Illinois is making room for Notre Dame.
The Fighting Illini announced Tuesday that they will play a home-and-home series with the Irish in 2027 and 2028, and the deal pushes Missouri off Illinois’ schedule in those two seasons. Illinois will go to South Bend on Sept. 4, 2027, then bring Notre Dame to Champaign on Sept. 2, 2028.
The series is a long time coming. Illinois and Notre Dame have not met since 1968, and the Illini are 0-11-1 all-time against the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame also canceled its series with Purdue to make the Illinois matchup work.
Illinois also added FIU to the 2027 slate, with that game set for Aug. 28, 2027.
As a result, Eastern Illinois will no longer be on the Illini’s 2027 schedule. Illinois is scheduled to host FIU and Delaware in nonconference play that season as well.
There are still future Missouri games on the books beyond that. Illinois is scheduled to play at Missouri in 2029, at a neutral site in 2033, host Missouri in 2034 and return to Missouri in 2035.
The move comes with the broader scheduling picture in mind, too. The proposed expansion of the College Football Playoff to 24 teams would require all Power Four programs to play at least 10 games against other Power Four teams or Notre Dame.
Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman said: "This is a series I have wanted to get on the football schedule since I arrived in 2016. It has been too long since these two tradition-rich programs have met, given our proximity, common values, and deep roots in Chicago and throughout the Midwest.
We expect to see a lot of Orange and Blue next year in South Bend and believe the 2028 matchup in Champaign will be one of our most anticipated home games in decades. Thank you to Notre Dame, Pete Bevacqua, Ron Powlus, and Coach Freeman for helping to make this exciting series a reality."
There is risk in taking on Notre Dame, of course. Illinois likely won’t be favored, and the Irish have won 9 of their last 10 games against Big Ten opponents while continuing to recruit one of the sport’s most talented rosters. That kind of opponent can make the path to the 8-9 wins needed for the College Football Playoff tougher.
But there’s upside, too. If Illinois has to find a 10th Power Four game, Notre Dame is about as big as it gets.
The games should be a draw for fans, give the Illini a shot at one of the program’s biggest upsets, and offer a chance to raise the profile of the program. Notre Dame choosing Illinois over Purdue also says plenty about how the Irish view the Illini.
One other nugget: former Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry.
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