The Illinois Fighting Illini have added the FIU Panthers to their 2027 football schedule, according to announcements from both schools on Tuesday.
Illinois will host FIU at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill., on Auguest 28, 2027. The matchup will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
The Illini also announced Tuesday that they will begin a home-and-home series with Notre Dame in 2027, with the Fighting Irish traveling to Champaign for the return game in 2028. The series replaces previously scheduled contests against Missouri in both seasons.
With those changes, Illinois’ 2027 non-conference slate is now complete and features home games against FIU and Delaware, along with a road trip to Notre Dame. The Illini are scheduled to host Delaware on Sept. 11.
In Big Ten play, Illinois will welcome Indiana, Northwestern, Penn State, UCLA, and Wisconsin to Champaign while making road trips to Michigan, Minnesota, Purdue, and USC.
For FIU, Illinois becomes the fourth and final confirmed non-conference opponent on the Panthers’ 2027 schedule. FIU is also slated to travel to Buffalo on Sept. 11 and host Florida Atlantic (Sept. 18) and UConn (Oct. 2) at Pitbull Stadium in Miami.
The season opener at Illinois will continue a recent trend of challenging early-season matchups for the Panthers. The contest will mark the third time in four seasons that FIU has opened a campaign against a Big Ten opponent, following season-opening trips to Indiana in 2024 and Penn State in 2025.
Illinois AD Josh Whitman took a lead in excluding the so-called HS ‘22s from 5-in-5, even though they had competed against COVID-waivered athletes for three seasons.
I’m expecting the Irish to give Josh and his Illinis the whole nine yards and looking forward to that — jelly up, Josh!
No FCS opponent for FIU in 2027? That’s a first