Gotta start 5-1.
Illini Football 2026
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RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
Let’s hope it’s at the Rose Bowl. UCLA hasn’t backed down yet on its threats to move to SoFi Stadium
can one of our Southern Cali brothers inform us how much closer to campus Sofi is vs Rosebowl?
seems like a stupid move , if you ask me
The multiple 6-3 losses to UCLA (including one played in the Rose Bowl stadium) weren't much better.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I cannot describe how passionately I hate the fact that the Big Ten Conference is so adamant about making our home game vs. Iowa ALWAYS the Saturday before Thanksgiving. I have brought more than a few Iowa friends down to Champaign to stand in the crappy, cold and gray weather to watch Iowa beat us in front of 20k fans and no students, and they STILL had a good time in C-U ... I just wanted for once to be able to go on such a road trip when it's actually frickin' nice out!
Why do they keep doing this?!
It's half as far to Sofi mileage wise, but with LA traffic the Rose Bowl can easily be an hour from campus.
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
2026 Illini Football
Sat, Sept 5____UAB W
Sat, Sept 12___Duke W
Sat, Sept 19___Southern Illinois W
Sat, Sept 26___at Ohio State L
Sat, Oct 3_____Purdue (Homecoming) W
Sat, Oct 10____at Michigan State W
Sat, Oct 17____---bye---
Sat, Oct 24____Oregon L
Sat, Oct 31____at Maryland W
Sat, Nov 7_____Nebraska W
Sat, Nov 14____at UCLA L
Sat, Nov 21____Iowa L
Sat, Nov 28____at Northwestern W
8-4
Sat, Sept 5____UAB W
Sat, Sept 12___Duke W
Sat, Sept 19___Southern Illinois W
Sat, Sept 26___at Ohio State L
Sat, Oct 3_____Purdue (Homecoming) W
Sat, Oct 10____at Michigan State W
Sat, Oct 17____---bye---
Sat, Oct 24____Oregon L
Sat, Oct 31____at Maryland W
Sat, Nov 7_____Nebraska W
Sat, Nov 14____at UCLA L
Sat, Nov 21____Iowa L
Sat, Nov 28____at Northwestern W
8-4
My ideal schedule has as many October home games as possible and as few November home games as possible.
In 2025, we had ONE October home game and 3 November home games. For 2026 its 2 and 2. Glad we are going to UCLA in November. I will likely make that trip.
However, I would have preferred to have the Iowa game earlier in the season. The weekend before Thanksgiving is seldom great weather. Plus the students get the week after off so attendance could be light. Also, playing NW as a "rivalry" game is lame.
In 2025, we had ONE October home game and 3 November home games. For 2026 its 2 and 2. Glad we are going to UCLA in November. I will likely make that trip.
However, I would have preferred to have the Iowa game earlier in the season. The weekend before Thanksgiving is seldom great weather. Plus the students get the week after off so attendance could be light. Also, playing NW as a "rivalry" game is lame.
Dan
Admin
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- Batavia
This seems like a really balanced schedule.
A trip to Columbus is going to be tough at any time, so may as well get it out of the way early and use it as a learning experience.
Must beat Purdue. Just do it no excuses.
I really, really want to make the trip to East Lansing. It is the weekend after my 10th wedding anniversary, so not sure if I’ll be able to pull that off…
Bye week for my birthday. lol I guess I don’t have to worry about a loss ruining my day.
Should be a great atmosphere for Oregon. My kid loves the Ducks so that will be a must attend.
Maryland Nebraska UCLA is a great stretch to hopefully rack up some wins. Not gimmes by any stretch, but based on our last few years I like our odds to go 3-0.
Iowa is going to be maybe the game of the season. Hopefully we are playing for something big at that time.
Beat little brother in Evanston.
A trip to Columbus is going to be tough at any time, so may as well get it out of the way early and use it as a learning experience.
Must beat Purdue. Just do it no excuses.
I really, really want to make the trip to East Lansing. It is the weekend after my 10th wedding anniversary, so not sure if I’ll be able to pull that off…
Bye week for my birthday. lol I guess I don’t have to worry about a loss ruining my day.
Should be a great atmosphere for Oregon. My kid loves the Ducks so that will be a must attend.
Maryland Nebraska UCLA is a great stretch to hopefully rack up some wins. Not gimmes by any stretch, but based on our last few years I like our odds to go 3-0.
Iowa is going to be maybe the game of the season. Hopefully we are playing for something big at that time.
Beat little brother in Evanston.
band camp
- STL City
Im with you, except I think we win at UCLA.
9-3.
I hope they keep moving the Labor Day game to Friday or Thursday . It really frees up that weekend. Although, I understand it may be difficult for other fans to come down
SampsonRelpenk
- Edwardsville, IL
Eugene Wilson is the only other qualifier in my time.
band camp
- STL City
Doesn't get any better than this schedule. 8-4 up to 10-2.
The last time we hosted Iowa was in 22, and the game was on October 8.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
True, but most of our road trips were in the 2014-2019 era. We played them:
November 15 in 2014
November 19 in 2016
November 17 in 2018
And the 2015 and 2017 return games in Iowa City were infuriatingly on beautiful early fall Saturdays, lol. We were in Scotland on our honeymoon for the 2022 game, so that wasn’t a road trip option!
I’m currently doing nerd math trying to figure out the TV selections. This is just based off which networks prefer certain teams and how I believe they will select the weeks so take it with a grain of salt but right now I have it
September 12th:
Big Noon: Oklahoma @ Michigan
CBS (3:30) Iowa St @ Iowa
NBC (7:30) Duke @ Illinois
Hell of a slate of it shakes that way. Also have a B10 vs SEC undercard match with Mississippi St @ Minnesota
And then ABC is a lock to carry Ohio St @ Texas that night
September 12th:
Big Noon: Oklahoma @ Michigan
CBS (3:30) Iowa St @ Iowa
NBC (7:30) Duke @ Illinois
Hell of a slate of it shakes that way. Also have a B10 vs SEC undercard match with Mississippi St @ Minnesota
And then ABC is a lock to carry Ohio St @ Texas that night
Good thing about Maryland, good tickets are cheap. Also you get to see their team run onto the field out of a turtle’s butt.
We’ll likely go. My daughter and her hubby live in Annapolis and with cheap tickets it’s easy to appear generous by buying. Unlike Maryland basketball where they’re expensive even though the team doesn’t deserve it, but we’re buying anyway. Oh, and he’s a Terp. Those games are MUST wins.
I believe Joey Wagner reported that all CFB teams have one bye this upcoming season. IDK why.
Labor Day was Sept 1st last year and it's Sept 7th this year so the schedule is compressed.
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