Badgers lose Notre Dame game as Big Ten going conference only in 2020

The Big Ten Conference will play only conference games in football as well as several other sports if fall seasons proceed in pandemic.

The conference announced Thursday that if sports can be played, all fall sports teams — men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, football, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball — will, “based on medical advice,” only play other conference teams.

Exact details on schedules will be released at a later date.

In a release, the Big Ten said this move will allow the conference to “have the greatest flexibility to adjust its own operations throughout the season and make quick decisions in real-time based on the most current evolving medical advice and the fluid nature of the pandemic.”

Wisconsin will lose a couple of name opponents on its 2020 football schedule. The Badgers were set to play Notre Dame at Lambeau Field on Oct. 3 and host Appalachian State, which went 13-1 in 2019 and finished ranked No. 19, on Sept. 19. Wisconsin was also to host FCS Southern Illinois on Sept. 12.

The Associated Press contributed to this report