The revised University of Minnesota football schedule for 2014, which is the first year Rutgers and Maryland will join the conference, was announced Thursday — and has the Gophers opening the conference season at Michigan on Sept. 27, 2014.

The end of the season was also toughened for the Gophers — with a final three games against Ohio State at home and then at Nebraska and Wisconsin. A preliminary version of the schedule had Minnesota finishing against Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan State.

Penn State no longer is on the 2014 schedule, but the Buckeyes have been added.

The 2014 season will also mark the first year the Big Ten will be divided into seven-team East and West divisions based on geography instead of the current Leaders and Legends divisions.

The Gophers will open 2014 with nonconference games at TCF Bank Stadium against Eastern Illinois and Middle Tennessee State before playing at Texas Christian and coming home to play San Jose State.

Michigan and Ohio State will be Minnesota's opponents for inter-division games, in addition to games with the six other West division schools — Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin.

STAFF REPORTS