Coming off a 7-6 season in 2025, Northwestern football is heading into 2026 with something it hasn’t had in a while: momentum. Under head coach David Braun, the Wildcats have made some eye-catching moves this offseason-on the field, in the locker room, and even in the construction zone.
Let’s start with the roster. Northwestern landed two big names in the transfer portal: quarterback Aidan Chiles from Michigan State and running back Gavin Sawchuk from Florida State.
Chiles brings a dual-threat skill set and a high ceiling, while Sawchuk adds speed and versatility to the backfield. Together, they give the Wildcats a much-needed jolt of explosiveness on offense.
But Northwestern didn’t stop there. The coaching staff got a major facelift, and it starts at the top of the offensive food chain.
Chip Kelly-yes, that Chip Kelly-is now running the offense as coordinator. Known for his tempo-heavy, innovative schemes, Kelly’s arrival signals a clear shift in identity for this program.
Add in Jerry Neuheisel as quarterbacks coach, and you’ve got a revamped offensive brain trust tasked with unlocking the potential of this new-look unit.
All of this is designed to complement a defense that’s quietly been the backbone of the team under Braun. If the offense can catch up to the defense-and that’s a big “if,” given the challenges ahead-this team could surprise some people.
There’s also the buzz around Northwestern’s brand-new stadium, which is expected to open during the 2026 season. While the exact date is still TBD, the state-of-the-art facility promises to be a major recruiting tool and a jolt of energy for the fanbase. Between the talent upgrades, coaching shakeup, and the excitement of a new home field, there’s a lot to like about what’s being built in Evanston.
But here’s the reality: 2026 won’t be a walk in the park. In fact, based on the Big Ten schedule that just dropped, it might be one of the toughest slates in the country.
Here’s how it lines up:
- Week 1: South Dakota State (Sept 5)
- Week 2: BYE
- Week 3: Colorado (Sept 19)
- Week 4: at Indiana (Sept 26)
- Week 5: Penn State (Oct 3)
- Week 6: Ball State (Oct 10)
- Week 7: at Michigan State (Oct 17)
- Week 8: Rutgers (Oct 24)
- Week 9: at Oregon (Oct 31)
- Week 10: Iowa (Nov 7)
- Week 11: at Ohio State (Nov 14)
- Week 12: at Minnesota (Nov 21)
- Week 13: Illinois (Nov 28)
Let’s break this down.
The Wildcats get their bye in Week 2, which means they’ll be grinding through 11 straight games to close the season. That’s a brutal stretch for any team, let alone one trying to integrate a new quarterback, a new offensive system, and a new coaching staff. And it’s not just the length of the schedule-it’s the quality of the opponents.
Seven of Northwestern’s 12 opponents finished with winning records in 2025. Three of them-Indiana, Ohio State, and Oregon-made it to at least the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. That’s not just tough; that’s top-tier competition.
The Big Ten portion of the schedule is particularly unforgiving. The Wildcats open conference play on the road against Indiana, the defending national champions. That’s followed by a home game against Penn State, now led by Matt Campbell, and a midseason gauntlet that includes trips to Oregon and Ohio State, sandwiched around a home game against Iowa-a team Northwestern hasn’t beaten since 2020.
And don’t overlook the emotional stakes of that Michigan State game in Week 7. That’s where former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald now resides, and you can bet he’ll be fired up to face his old squad.
The non-conference slate doesn’t offer much relief, either. South Dakota State may be an FCS team, but they’re one of the best in the country at that level-exactly the kind of opponent that can sneak up on a Power Five team. Then there’s Colorado, a program coming off a rough 2025 but still loaded with talent and now under pressure to deliver under Deion Sanders.
All told, this is a schedule that demands resilience. There’s maybe one game on paper that you’d call a “gimme,” and several that look like uphill battles. But if Northwestern can stay healthy, gel quickly, and catch a few breaks, there’s a chance this team could punch above its weight.
The pieces are there. Now it’s about putting them together-week after week, against some of the toughest competition college football has to offer.