Big Ten to play 6 Friday night games a year starting in 2017

FILE - In this Oct. 17, 2015, file photo, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer leads his team on to the field before their NCAA college football game against Penn State in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State considers last week’s stunning upset by Penn State an aberration, and recent history shows the Buckeyes probably aren’t going to lose two in a row. But the Buckeyes are vulnerable right now, still smarting from the upset by Penn State last week. And Northwestern, which visits Ohio Stadium Saturday, is playing well, having won four of its last five after a slow start. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)

By Associated Press November 2, 2016 1 min read

The Big Ten will play six Friday night football games a year starting in 2017 and continuing through at least 2022.

Senior Associate Commissioner Mark Rudner says the games are being added as part of the conference’s new television agreements with ESPN/ABC and Fox. The six games will be spread over September and October and allow more Big Ten schools to get national exposure.

The Big Ten already has had Friday night games on Labor Day weekend. Those games will continue and be counted among the six each year.

Rudner said the conference expects to announce the 2017 Friday night schedule within the next week.

Michigan and Penn State already have declined to host Friday night games on their campuses.