The Big Ten football schedule for the 2026 season will be released next week, according to an announcement from the league on Tuesday.
The complete 2026 Big Ten football schedule will be unveiled on Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 5:30pm ET / 4:30pm CT on a special release show on the Big Ten Network and the FOX app.
🚨 ONE WEEK FROM TODAY – THE BIG TEN FOOTBALL SCHEDULE WILL BE REVEALED
We'll give you one game for now…
National champion @IndianaFootball will host @OhioStateFB in a Big Ten championship game rematch on October 17‼️ pic.twitter.com/O4qqB5Ye8r
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) January 20, 2026
Big Ten teams will again play a nine-game conference schedule with three non-conference opponents. The Big Ten’s scheduling model, announced in 2023, ensures that each team will play every other conference opponent at least twice – once home and once away – and will play rotating opponents no more than three times in a five-year period.
The Big Ten also announced the date of one big conference matchup next season. The national champion Indiana Hoosiers will host the Ohio State Buckeyes in Bloomington on Saturday, Oct. 17.
The Big Ten will place the top two teams in the overall standings into the Big Ten Championship Game, which will likely be set for Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026.
Below are the conference opponents for each Big Ten team in 2026 and links to their schedules:
Illinois Fighting Illini
HOME: Iowa, Nebraska, Oregon, Purdue
AWAY: Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, UCLA
Indiana Hoosiers
HOME: Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, USC
AWAY: Michigan, Nebraska, Rutgers, Washington
Iowa Hawkeyes
HOME: Nebraska, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin
AWAY: Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Washington
Maryland Terrapins
HOME: Illinois, Penn State, Rutgers, UCLA, Wisconsin
AWAY: Nebraska, Ohio State, Purdue, USC
Michigan Wolverines
HOME: Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Penn State, UCLA
AWAY: Minnesota, Ohio State, Oregon, Rutgers
Michigan State Spartans
HOME: Illinois, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oregon, Washington
AWAY: Michigan, Rutgers, UCLA, Wisconsin
Minnesota Golden Gophers
HOME: Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern, UCLA
AWAY: Indiana, Penn State, Purdue, Washington, Wisconsin
Nebraska Cornhuskers
HOME: Indiana, Maryland, Ohio State, Washington
AWAY: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Oregon, Rutgers
Northwestern Wildcats
HOME: Illinois, Iowa, Penn State, Rutgers
AWAY: Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Oregon
Ohio State Buckeyes
2026 Home: Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Northwestern, Oregon
2026 Away: Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, USC
Oregon Ducks
HOME: Michigan, Nebraska, Northwestern, UCLA, Washington
AWAY: Illinois, Michigan State, Ohio State, USC
Penn State Nittany Lions
HOME: Minnesota, Purdue, Rutgers, USC, Wisconsin
AWAY: Maryland, Michigan, Northwestern, Washington
Purdue Boilermakers
HOME: Maryland, Minnesota, Washington, Wisconsin
AWAY: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Penn State, UCLA
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
HOME: Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, USC
AWAY: Maryland, Northwestern, Penn State, Wisconsin
UCLA Bruins
HOME: Illinois, Michigan State, Purdue, USC, Wisconsin
AWAY: Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon
USC Trojans
HOME: Maryland, Ohio State, Oregon, Washington
AWAY: Indiana, Penn State, Rutgers, Wisconsin, UCLA
Washington Huskies
HOME: Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Penn State
AWAY: Michigan State, Nebraska, Oregon, Purdue, USC
Wisconsin Badgers
HOME: Michigan State, Rutgers, USC, Minnesota
AWAY: Iowa, Maryland, Penn State, Purdue, UCLA
I really want to see one week when all Big Ten teams are playing besides Thanksgiving weekend & speaking of Thanksgiving weekend UCLA-USC to play permanently on last weekend of CFB season every year NOT every two years.
That is only because USC is afraid to play Notre Dame. USC-UCLA used to be every other year because Notre Dame-USC took precedence for the Trojans. Notre Dame would come to the Coliseum in late November in the years USC hosted the Irish. In the years Notre Dame hosted it was traditionally played in South Bend earlier in the season before it got too cold for the Commiefornia kids. But now that USC-Notre Dame is on “temporary hiatus,” USC-UCLA will be played Thanksgiving weekend every year until USC-Notre Dame resumes.
I do not want to do this to you Shawn September will be a much better fit for Notre Dame-USC when rivalry resumes & it would be very nice to have it kickoff 2028 CFB season on September 2nd & State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ would make an excellent neutral site for long & storied battle between Fighting Irish & Trojans.
Why does it matter who plays on thanksgiving weekend? Just so you know a lot of these beg ten thanksgiving games haven’t been on that weekend for all that long. Even your sacred Illinois Northwestern about 15 years ago was played in October. Long as the teams play who gives a crap what weekend it is?
I am very blessed & happy that Big Ten plays on Thanksgiving weekend & had zero issues when they did not play prior to it.
As a Big Ten fan, I also want to see them MANDATE one power 4 non conference opponent for all teams. Should follow suit with the other power leagues. May be able to make an exception with Washington St and Oregon St for a few years until those teams settle into the new Pac 12. Don’t want this to be forgotten about as I don’t want to see some Big Ten teams with three cupcakes. Just my two cents.
One would be excellent enough for example:
Illinois vs Arizona
Northwestern vs Virginia
Michigan vs Alabama
Gee Travis, do you think Indiana can continue it’s undefeated streak! They open with North Texas, Howard, and Western Kentucky next year. That’s a tough OOC schedule. Thank goodness all three games are being played at home.
Indiana have to enjoy winning it’s first national championship & heaven only knows what will happen in 2026 CFB regular season.
It would be nice if these could have been released earlier. I know several people who have season tickets and need to put in for vacation days in order to attend. Not to mention getting hotels booked.
Denise Blame it on USC for postponing Notre Dame series for time being plus USC is doing it’s very best to find third OOC opponent to fill that void.
Holy heck that Penn St schedule is cozy
The Penn State schedule is ridiculously easy–no Iowa, no Indiana, no Ohio State, no Illinois. Wow. Did Campbell ever pick the right year to take over. But here’s hoping he loses at least three of those. But wow.
At least they will have Michigan.