, then it’s six times over 10 years.

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For Iowa, that’s a vital discussion because it has three rivals it wants to play annually: Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nebraska. Other schools, specifically Penn State, have not publicly advocated for any annual rivalries. Perhaps the best compromise could come from installing two permanent Big Ten rivalries, then institute a rotational series in a four- or five-year block. That could keep Iowa-Wisconsin permanently intact (like Indiana-Purdue currently) while allowing Penn State and Ohio State to flip Maryland and Rutgers, for instance, after each cycle.

Until the white smoke emerges from Big Ten headquarters (or from the neighboring Fogo de Chao building) in Rosemont, Ill., this is the time for officials to vouch for their rivalries. In Iowa’s case, here is how the 13 Big Ten opponents rank based on annual importance.

1. Minnesota

Some trophies are trinkets of victory with their origins consummated through email exchanges. Then there’s Floyd of Rosedale, one of the most iconic symbols in college football history. Iowa and Minnesota have battled for the 98.3-pound bronze pig every year since 1936, one year after playing for a live hog. It became a way to lighten the tension between the Upper Midwest programs, which nearly severed ties in the lead-up to their 1935 game.

Iowa-Minnesota is tied for fourth among the Big Ten’s most-played series at 114 games. The Gophers lead 62-51-2 overall, but the Hawkeyes gained their first series lead last fall at 43-42-2 in the fight for Floyd. The programs routinely tweak and aggravate one another on and off the field, which is what keeps this a pivotal rivalry. From Iowa fans christening the old Metrodome as “Kinnick North” to Minnesota fans chanting “Who Hates Iowa?” against random football and basketball opponents during television timeouts, this 131-year-old series is embedded in Big Ten culture.

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Perhaps the individual games don’t always measure up to the rivalry’s stature, but to remove it annually would take a chunk of college football’s soul. Other than hating Wisconsin, that would mark the first time either fan base would agree with the other.

2. Wisconsin

Once again, the Iowa-Wisconsin series is vulnerable to cycling off the annual schedule. Once again, it makes no sense. From 1937 through 1992, the teams met annually on the three-hour drive along Highway 151 from Iowa City to Madison. When Penn State joined in 1993, Iowa-Wisconsin shifted off the schedule. Both programs protested, and the league reached a compromise beginning in 1995 in which every program scheduled two permanent rivals.

The rivalry grew in importance and intensity from 1995 through 2010 and became perhaps the Big Ten’s second-best football rivalry. Then it shifted off the calendar again with another round of expansion. The Badgers and Hawkeyes didn’t meet for two years, faced off as non-divisional foes in 2013 then became pillars of the Big Ten West a year later. Arguably, it’s the premier West Division game each year.

Wisconsin leads the series 49-44-2, and they began playing for the Heartland Trophy in 2004. The Big Ten should codify this rivalry like many others. But if the league caps permanent opponents at two each year, Iowa-Wisconsin would lose frequency and status. Sadly, it also would lose its relevance.

3. Nebraska

All this series needs is a spark and perhaps some pain. Or for Nebraska to shift into the program it was supposed to be when the Big Ten added it for the 2011 season. The perpetual chirping from both sides of the Missouri River suggests the disdain for the other program is unquestioned. While rivalry status might produce varying shades from the fan bases, it seems apparent they are one another’s least-liked opponent. That matters.

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Iowa has won seven straight meetings and eight of 11 since the Huskers joined the Big Ten. The last four games have come down to big fourth quarter moments. In 2021, their meeting became BTN’s most watched sporting event with 1.94 million viewers. There is plenty of school and league equity in this Black Friday series, and it’s important for Nebraska as it further marries its traditions with its Big Ten future.

Nebraska leads 29-20-3 overall and now they play for the Heroes Trophy. It’s surprising these teams haven’t engaged in a winner-take-all divisional battle — or spoiled one another’s divisional coronation. It’ll happen one of these years.

4. Northwestern

If an Iowa fan moved atop a Tibetan mountain in 1994 and returned this year, few changes (other than technological advances) would surprise that person more than how Northwestern became a relevant football program. Hand-in-hand with that development was how the Wildcats built an organic and intense rivalry with the Hawkeyes.

No opponent has caused Iowa more heartbreak in the last 25 years than Northwestern. Some of the players are like ghost stories brought up on occasion just to scare some humility in Iowa fans. The Hawkeyes lead 52-28-3 historically, but since Northwestern’s 1995 breakthrough, the Wildcats hold a 14-11 lead. Considering the Chicagoland connection to Iowa’s campus and the importance to its recruiting efforts, this series has huge benefits — even with the heartburn.

5. Penn State

If protected series were determined strictly on the games the teams produce, Iowa-Penn State might vault near the top of the importance ladder. The Hawkeyes dished out some serious pain in the 2000s in beating consecutive top-five Nittany Lions squads and winning eight of nine games from 2000 through 2010. Then Penn State won six straight, while Iowa claimed the last two.

It’s not just the streaks that make this a great series; it’s the games themselves. The Nittany Lions lead 17-14 and there’s something rich and organic when Penn State and Iowa face off. From a 6-4 Iowa victory in 2004 and a last-second 24-23 upset in 2008 to Saquon Barkley’s 358 total yards in a final-second win in 2017 to the theatrics in last year’s 23-20 Iowa win in a top-five matchup, Iowa-Penn State has become must-watch TV.

6. Illinois

Of Iowa’s five long-standing Big Ten West foes, the Hawkeyes have played Illinois the least. Why? Because in 1952, Iowa fans pelted officials with apple cores during a 33-13 Illinois win and charged the field after some calls went against the Hawkeyes. The border foes decided to place their series on hiatus and they didn’t meet again until 1967.

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If this was a men’s basketball list, the Illini rank No. 1 and No. 2 might sit vacant. Despite Illinois’ 38-36-2 football advantage, the Hawkeyes have won the last eight and 13 of the last 14 meetings. Their football series doesn’t generate the juice (or vitriol) of its men’s basketball counterpart, and Illinois hasn’t enjoyed enough success overall or against Iowa to elevate it into the Hawkeyes’ top five. But there’s enough unlikability between the fan bases to where you can’t discount this series altogether. And outside of the homeland, there’s no more important state to Iowa in recruiting than Illinois.

7. Michigan State

Some of the Big Ten’s greatest games over the last 20 years include several Iowa-Michigan State matchups. Two that come to mind include Iowa receiver Marvin McNutt’s 7-yard touchdown catch on the game’s final play to beat Michigan State 15-13 in 2009. With a 22-play drive and a touchdown with 27 seconds left, the Spartans claimed the 2015 Big Ten championship overly previously undefeated Iowa, 16-13.

Iowa-Michigan State was the Big Ten Legends Division version of Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots, especially with Kirk Ferentz on one side and Mark Dantonio on the other. They recruited against one another for the same type of athletes and played the same style of football. From 2008 through 2017, five one-score outcomes featured the winning team scoring no more than 19 points and the loser with at least 10. Iowa leads the all-time series 24-22-2, but Dantonio finished 5-4 against Ferentz. In those nine games, the Hawkeyes finished with 176 points; the Spartans scored 174.

8. Purdue

In the Big Ten’s Legends-Leaders divisional alignment, Purdue was christened as Iowa’s “most hated rival” after they were lined up as permanent cross-divisional opponents. It was a joke at the time — they’re usually on good terms — but it’s not without merit. From 1961-1980, Purdue beat Iowa in 20 consecutive games, and the Hawkeyes’ 33-7 win in 1981 was considered a watershed moment in that magical Rose Bowl season. With Purdue beating Iowa four times in the last five years, including last year’s 24-7 upset over the No. 2-ranked Hawkeyes, this series no longer is a laughing matter.

The Boilermakers lead 50-39-3, and they rank No. 3 among Iowa’s most-played opponents behind Minnesota and Wisconsin. There was a discussion in 2011 about the squads competing for a traveling trophy. But with four already in tow, Iowa brass declined to add another. Perhaps that’s the best gauge possible when weighing this series on the importance scale.

9. Michigan

In all three Rose Bowl seasons under Hayden Fry, the Hawkeyes beat Michigan in memorable form, including the 12-10 last-second No. 1-vs.-No. 2 thriller in 1985. Six times from 1981 through 1991, the Iowa-Michigan result determined the Big Ten champion. Michigan won the most games among Big Ten squads over that span; Iowa had the second-most victories. The Hawkeyes were 4-6-1 against the Wolverines over that time frame.

In Kirk Ferentz’s first two major-bowl seasons (2002, 2009), Iowa also beat the Wolverines along the way. From 2009-2018, the Hawkeyes won five of six against Michigan. The Wolverines, which lead the series 43-15-4, have won the last two against Iowa, including the Big Ten title game last December. There’s sizzle when they meet, but their shared history is too sporadic to be considered a true rivalry.

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10. Ohio State

If the Iowa-Michigan series is considered sporadic, the Hawkeyes-Buckeyes matchups are so irregular one could wonder if they even compete in the same conference. In 2002, both teams tied for the Big Ten title at 8-0 but they didn’t play and there was no championship game. After College GameDay appeared for their 2006 game in Iowa City (and haven’t been back for 276 consecutive shows), the teams have played only four times. That’s twice in each location over the last 15 years.

Expansion scuttled their scheduled meetings in 2011, 2012 and 2014, and the pandemic cost them their 2020 game. Their first meeting was 100 years ago this year and while it may seem that they haven’t played in Columbus for a century, they’re finally slated to meet there in October. The Buckeyes lead the series 46-15-3 and hopefully there’s more regularity in the future between the teams. Based on their 2009, 2010 and 2013 games, the college football world could use a few more Ohio State-Iowa battles.

11. Indiana

It feels low to put the Hoosiers way down here considering they’ve hooked up with Iowa 76 times. But proximity pushes Illinois ahead of Indiana and frequency does the same with Purdue. They’ve had a few memorable games, specifically when Iowa quarterback Chuck Hartlieb threw for 558 yards in a 45-34 loss in 1988. While Indiana may upset Iowa on occasion, the Hoosiers rarely contend for league titles.

Iowa-Indiana seems more intense on the hardwood than the gridiron, and the Hawkeyes lead the football series 46-28-4. Since divisional play opened in 2011, the teams have been on opposite alignments, both in Leaders-Legends and East-West. Overall, it’s a series that has a comfy, lawn-mowing shoe feel to it.

12. (tie) Maryland and Rutgers

There should be a canyon-sized gap between Indiana and these two newcomers for obvious reasons. The Hawkeyes and Hoosiers played for the first time in 1912; Iowa didn’t see Maryland (3-1 Iowa) or Rutgers (2-0 Iowa) until they entered the league in 2014. I’m sure the shrugged shoulders on the “meh” scale goes both ways, so there’s no need to justify this position.

It’s not far-fetched to suggest either one could move up this list in a decade or two. In men’s and women’s basketball, the Hawkeyes have enjoyed several entertaining, competitive and semi-controversial meetings with both teams. But playing every few years in football with nothing but a result at stake will make any projected leaps on this list difficult, if not impossible.

(Top photo: David Berding / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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