The 2018-19 basketball season kicks off the Big Ten's first ever 20-game conference slate, and on Thursday, the conference announced the matchups that will make up that schedule.
Ohio State will play home-and-homes with Illinois, Purdue, Rutgers, Maryland, Iowa, Michigan State and Northwestern next season. The Buckeyes compiled a perfect 9-0 record against those teams last season, including an upset win over then-ranked No. 1 Michigan State in Columbus, the only matchup between the schools in 2017-18.
The Buckeyes will play host to Minnesota, Penn State and Wisconsin while traveling to Indiana, Michigan and Nebraska for the only matchups of the season against those schools. Against that group of schools, Ohio State recorded a 6-4 record this past season, with three of the four losses coming to the Nittany Lions. The fourth loss came to Michigan on the road.
Last season, Ohio State avoided trips to Nebraska, Michigan State and Maryland, all trips they will make in Chris Holtmann's second season. The Buckeyes draw the rival Wolverines just once next season after splitting the 2017-18 series with the defending national runners-up.
The Big Ten expanded its conference schedule to 20 games for the upcoming season after playing an 18-game schedule from 2008-18. Because of the expanded conference slate, Big Ten games are expected to briefly interrupt non-conference play in early December, much like the 2017-18 season. Ohio State won both of its early December games last season, defeating Wisconsin on the road and Michigan at home.
Tip times, dates and TV designations for these games are expected to be announced at a later date.
