Illinois’ 2026 Big Ten Football Opponents Revealed: Which Matchup Will Define Their Season?

The 2026 Big Ten football schedule just dropped, and Illinois fans have plenty to chew on this time around. Kicking things off with a run at Ohio State, the Fighting Illini will face a demanding slate with four home games lined up at Gies Memorial Stadium — including showdowns with Purdue, Oregon, Nebraska, and Iowa. On the road, they’ll trek to take on powerhouses like Michigan State, Maryland, UCLA, and Northwestern. Coming off a solid 9-4 season crowned by a nail-biting Music City Bowl win over Tennessee, the Illini are gearing up for another intense campaign starting September 5 against UAB on their home turf. It’s a journey filled with promise, tough tests, and hope that the team can keep riding that momentum all the way through. LEARN MORE

Illinois football will open Big Ten Conference play at Ohio State in 2026.

The dates for the 2026 Big Ten Conference season were released Tuesday with Illinois having four home games and five road contests. The Fighting Illini welcome Purdue (Oct. 3), Oregon (Oct. 24), Nebraska (Nov. 7) and Iowa (Nov. 21) to Gies Memorial Stadium.

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Road games for the Illini include Ohio State (Sept. 26), Michigan State (Oct. 10), Maryland (Oct. 31), UCLA (Nov. 14) and Northwestern (Nov. 28).

Illinois is coming off a 9-4 season, capping it with a thrilling two-point win over Tennessee in the Music City Bowl. The 2026 campaign kicks off with UAB coming to Gies Memorial Stadium on Sept. 5.

2026 Illinois football schedule

Here is the complete Illinois football schedule for the 2026 season.

• Sept. 5 — vs. UAB

• Sept. 12 — vs. Duke

• Sept. 19 — vs. Southern Illinois

• Sept. 26 — at Ohio State

• Oct. 3 — vs Purdue

• Oct. 10 — at Michigan State

• Oct. 17 — Off week

• Oct. 24 — vs. Oregon

• Oct. 31 — at Maryland

• Nov. 7 — vs. Nebraska

• Nov. 14 — at UCLA

• Nov. 21 — vs. Iowa

• Nov. 28 — at Northwestern

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois football schedule 2026: Big Ten schedule

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