Illinois Football is apparently not afraid to take on the giants of the sport. The Fighting Illini announced Tuesday that they will host a home series with Notre Dame in 2027-2028.
The Notre Dame series replaces Missouri on Illinois’ 2027 and 2028 schedules.
The Illini will play in South Bend on September 4, 2027, before welcoming the Irish to Champaign on September 2, 2028.
Illinois and Notre Dame haven’t faced each other since 1968, and Illinois is 0-11-1 against the Fighting Irish, who snapped their series with Purdue to welcome Illinois.
In addition to the Notre Dame game, Illinois added FIU to the schedule on August 28, 2027. The Illini will no longer play Eastern Illinois in 2027.
There are also three future games scheduled with Missouri: a road game at Missouri in 2029, neutral site in 2033, a home game against Illinois in 2034 and a return trip to Missouri in 2035.
Illinois should host the FIU and Delaware in 2027 also in non-conference games. The proposed expansion of the College Football Playoff to 24 teams requires all Power Four teams to play at least 10 games against other Power Four teams or Notre Dame.
Illinois AD Josh Whitman said: “This is a series I’ve wanted to put on the football calendar since I arrived in 2016. It’s been too long since these two tradition-rich programs have met, given our proximity, shared values and deep roots in Chicago and throughout the Midwest. We expect to see plenty of Orange and Blue next year in South Bend and believe the 2028 game in Champaign will be one of our most anticipated home games in decades. Thanks to Notre Dame, Pete Bevacqua, Ron Powlus and Coach Freeman for helping make this exciting series a reality.”
What this means: Illinois gave up a potential rivalry game against Missouri — those future games and any scheduled beyond 2028 seem doubtful — but Illinois adds an even bigger opponent. The Fighting Illini certainly won’t be favored against the Fighting Irish, who have won 9 of their last 10 games against Big Ten opponents and are consistently recruiting one of the most talented teams in the country. That’s a potential obstacle to getting the 8-9 wins needed to make the College Football Playoff. There is therefore a risk in programming Notre-Dame. But if you’re going to schedule a 10th Power Four game, you might as well do it in a big way, right? These games are fun for fans and also give Illinois a unique opportunity to compete with one of the biggest brands in sports, pull off one of the biggest upsets in program history and elevate the program. So there is an advantage. Additionally, the fact that Notre Dame wanted to add Illinois to its foe Purdue is also a sign of respect for the Illini. Another gem: former Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry is the co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Notre Dame.
2027 Calendar
- Home games: FIU (August 28), Delaware (September 11), Indiana, Northwestern, Penn State, UCLA, Wisconsin
- Road games: at Notre Dame (September 4), at Michigan, at Minnesota, at Purdue, at USC
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