The Western Michigan Broncos have added the Illinois State Redbirds to their 2021 football schedule, the school announced on Friday.
Western Michigan will host Illinois State at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo on Sept. 11, 2021. The game will be the ninth meeting between the two schools on the gridiron.
In their most recent matchup in 2001, Western Michigan defeated Illinois State 48-7. The Broncos lead the overall series 7-1, with their lone loss coming back in 1987, 20-6, in Normal, Illinois.
The addition of Illinois State completes Western Michigan’s non-conference football schedule for the 2021 season. The Broncos are scheduled to open the season at Michigan on Sept. 4 before hosting Illinois State.
Western Michigan then travels to take on Pitt on Sept. 18 before returning to Kalamazoo to host San Jose State on Sept. 25.
Illinois State is a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The Redbirds also have future football contests scheduled at Illinois (2020), Wisconsin (2022), Iowa (2024), and Northern Illinois (2026).
Western Michigan is the second non-conference opponent for Illinois State’s 2021 schedule. The Redbirds are also scheduled to play at Eastern Illinois on Sept. 18.
Football Schedules