2023 Big Ten Spring Game Dates
The calendar is turning to March and it’s all of a sudden spring football season. And while it’ll be a few weeks for any Big Ten team is showcasing the fledgling 2023 squads — the earliest will be mid-April — it’s a good time to take stock of where the 14 squads stand.
From defending champs to fresh coaches hoping to spur a turnaround, the Big Ten has plenty of spring game stories to follow.
Big Ten spring game dates
Michigan: Practice begins Feb. 20; spring game on April 1
The reigning Big Ten champions already started in on a three-peat toward the end of February, after another offseason of tumult. Jim Harbaugh apparently wanted to leave for the NFL (again), the program was hit with allegations of NCAA violations and co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss was fired for alleged computer access crimes. But when you bring back the nucleus of a College Football Playoff offense — including Heisman candidate Blake Corum — optimism is still aplenty in Ann Arbor.
Indiana: Practice begins Mar. 4; spring game on April 15
It was a disappointing 2022 campaign for the Hoosiers, as Indiana has struggled to recapture the magic of 2019 and 2020. Indiana went 14-7 across those two years. In the two seasons since: 6-18. If Tom Allen wants to make it past a seventh season in Bloomington, his Hoosiers will likely need to parlay a strong spring into a turnaround season.
Ohio State: Practice begins Mar. 7; spring game on April 15
The biggest question for Ohio State: Who will take over the offense from C.J. Stroud? The Buckeyes and head coach Ryan Day are spoiled for choice with former blue-chip prospects Kyle McCord and Devin Brown jockeying for the gig. It also helps with Marvin Harrison Jr. on the opposite end of passes. Ohio State is talented as ever, and evaluating the quarterbacks will be priority No. 1 through spring as the Buckeyes again hunt for a Big Ten title.
Penn State: Practice begins Mar. 15; spring game on April 15
The 2023 season holds as much promise for Penn State as any during James Franklin’s tenure as the head coach. With former five-star quarterback Drew Allar ascending into a starting role behind an offensive line with a potential Top 5 pick at left tackle, with a pair of star sophomore running backs to pound the rock, the offensive has the makings to be explosive. Pair that with a young, ascending defense, the Nittany Lions could get over both the Buckeyes and Wolverines and make it to the Big Ten championship game.
Illinois: Practice begins Mar. 21; spring game on April 20
After something of a renaissance in Year 2 under Bret Bielema — a season in which Illinois went 8-5 and contended for the Big Ten west championship — the Illini have some roster retooling to do. Gone are star twins Chase Brown and Sydney Brown, a pair of all-American caliber players at running back and safety, respectively. The Illini will also be breaking in a new quarterback and reworking the defensive staff after star coordinator Ryan Walters took the head job at Purdue.
Nebraska: Practice begins Mar. 20; spring game on April 22
Expect a packed house at Memorial Stadium on April 22, as optimism is back in style in Lincoln with Matt Rhule in the fold. With an infusion of transfer talent and the reality that Nebraska realistically underperformed relative to the talent on the roster last season, the first glimpse of the Rhule Cornhuskers will be an exciting moment. Plus, a check in on the quarterback battle between incumbent Casey Thompson and Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Sims is worth the price of admission.
Iowa: Practice begins Mar. 23; spring game on April 22
Do spring game points count for a certain offensive coordinators contractual obligations? After a dreadful offensive showing in 2022, the Hawkeyes athletic department revised the contract of offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz — head coach Kirk Ferentz’s son. He needs to meet certain points per game and win thresholds to keep his job. Michigan transfer quarterback Cade McNamara, along with fellow former Wolverine Erick All, can hopefull provide some much-needed juice.
Wisconsin: Practice begins Mar. 25; spring game on April 22
Six months ago, it’s not likely many — if any — would have predicted Luke Fickell to be the head coach at Wisconsin come the spring game, yet here he is. With the arrival of new offensive coordinator Phil Longo and his air raid pedigree, seeing how Wisconsin evolves the offense is one of the more intriguing storylines this spring. Plus, the Badgers will be breaking in a new quarterback with Graham Mertz off to Florida.
Minnesota: Practice begins TBD; spring game on April 22
The Gophers will have a much different look on offense in 2023, finally moving on from Tanner Morgan at quarterback and Mohamed Ibrahim at running back. The two were stalwarts of the Minnesota offense for much of the recent P.J. Fleck era. The good news: Presumptive starting quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis got some decent experience in spot starts in 2022.
Northwestern: Practice begins Mar. 7; spring game on April 22
Northwestern was one of the worst teams in the Power 5 in 2022. The Wildcats went 1-11 and, amusingly, didn’t win a game in the Western hemisphere — their lone win came over Nebraska in a Week 0 game in Dublin, Ireland. Pat Fitzgerald is one of the longest tenured coaches in the Big Ten and has taken the Wildcats to a Big Ten title game, but the 2023 team is going to need to be one of his best coaching jobs yet.
Purdue: Practice begins Mar. 21; spring game on April 22
It’ll be a new-look Purdue team taking the field for 2023. Gone is long-tenured quarterback Aidan O’Connell and offensive-minded head coach Jeff Brohm. In is former Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters. The Boilermakers are coming off a Big Ten title game appearance, but don’t pencil them in for a return trip to Indianapolis yet.
Maryland: Practice begins Mar. 28; spring game on April 29
Maryland is replacing tons of offensive skill. Tight end CJ Dippre transferred to Alabama and the triumvirate of quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, along with wideouts Dontay Demus and Rakim Jarrett, are off to the draft. Mike Locksley has shown an aptitude for getting the Terrapins offense humming, but the spring game will be a good benchmark for how much work Maryland needs to do.
Rutgers: Practice begins TBD; spring game on April 29
After a third-straight losing season to start the second Greg Schiano era at Rutgers, the 2023 season is likely critical for the head coach. As such, the developmental progress of heralded quarterback Gavin Wimsatt is critical. The physical talents of the former highly-touted recruit are obviously, but he threw seven interceptions to five touchdowns and completed 44.8% of his pass attempts in eight games.
Michigan State: Practice begins TBD; spring game date TBD
The 2022 season was quite disappointing for an MSU team hoping to parlay a surprising 11-2 campaign in 2021 into sustainable contention atop the Big Ten and, moreover, the country. Instead, the Spartans regressed offensively without Kenneth Walker III and the defense struggled against the pass, again. But with quarterback Payton Thorne back for one more year and potentially better continuity on the offensive line, the Spartans are looking to be back in bowl contention. Keep an eye on Keon Coleman in the spring game, too — he’ll be following Jayden Reed to the NFL rather soon.