By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst
June 8, 2023
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The University of Illinois football team will play on the furthest east and west coasts of the Big Ten Conference in the 2024 season.
The conference office released its scheduling format for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, which will be a flex scheduling procedure that mixes two permanent rivalry games and another non-rival opponent where schools will split a home-and-home series. For Illinois, the two permanent rivals are its closest conference colleagues - Purdue and Northwestern - and the non-rival home-and-home opponent is Ohio State.
The Illini, which is likely to be in the fourth season of Bret Bielema leading the program as head coach, will draw four home games in 2024 against Purdue, Iowa, Maryland and Michigan. The five road games in 2024 for Illinois will be at Northwestern, Ohio State, Southern California, Rutgers and Michigan State. In 2024, Illinois is currently slated to have three non-conference home games against Kansas, Central Michigan and Eastern Illinois.
In the 2025 season, Illinois will have five conference home games against Northwestern, Ohio State, UCLA, Minnesota and Indiana. The four road conference games for the Illini in 2025 will be at Purdue, Penn State, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Illinois is slated to play three non-conference games in 2025 that include a road game at Duke and home games against Mid-American Conference foes Ohio and Western Michigan.
Illinois, Michigan and Iowa will be the only Big Ten programs making road trips in 2024 to both USC and Rutgers.
The new scheduling format eliminates the divisional format of the league as it is likely the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in each conference will meet for the conference title game going forward similarly to how the Big 12 Conference organizes its title game now.
The media release sent out by the league office confirms the 2024 and 2025 opponent rotations were approved by the Big Ten Administrators Council after including many factors such as maintaining control and flexibility as the college football postseason format evolves, creating access for programs into an expanded College Football Playoff, an attempt at balance of annual travel by distance, regions of the conference, and time zones, an attempt at balance of historic competitiveness and recent competitive trends, including home/away balance of traditionally competitive schools and a balance and maximization of television inventory each season.
The last time Illinois has played USC in the Los Angeles Coliseum was a 14-13 comeback win for the Illini on Sept. 4, 1989 led by then-quarterback Jeff George as he found wide receiver Steve Williams for the winning score from 20 yards out with two minutes and 19 seconds left in the game - which was broadcast on ABC with the late Keith Jackson doing play-by-play.
Illinois 2024 Football Opponents
Home: Kansas, Central Michigan, Eastern Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Maryland and Purdue
Away: Southern California, Ohio State, Michigan State, Rutgers and Northwestern
Illinois 2025 Football Opponents
Home: Ohio, Western Michigan, Ohio State, UCLA, Minnesota, Indiana and Northwestern
Away: Duke, Penn State, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Purdue
B1G Football Predictions Show & Illini Hoops Recruiting Update #393
ListenSept 6 Weekend - Hour 2 - S4 Ep 4
ListenSept 6 Weekend - Hour 1 - S4 Ep 4
ListenKed's Recruiting Roundup - Destiny Jackson & Her Mom Talk with Kedric
ListenKansas Jayhawks vs Illinois Fighting Illini Football Preview with Henry Greenstein #392
ListenHeat Checks & Hail Marys - Kansas vs Illini - Finebaum vs Kelly - Penn State's Kotelnicki Next Big Head Coaching Hire?
ListenAug 30 Weekend - Hour 2 - S4 Ep 3
ListenAug 30 Weekend - Hour 1 - S4 Ep 3
ListenIllini 45 EIU 0 with Matt Stevens & Kedric Prince #391
ListenInstant Take - Illini Win 45-0 Over EIU #390
ListenEastern Illinois Panthers vs Illini Football Preview #389
ListenIllinois Fighting Illini Football Preview - Defense, Special Teams & Predictions #388
ListenAug 23 Weekend - Hour 2 - S4 Ep 2
ListenAug 23 Weekend - Hour 1 - S4 Ep 2
ListenIllinois Fighting Illini Football Preview - the Offense #387
Listen