Michigan and Michigan State football will remain protected rivals as the Big Ten begins its westward expansion.
With the conference announcing its 2024 and 2025 schedules Thursday afternoon, the Spartans and Wolverines are among those schools who will maintain their annual series as part of the league’s “Flex Protect Plus” scheduling model as it grows to 16 teams with the additions of UCLA and USC.
Michigan-Ohio State also is one of those protected games as well, with a chance for any of those matchups to have a rematch in the Big Ten championship game with the new format that ends division play after this season.