Notre Dame, Illinois Set Football Series

Notre Dame and Illinois agreed to a home-and-home football series, with Notre Dame hosting on Sept. 4, 2027, and visiting Champaign on Sept. 2, 2028. The games will be the programs’ first meetings since 1968; Notre Dame leads the all-time series 11-0-1. The matchups replace Notre Dame’s planned series with Purdue, which Purdue put on pause, and Illinois’ agreement with Missouri, which Illinois withdrew from. Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman said he had pursued the series since taking the job in 2016, calling it a long-awaited matchup between nearby programs with deep Midwest ties. The scheduling change comes as Notre Dame faces scrutiny over its strength of schedule and Illinois seeks to build on recent success under coach Bret Bielema.