Northwestern will open the 2015 Big Ten football season at Iowa and will not play Penn State, Ohio State or Wisconsin in either 2015 or 2016.

            The Big Ten released its conference football schedules for 2015 and 2016 Monday, and the Wildcats seem to have drawn the favorable stick.

            In 2015, NU hosts Minnesota, Purdue, Michigan and Michigan State while going on the road to face Nebraska, Indiana and Illinois.

            In 2016, the Wildcats open Big Ten season at Ryan Field against Nebraska and end the season with a home game against Illinois -- which could be somewhere other than Evanston, like Soldier Field. NU's other home games for 2016 include Iowa and Indiana, with road trips to Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State and Minnesota.