BTN.com staff, August 16, 2017

Mark Rudner, the Big Ten's Senior Associate Commissioner, has compiled 31 Big Ten basketball schedules, and this latest one may have been the most difficult.

Between the regular season ending one week earlier, to allow for the Big Ten tournament to be played at Madison Square Garden, the addition of FOX as a TV partner and a host of facility conflicts, there was no shortage of things to navigate and consider.

When it's all said and done, the Big Ten will be on your TV (or tablet) more days than any other year in Big Ten history. From Jan. 2-Feb.25, in fact, there will be at least one Big Ten conference game on all but four days.

"We're going to have a full range of exposure, great national exposure over four different platforms," Rudner said. "Big Ten basketball will be talked about 51 of those 55 days of the conference season."

The four TV partners (BTN, CBS, ESPN & FOX) are more than any other conference, and trail only the NFL (5).

"No conference has better exposure," Rudner said.

Here's a handful of notable items regarding the 2017-18 conference schedule:

1. Big Ten play tips Friday, Dec. 1. Every team will play two conference games Dec. 1-5, before returning to non-conference play until conference action resumes Tuesday, Jan. 2.

2. Big Ten tournament is held a week earlier, and at Madison Square Garden. Instead of its usual second week of March date, the tournament will open Wednesday, Feb. 28 and crown a champion Sunday, March 4. The Big Ten couldn't reserve the World's Most Famous Arena for its usual dates (March 7-11), due to the Big East tournament.

"Given our eastern initiative, given the fact we were in the Verizon Center last year, we wanted to play in the World's Most Famous Arena. Our coaches in 2014 were on board. They thought it was that important."

3. Monday and Friday night games. FOX will carry games Monday and Friday nights, off nights in the past, meaning the Big Ten will play on every day of the week. A reasonable question: Were coaches, athletic directors and presidents against Friday night games?

"No," Rudner said. "Nor was there any push back of Monday night. We are playing on every night of the week."

4. Single-day preps. Due to the condensed conference slate and the juggling of men's and women's schedules, among other things, teams will play two games in three days, allowing just one day of preparation. There are 34 instances of single-day prep games.

"That's what will make [the schedule] look unusual," Rudner said.

5. Three straight road games. In previous seasons, the conference avoided having teams play more than two consecutive road games. This season, teams will play three in a row away from home.

"The one statistic that's equal for everyone is 16 games in a 55-day period [Jan. 2-Feb. 25]," Rudner said.

Here's the full conference schedule:

Day Date Visiting Team Home Team Site
Friday Dec. 1, 2017 Purdue @ Maryland College Park, MD
Friday Dec. 1, 2017 Illinois @ Northwestern Rosemont, IL
Saturday Dec. 2, 2017 Indiana @ Michigan Ann Arbor, MI
Saturday Dec. 2, 2017 Ohio State @ Wisconsin Madison, WI
Saturday Dec. 2, 2017 Penn State @ Iowa Iowa City, IA
Sunday Dec. 3, 2017 Nebraska @ Michigan State East Lansing, MI
Sunday Dec. 3, 2017 Northwestern @ Purdue West Lafayette, IN
Sunday Dec. 3, 2017 Rutgers @ Minnesota Minneapolis, MN
Sunday Dec. 3, 2017 Maryland @ Illinois Champaign, IL
Monday Dec. 4, 2017 Wisconsin @ Penn State University Park, PA
Monday Dec. 4, 2017 Michigan @ Ohio State Columbus, OH
Monday Dec. 4, 2017 Iowa @ Indiana Bloomington, IN
Tuesday Dec. 5, 2017 Michigan State @ Rutgers Piscataway, NJ
Tuesday Dec. 5, 2017 Minnesota @ Nebraska Lincoln, NE
Tuesday Jan. 2, 2018 Indiana @ Wisconsin Madison, WI
Tuesday Jan. 2, 2018 Michigan @ Iowa Iowa City, IA
Tuesday Jan. 2, 2018 Penn State @ Maryland College Park, MD
Tuesday Jan. 2, 2018 Nebraska @ Northwestern Rosemont, IL
Wednesday Jan. 3, 2018 Rutgers @ Purdue West Lafayette, IN
Wednesday Jan. 3, 2018 Illinois @ Minnesota Minneapolis, MN
Thursday Jan. 4, 2018 Maryland @ Michigan State East Lansing, MI
Thursday Jan. 4, 2018 Ohio State @ Iowa Iowa City, IA
Friday Jan. 5, 2018 Wisconsin @ Rutgers Piscataway, NJ
Friday Jan. 5, 2018 Northwestern @ Penn State University Park, PA
Saturday Jan. 6, 2018 Nebraska @ Purdue West Lafayette, IN
Saturday Jan. 6, 2018 Illinois @ Michigan Ann Arbor, MI
Saturday Jan. 6, 2018 Indiana @ Minnesota Minneapolis, MN
Sunday Jan. 7, 2018 Michigan State @ Ohio State Columbus, OH
Sunday Jan. 7, 2018 Iowa @ Maryland College Park, MD
Monday Jan. 8, 2018 No games (CFP)
Tuesday Jan. 9, 2018 Wisconsin @ Nebraska Lincoln, NE
Tuesday Jan. 9, 2018 Purdue @ Michigan Ann Arbor, MI
Tuesday Jan. 9, 2018 Penn State @ Indiana Bloomington, IN
Wednesday Jan. 10, 2018 Rutgers @ Michigan State East Lansing, MI
Wednesday Jan. 10, 2018 Minnesota @ Northwestern Rosemont, IL
Thursday Jan. 11, 2018 Iowa @ Illinois Champaign, IL
Thursday Jan. 11, 2018 Maryland @ Ohio State Columbus, OH
Friday Jan. 12, 2018 Nebraska @ Penn State University Park, PA
Saturday Jan. 13, 2018 Michigan @ Michigan State East Lansing, MI
Saturday Jan. 13, 2018 Purdue @ Minnesota Minneapolis, MN
Sunday Jan. 14, 2018 Ohio State @ Rutgers Piscataway, NJ
Sunday Jan. 14, 2018 Northwestern @ Indiana Bloomington, IN
Monday Jan. 15, 2018 Maryland @ Michigan Ann Arbor, MI
Monday Jan. 15, 2018 Illinois @ Nebraska Lincoln, NE
Monday Jan. 15, 2018 Minnesota @ Penn State University Park, PA
Tuesday Jan. 16, 2018 Wisconsin @ Purdue West Lafayette, IN
Wednesday Jan. 17, 2018 Ohio State @ Northwestern Rosemont, IL
Wednesday Jan. 17, 2018 Iowa @ Rutgers Piscataway, NJ
Thursday Jan. 18, 2018 Michigan @ Nebraska Lincoln, NE
Thursday Jan. 18, 2018 Minnesota @ Maryland College Park, MD
Friday Jan. 19, 2018 Illinois @ Wisconsin Madison, WI
Friday Jan. 19, 2018 Indiana @ Michigan State East Lansing, MI
Saturday Jan. 20, 2018 Purdue @ Iowa Iowa City, IA
Saturday Jan. 20, 2018 Penn State @ Northwestern Rosemont, IL
Saturday Jan. 20, 2018 Ohio State @ Minnesota New York, NY
Sunday Jan. 21, 2018 Rutgers @ Michigan Ann Arbor, MI
Monday Jan. 22, 2018 Nebraska @ Ohio State Columbus, OH
Monday Jan. 22, 2018 Michigan State @ Illinois Champaign, IL
Monday Jan. 22, 2018 Maryland @ Indiana Bloomington, IN
Tuesday Jan. 23, 2018 Wisconsin @ Iowa Iowa City, IA
Tuesday Jan. 23, 2018 Northwestern @ Minnesota Minneapolis, MN
Wednesday Jan. 24, 2018 Nebraska @ Rutgers Piscataway, NJ
Wednesday Jan. 24, 2018 Indiana @ Illinois Champaign, IL
Thursday Jan. 25, 2018 Penn State @ Ohio State Columbus, OH
Thursday Jan. 25, 2018 Michigan @ Purdue West Lafayette, IN
Friday Jan. 26, 2018 Wisconsin @ Michigan State East Lansing, MI
Saturday Jan. 27, 2018 Iowa @ Nebraska Lincoln, NE
Saturday Jan. 27, 2018 Rutgers @ Penn State University Park, PA
Sunday Jan. 28, 2018 Michigan State @ Maryland College Park, MD
Sunday Jan. 28, 2018 Purdue @ Indiana Bloomington, IN
Monday Jan. 29, 2018 Northwestern @ Michigan Ann Arbor, MI
Monday Jan. 29, 2018 Nebraska @ Wisconsin Madison, WI
Tuesday Jan. 30, 2018 Indiana @ Ohio State Columbus, OH
Tuesday Jan. 30, 2018 Minnesota @ Iowa Iowa City, IA
Tuesday Jan. 30, 2018 Rutgers @ Illinois Champaign, il
Wednesday Jan. 31, 2018 Penn State @ Michigan State East Lansing, MI
Wednesday Jan. 31, 2018 Maryland @ Purdue West Lafayette, IN
Thursday Feb. 1, 2018 Northwestern @ Wisconsin Madison, WI
Friday Feb. 2, 2018 No Games
Saturday Feb. 3, 2018 Minnesota @ Michigan Ann Arbor, MI
Saturday Feb. 3, 2018 Michigan State @ Indiana Bloomington, IN
Saturday Feb. 3, 2018 Purdue @ Rutgers Piscataway, NJ
Saturday Feb. 3, 2018 Iowa @ Penn State University Park, PA
Sunday Feb. 4, 2018 Wisconsin @ Maryland College Park, MD
Sunday Feb. 4, 2018 Illinois @ Ohio State Columbus, OH
Monday Feb. 5, 2018 Indiana @ Rutgers Piscataway, NJ
Tuesday Feb. 6, 2018 Michigan State @ Iowa Iowa City, IA
Tuesday Feb. 6, 2018 Michigan @ Northwestern Rosemont, IL
Tuesday Feb. 6, 2018 Nebraska @ Minnesota Minneapolis, MN
Wednesday Feb. 7, 2018 Ohio State @ Purdue West Lafayette, IN
Wednesday Feb. 7, 2018 Maryland @ Penn State University Park, PA
Thursday Feb. 8, 2018 Wisconsin @ Illinois Champaign, IL
Friday Feb. 9, 2018 Minnesota @ Indiana Bloomington, IN
Saturday Feb. 10, 2018 Purdue @ Michigan State East Lansing, MI
Saturday Feb. 10, 2018 Iowa @ Ohio State Columbus, OH
Saturday Feb. 10, 2018 Northwestern @ Maryland College Park, MD
Saturday Feb. 10, 2018 Rutgers @ Nebraska Lincoln, NE
Sunday Feb. 11, 2018 Michigan @ Wisconsin Madison, WI
Sunday Feb. 11, 2018 Penn State @ Illinois Champaign, IL
Monday Feb. 12, 2018 No games
Tuesday Feb. 13, 2018 Michigan State @ Minnesota Minneapolis, MN
Tuesday Feb. 13, 2018 Maryland @ Nebraska Lincoln, NE
Tuesday Feb. 13, 2018 Northwestern @ Rutgers Piscataway, NJ
Wednesday Feb. 14, 2018 Iowa @ Michigan Ann Arbor, MI
Wednesday Feb. 14, 2018 Illinois @ Indiana Bloomington, IN
Thursday Feb. 15, 2018 Purdue @ Wisconsin Madison, WI
Thursday Feb. 15, 2018 Ohio State @ Penn State University Park, PA
Friday Feb. 16, 2018 No games
Saturday Feb. 17, 2018 Michigan State @ Northwestern Rosemont, IL
Saturday Feb. 17, 2018 Indiana @ Iowa Iowa City, IA
Saturday Feb. 17, 2018 Rutgers @ Maryland College Park, MD
Sunday Feb. 18, 2018 Nebraska @ Illinois Champaign, IL
Sunday Feb. 18, 2018 Ohio State @ Michigan Ann Arbor, MI
Sunday Feb. 18, 2018 Penn State @ Purdue West Lafayette, IN
Monday Feb. 19, 2018 Minnesota @ Wisconsin Madison, WI
Monday Feb. 19, 2018 Maryland @ Northwestern Rosemont, IL
Tuesday Feb. 20, 2018 Illinois @ Michigan State East Lansing, MI
Tuesday Feb. 20, 2018 Indiana @ Nebraska Lincoln, NE
Tuesday Feb. 20, 2018 Rutgers @ Ohio State Columbus, OH
Wednesday Feb. 21, 2018 Michigan @ Penn State University Park, PA
Wednesday Feb. 21, 2018 Iowa @ Minnesota Minneapolis, MN
Thursday Feb. 22, 2018 Wisconsin @ Northwestern Rosemont, IL
Thursday Feb. 22, 2018 Purdue @ Illinois Champaign, IL
Friday Feb. 23, 2018 Ohio State @ Indiana Bloomington, IN
Saturday Feb. 24, 2018 Michigan @ Maryland College Park, MD
Sunday Feb. 25, 2018 Northwestern @ Iowa Iowa City, IA
Sunday Feb. 25, 2018 Michigan State @ Wisconsin Madison, WI
Sunday Feb. 25, 2018 Minnesota @ Purdue West Lafayette, IN
Sunday Feb. 25, 2018 Illinois @ Rutgers Piscataway, NJ
Sunday Feb. 25, 2018 Penn State @ Nebraska Lincoln, NE