The buildup to the 2021 Big Ten football season officially begins today.
Big Ten Media Days, which are being held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis this year, begin Thursday and continue Friday. Eleven Warriors will be in attendance throughout both days of interviews to provide coverage of the week's developments as they relate to Ohio State and to the conference as a whole.
Conference commissioner Kevin Warren will kick off media days with a 45-minute press conference on Thursday morning. Coaches and players from seven Big Ten schools will also meet with the media on Thursday, while the other seven – including Ohio State coach Ryan Day and players Thayer Munford, Zach Harrison and Jeremy Ruckert – will speak with reporters on Friday.
The full schedule of press conferences that will be televised live on Big Ten Network:
| Who | When |
|---|---|
| BIG TEN COMMISSIONER KEVIN WARREN | 10:15-11 a.m. |
| MINNESOTA COACH P.J. FLECK | 11-11:15 a.m. |
| MARYLAND COACH MIKE LOCKSLEY | 11:15-11:30 a.m. |
| NEBRASKA COACH SCOTT FROST | 11:30-11:45 a.m. |
| ILLINOIS COACH BRET BIELEMA | 11:45 a.m.-Noon |
| PENN STATE COACH JAMES FRANKLIN | Noon-12:15 p.m. |
| NORTHWESTERN COACH PAT FITZGERALD | 12:15-12:30 p.m. |
| MICHIGAN COACH JIM HARBAUGH | 12:30-12:45 p.m. |
| Who | When |
|---|---|
| RUTGERS COACH GREG SCHIANO | 11-11:15 a.m. |
| MICHIGAN STATE COACH MEL TUCKER | 11:15-11:30 a.m. |
| IOWA COACH KIRK FERENTZ | 11:30-11:45 a.m. |
| INDIANA COACH TOM ALLEN | 11:45 a.m.-Noon |
| WISCONSIN COACH PAUL CHRYST | Noon-12:15 p.m. |
| PURDUE COACH JEFF BROHM | 12:15-12:30 p.m. |
| OHIO STATE COACH RYAN DAY | 12:30-12:45 p.m. |
Each of the coaches and the three players from each school will also be at individual podiums for one hour each on their schools' designated media days.
The full schedule for those afternoon interview sessions with the coaches and participating players from each school:
| Who | When |
|---|---|
| BIG TEN COORDINATOR OF FOOTBALL OFFICIALS BILL CAROLLO | 1:15-1:45 p.m. |
| NEBRASKA COACH SCOTT FROST | 1:15-2:15 p.m. |
| MICHIGAN RB HASSAN HASKINS, DE AIDAN HUTCHINSON, LB JOSH ROSS | 1:15-2:15 p.m. |
| NORTHWESTERN COACH PAT FITZGERALD | 1:30-2:30 p.m. |
| PENN STATE CB TARIQ CASTRO-FIELDS, WR JAHAN DOTSON, DT PJ MUSTIPHER | 1:45-2:45 p.m. |
| MARYLAND COACH MIKE LOCKSLEY | 2-3 p.m. |
| NORTHWESTERN OL SAM GERAK, S BRANDON JOSEPH, RB CAM PORTER | 2:15-3:15 p.m. |
| PENN STATE COACH JAMES FRANKLIN | 2:15-3:15 p.m. |
| ILLINOIS COACH BRET BIELEMA | 3-4 p.m. |
| NEBRASKA TE AUSTIN ALLEN, DL BEN STILLE, S DEONTAI WILLIAMS | 3-4 p.m. |
| MINNESOTA RB MOHAMED IBRAHIM, DL BOYE MAFE, QB TANNER MORGAN | 3:15-4:15 p.m. |
| MARYLAND DB NICK CROSS, WR DONTAY DEMUS JR., QB TAULIA TAGOVAILOA | 3:15-4:15 p.m. |
| MICHIGAN COACH JIM HARBAUGH | 3:30-4:30 p.m. |
| ILLINOIS LB OWEN CARNEY, C DOUG KRAMER, OT VEDERIAN LOWE | 4-5 p.m. |
| MINNESOTA COACH P.J. FLECK | 4-5 p.m. |
| Who | When |
|---|---|
| IOWA COACH KIRK FERENTZ | 1:15-2:15 p.m. |
| OHIO STATE DE ZACH HARRISON, LT THAYER MUNFORD, TE JEREMY RUCKERT | 1:15-2:15 p.m. |
| PURDUE COACH JEFF BROHM | 1:30-2:30 p.m. |
| IOWA C TYLER LINDERBAUM, WR TYRONE TRACY JR., DE ZACH VANVALKENBURG | 1:45-2:45 p.m. |
| MICHIGAN STATE COACH MEL TUCKER | 2-3 p.m. |
| INDIANA WR TY FRYFOGLE, LB MICAH MCFADDEN, QB MICHAEL PENIX JR. | 2:15-3:15 p.m. |
| WISCONSIN COACH PAUL CHRYST | 2:15-3:15 p.m. |
| INDIANA COACH TOM ALLEN | 3-4 p.m. |
| WISCONSIN TE JAKE FERGUSON, CB FAION HICKS, LB JACK SANBORN | 3-4 p.m. |
| MICHIGAN STATE DE DREW BEESLEY, S XAVIER HENDERSON, WR JALEN NAILOR | 3:15-4:15 p.m. |
| RUTGERS LB OLAKUNLE FATUKASI, WR BO MELTON, QB NOAH VEDRAL | 3:15-4:15 p.m. |
| OHIO STATE COACH RYAN DAY | 3:30-4:30 p.m. |
| PURDUE WR JACKSON ANTHROP, WR DAVID BELL, DE GEORGE KARLAFTIS | 4-5 p.m. |
| RUTGERS COACH GREG SCHIANO | 4-5 p.m. |
Big Ten Network is scheduled to air live coverage from Big Ten Media Days from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Thursday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday.
In addition to coverage over the next two days and throughout the weekend here on the website, we'll also have real-time coverage from Indianapolis on Twitter @11W, @Dan_Hope, @chasshill and @Garrick_Hodge.
While you're waiting, here's some additional coverage from Eleven Warriors leading up to this week's event:
- Six Questions for Ohio State, Kevin Warren and the Rest of the Conference Entering 2021 Big Ten Media Days
- Real Pod Wednesdays: What We're Looking Forward To Learning at Big Ten Media Days
- Ten B1G Questions: Thoughts On Ohio State’s Conference This Season And Beyond From Our Writers
- Unofficial 2021 Preseason All-Big Ten Football Team
