The 2026 Big Ten football schedule has been announced. Conference play begins on Saturday, Sept. 19.
The 2026 season will be the third for the Big Ten as an 18-team conference. The Big Ten continues to play a nine-game conference schedule with three non-conference contests. The league will place the top two teams in the conference standings into the annual Big Ten Championship Game.
Top non-conference match-ups involving Big Ten teams in 2026 include Duke at Illinois, North Texas at Indiana, Iowa State at Iowa, Virginia Tech at Maryland, Oklahoma at Michigan, Michigan State at Notre Dame, Mississippi State at Minnesota, Ohio at Nebraska, Colorado at Northwestern, Ohio State at Texas, Oregon at Oklahoma State, Marshall at Penn State, Notre Dame at Purdue, Rutgers at Boston College, UCLA at California, Fresno State at USC, Washington State at Washington, and Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame (in Green Bay, WI).
Selected Saturday games in the 2026 season may be adjusted to select Fridays and other special dates, including Labor Day Sunday and Black Friday.
The 2026 Big Ten Championship Game is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.
2026 BIG TEN FOOTBALL SCHEDULES
- 2026 Illinois Football Schedule
- 2026 Indiana Football Schedule
- 2026 Iowa Football Schedule
- 2026 Maryland Football Schedule
- 2026 Michigan Football Schedule
- 2026 Michigan State Football Schedule
- 2026 Minnesota Football Schedule
- 2026 Nebraska Football Schedule
- 2026 Northwestern Football Schedule
- 2026 Ohio State Football Schedule
- 2026 Oregon Football Schedule
- 2026 Penn State Football Schedule
- 2026 Purdue Football Schedule
- 2026 Rutgers Football Schedule
- 2026 UCLA Football Schedule
- 2026 USC Football Schedule
- 2026 Washington Football Schedule
- 2026 Wisconsin Football Schedule
2026 Big Ten Football Schedule
Thursday, Sept. 3
Eastern Illinois at Minnesota
UMass at Rutgers
Saturday, Sept. 5
Ball State at Ohio State
Boise State at Oregon
Fresno State at USC
Hampton at Maryland
Marshall at Penn State
NIU at Iowa
Ohio at Nebraska
Toledo at Michigan State
UCLA at California
Western Michigan at Michigan
Washington State at Washington
Indiana State at Purdue
North Texas at Indiana
UAB at Illinois
South Dakota State at Northwestern
Sunday, Sept. 6
Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame (Green Bay) – NBC
Friday, Sept. 11
Rutgers at Boston College
Saturday, Sept. 12
Duke at Illinois
Eastern Michigan at Michigan State
Iowa State at Iowa
Maryland at UConn
Mississippi State at Minnesota
Ohio State at Texas
Oklahoma at Michigan
Oregon at Oklahoma State
Penn State at Temple
San Diego State at UCLA
Wake Forest at Purdue
Western Illinois at Wisconsin
Bowling Green at Nebraska
Howard at Indiana
Utah State at Washington
Louisiana at USC
Saturday, Sept. 19
Akron at Minnesota
Buffalo at Penn State
Colorado at Northwestern
Eastern Washington at Washington
Kent State at Ohio State
Michigan State at Notre Dame
North Dakota at Nebraska
Northern Iowa at Iowa
Portland State at Oregon
Southern Illinois at Illinois
UTEP at Michigan
Virginia Tech at Maryland
WKU at Indiana
Eastern Michigan at Wisconsin
USC at Rutgers
Purdue at UCLA
Saturday, Sept. 26
Notre Dame at Purdue
Northwestern at Indiana
Oregon at USC
Illinois at Ohio State
Iowa at Michigan
Minnesota at Washington
Wisconsin at Penn State
UCLA at Maryland
Nebraska at Michigan State
Howard at Rutgers
Friday, Oct. 2
Penn State at Northwestern – FOX or FS1
Saturday, Oct. 3
Indiana at Rutgers
Ohio State at Iowa
Michigan at Minnesota
Washington at USC
Purdue at Illinois
Maryland at Nebraska
Michigan State at Wisconsin
Saturday, Oct. 10
Ball State at Northwestern
Indiana at Nebraska
UCLA at Oregon
Maryland at Ohio State
USC at Penn State
Iowa at Washington
Illinois at Michigan State
Minnesota at Purdue
Saturday, Oct. 17
Ohio State at Indiana
Nebraska at Oregon
Penn State at Michigan
Washington at Purdue
Northwestern at Michigan State
Wisconsin at UCLA
Rutgers at Maryland
Saturday, Oct. 24
Indiana at Michigan
Oregon at Illinois
USC at Wisconsin
Iowa at Minnesota
Rutgers at Northwestern
Michigan State at UCLA
Saturday, Oct. 31
Minnesota at Indiana
Northwestern at Oregon
Ohio State at USC
Michigan at Rutgers
Wisconsin at Iowa
Illinois at Maryland
Washington at Nebraska
Purdue at Penn State
Nevada at UCLA
Saturday, Nov. 7
Oregon at Ohio State
Michigan State at Michigan
Iowa at Northwestern
Nebraska at Illinois
UCLA at Minnesota
Penn State at Washington
Rutgers at Wisconsin
Maryland at Purdue
Saturday, Nov. 14
USC at Indiana
Michigan at Oregon
Northwestern at Ohio State
Purdue at Iowa
Illinois at UCLA
Minnesota at Penn State
Washington at Michigan State
Nebraska at Rutgers
Wisconsin at Maryland
Saturday, Nov. 21
Indiana at Washington
Oregon at Michigan State
Ohio State at Nebraska
UCLA at Michigan
Maryland at USC
Iowa at Illinois
Northwestern at Minnesota
Rutgers at Penn State
Wisconsin at Purdue
Friday, Nov. 27
Nebraska at Iowa
Saturday, Nov. 28
Purdue at Indiana
Washington at Oregon
Michigan at Ohio State
USC at UCLA
Illinois at Northwestern
Minnesota at Wisconsin
Penn State at Maryland
Michigan State at Rutgers
Big Ten Football Schedule (Composite)
2026 Big Ten Football Schedule Grid pic.twitter.com/oC3XAtD4XI
— FBSchedules.com (@FBSchedules) January 27, 2026
USC is the only team with a game left to schedule. Either Week 0, October 17, or November 7.
Keep hearing it could be Stanford but idk what will work.
USC announced it will be a Week Zero game at home.
Stanford would make a fantastic fit for USC with October 17th date.
Stanford doesn’t have an opening
Looks like UConn only has 11 games scheduled so far… any other teams with only 11 games scheduled this late?
Would that Week 0 opponent need to be someone with a game scheduled at Hawaii? Should narrow down the possibilities.
Last saw: S. Florida, USC, FIU, Jacksonville St, UConn, Kent St, Boise St, Fresno St, San Diego St, Colorado St, Oregon St, Texas St, Utah St, Washington St and S. Mississippi all have at least one opening on the schedules right now.
Pac-12 schools will probably play each other for that last game, so you have the others.
Also according to UCLA’s website, the Nevada game has been moved to Halloween.
Most likely options for USC in Week Zero: San Jose State, Kent State, Jax State, and USF.
Kevin Kelly Might of spoke too soon & will accept Stanford-USC to play in week 0.
Stanford is playing Hawaii in Week Zero.
October 17th My dream is:
Big Ten championship rematch
Ohio State at Indiana, FOX Big Noon Saturday
Penn State at Michigan, 3:30PM CBS
Nebraska at Oregon, 7:30PM NBC
This is only a mock schedule.
September 12th My dream is
Cy Hawk series
Iowa state at Iowa, FOX Big Noon Saturday
Oklahoma at Michigan, 3:30PM CBS
Duke at Illinois 7:30PM NBC
This is only a mock schedule for Big Ten during OOC play.
Looks like uconn has only 11 games scheduled…
Probably determining how much to pay them.
I seriously doubt USC will schedule a FCS team. They and Notre Dame are the only teams that have not succumbed to scheduling a FCS team.
Both have a opening October 17th. Make it happen.
USC already announced it is off 10/17 and 11/7 and that they will open the season in Week Zero.
Hey Stan, Notre Dame played Tennessee State in 2023. So USC is the only FBS team to not play an FCS team
Why announce a schedule when one of the teams has not finalized their schedule?
Incomplete. Not like the Big 10 that is resolute and detailed.
Notre Dame played Tennessee State in South Bend a couple of years ago when they were caught late without a game late in the cycle. To ND’s credit, the Irish paid TSU something close to a FBS guarantee rate for the game as I recall.
The other 15 schools or whatever and their along with their fans and the affected networks I’m sure want to start making plans — they cannot wait on USC to do what other schools did years ago forever.
Because its a conference schedule, OOC is up to the school not the conference, just like how Big Sky, CAA, MVC, etc announce their conference schedules when schools are still looking for games.
Pac-12 is suppose to finalize their conference plans this week and with the college football playoff decided for next season now, other conferences will start to put things together.
Notre Dame and USC have played FCS teams
If USC is playing Week 0, then with the Week 0 rules (teams with a game in Hawaii or overseas), they could play SJSU, New Mexico, or Air Force, giving that team a 13th game. (other Hawaii home opponents: UMass already has a 13th game and UNLV and NMSU already have a Week 0 game)
My money would be on SJSU since they lost their one Power 4 game when Stanford had to cancel.
I am pulling for USC to play New Mexico in week 0.
Any team playing in Week 0 or in Hawaii can play a 13th game, but in recent years most of those schools have not taken up playing a 13th game. So, odds are USC will play a school that is still looking for spots to fill on their schedule. Unless USC gets a school or schools to play the trade game.
Only Hawaii and teams that play in Hawaii can add a 13th game. The first part of your statement is incorrect.
17.12.4 First Contest. [FBS/FCS] An institution shall not play its first contest (game or scrimmage) with outside competition in football prior to the Thursday preceding Labor Day.
17.12.4.1 Exception — Institutions That Compete in Hawaii. [FBS/FCS] An institution that is scheduled to play a regular-season game in Hawaii may play its first permissible contest with outside competition on the Saturday prior to the Thursday preceding Labor Day. If the institution’s first opponent of the season is not a member institution located in Hawaii, the institution’s first opponent of the season may also play its first contest (game or scrimmage) with outside competition on the Saturday prior to the Thursday preceding Labor Day.