Illinois and Big Ten division alignment

• With Nebraska starting league play in 2011, the Big Ten splits into 2 divisions in football. The division winners meetup in the Big Ten Championship game in December.
• In 2011-14, just as it is now, Big Ten teams play 8 conference games and 4 non-conference opponents.
• Every year Illinois will play all 5 of its intra-divisional opponents -- Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, as well as its "protected crossover", Northwestern.
• The "rotated crossovers" fill out the final two spots of the Illini's league schedule: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, and Minnesota. Rotated crossovers change every two years.
• Illinois' rotated crossovers in 2011-12 are Michigan and Minnesota. The Wolverines and Gophers come off Illinois' schedule in 2013-14.
• Illinois' rotated crossovers in 2013-14 will be two of the following: Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State.
• Illinois will go at least 4 seasons without playing Iowa (2009-2012).
• The inaugural Illinois-Nebraska Big Ten contest will happen in 2013 or 2015.
• Illinois' 2011 football schedule is great: 5-straight home games to start, a November bye week, and 8 total home games including Arizona State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin.
• Having Indiana, Northwestern, and Purdue on the schedule each and every year is a nice break for Illinois.
• Nebraska's schedule is loaded in 2011-12. The Cornhuskers do not play their 3 weakest crossovers: Illinois, Indiana, and Purdue.
• The Big Ten is looking at going to a nine-game league schedule starting in 2015.