2026 Big Ten Football Schedule: Full Team-by-Team Slate, Dates, Matchups & Printable Grid

The 2026 Big Ten football schedule is out. The Big Ten Conference has unveiled its 2026 football schedule, setting the stage for another season in the expanded 18-team league. With no divisions, the schedule emphasizes protected rivalries, balanced competition, and marquee matchups like the rematch of the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game between Indiana and Ohio State on October 17 in Bloomington. Conference play kicks off September 19 with two games, while the rest of the league starts on September 26. The season culminates with the Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game on December 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

2026 Big Ten Football Schedule Key Highlights

Here are the key highlights of the 2026 Big Ten football schedule. 

• Format: Each team plays 9 conference games (5 home, 4 away or vice versa in alternating years).
• Protected rivalries: Classics like Michigan-Ohio State, Iowa-Minnesota (Floyd of Rosedale), and Indiana-Purdue (Old Oaken Bucket) are preserved.
• Non-conference: Teams have 3 non-con games, often against Group of Five or independents.
• Bye weeks: Varied, with most teams getting one or two.
• TV & times: Specific kickoff times and networks (ABC/ESPN, Fox, Big Ten Network) to be announced later; expect prime slots for big games.

Official Printable Grid: Download the Big Ten’s full 2026 schedule here as it gets updated. 

Printable 2026 Big Ten Football Schedule Grid

Here’s the printable 2026 Big Ten football schedule grid for you. 

Team-by-Team 2026 Big Ten Football Schedules

Schedules are listed alphabetically by team. All dates are Saturdays unless noted. Non-conference games are italicized; conference games are bold. Home games are marked with (H), away with (A).

Illinois Fighting Illini

• Sept. 5: vs. UAB (H)
• Sept. 12: vs. Duke (H)
• Sept. 19: vs. SIU (H)
• Sept. 26: vs. Ohio State (H)
• Oct. 3: at Purdue (A)
• Oct. 10: at Michigan State (A)
• Oct. 17: vs. Wisconsin (H)
• Oct. 24: at Nebraska (A)
• Oct. 31: Bye
• Nov. 7: at UCLA (A)
• Nov. 14: vs. Iowa (H)
• Nov. 21: at Indiana (A)
• Nov. 28: vs. Northwestern (H)

Indiana Hoosiers

• Sept. 5: vs. North Texas (H)
• Sept. 12: at Louisville (A)
• Sept. 19: vs. Western Illinois (H)
• Sept. 26: at Purdue (A)
• Oct. 3: vs. Rutgers (H)
• Oct. 10: at Maryland (A)
• Oct. 17: vs. Ohio State (H)
• Oct. 24: at Michigan (A)
• Oct. 31: vs. Nebraska (H)
• Nov. 7: at Michigan State (A)
• Nov. 14: vs. Penn State (H)
• Nov. 21: vs. Illinois (H)
• Nov. 28: at Purdue (A)

Iowa Hawkeyes

• Sept. 5: vs. Troy (H)
• Sept. 12: at Iowa State (A)
• Sept. 19: vs. UNI (H)
• Sept. 26: at Minnesota (A)
• Oct. 3: vs. Ohio State (H)
• Oct. 10: vs. Washington (H)
• Oct. 17: at Michigan State (A)
• Oct. 24: vs. Northwestern (H)
• Oct. 31: at Wisconsin (A)
• Nov. 7: at UCLA (A)
• Nov. 14: at Illinois (A)
• Nov. 21: vs. Nebraska (H)
• Nov. 28: vs. Minnesota (H)

Maryland Terrapins

• Sept. 5: vs. Villanova (H)
• Sept. 12: at Virginia (A)
• Sept. 19: vs. Delaware (H)
• Sept. 26: vs. Michigan State (H)
• Oct. 3: at Indiana (A)
• Oct. 10: vs. Indiana (H)
• Oct. 17: at Northwestern (A)
• Oct. 24: vs. Rutgers (H)
• Oct. 31: at Minnesota (A)
• Nov. 7: vs. Oregon (H)
• Nov. 14: at Penn State (A)
• Nov. 21: vs. Iowa (H)
• Nov. 28: vs. Purdue (H)

Michigan Wolverines

• Sept. 5: vs. Central Michigan (H)
• Sept. 12: vs. Oklahoma (H)
• Sept. 19: vs. Arkansas State (H)
• Sept. 26: vs. USC (H)
• Oct. 3: at Washington (A)
• Oct. 10: vs. Minnesota (H)
• Oct. 17: at Illinois (A)
• Oct. 24: vs. Indiana (H)
• Oct. 31: at Michigan State (A)
• Nov. 7: vs. Oregon (H)
• Nov. 14: at Northwestern (A)
• Nov. 21: vs. Purdue (H)
• Nov. 28: at Ohio State (A)

Michigan State Spartans

• Sept. 5: vs. Western Michigan (H)
• Sept. 12: at Maryland (A)
• Sept. 19: vs. Prairie View A&M (H)
• Sept. 26: at Maryland (A)
• Oct. 3: vs. Ohio State (H)
• Oct. 10: vs. Illinois (H)
• Oct. 17: vs. Iowa (H)
• Oct. 24: at Michigan (A)
• Oct. 31: vs. Indiana (H)
• Nov. 7: at Purdue (A)
• Nov. 14: vs. Rutgers (H)
• Nov. 21: at Illinois (A)
• Nov. 28: vs. Penn State (H)

Minnesota Golden Gophers

• Sept. 5: vs. North Dakota (H)
• Sept. 12: vs. Rhode Island (H)
• Sept. 19: vs. Nevada (H)
• Sept. 26: vs. Iowa (H)
• Oct. 3: at Michigan (A)
• Oct. 10: at USC (A)
• Oct. 17: vs. North Carolina (H)
• Oct. 24: vs. Maryland (H)
• Oct. 31: vs. Rutgers (H)
• Nov. 7: at Illinois (A)
• Nov. 14: vs. Penn State (H)
• Nov. 21: at Wisconsin (A)
• Nov. 28: at Iowa (A)

Nebraska Cornhuskers

• Sept. 5: vs. UTEP (H)
• Sept. 12: vs. Colorado (H)
• Sept. 19: vs. Northern Iowa (H)
• Sept. 26: at Purdue (A)
• Oct. 3: vs. Rutgers (H)
• Oct. 10: at Indiana (A)
• Oct. 17: vs. UCLA (H)
• Oct. 24: vs. Illinois (H)
• Oct. 31: at Indiana (A)
• Nov. 7: vs. USC (H)
• Nov. 14: at UCLA (A)
• Nov. 21: at Iowa (A)
• Nov. 28: vs. Wisconsin (H)

Team-by-Team 2026 Big Ten Football Schedules (Continued)

Northwestern Wildcats

• Sept. 5: vs. Miami (OH) (H)
• Sept. 12: vs. Duke (H)
• Sept. 19: at Eastern Illinois (A)
• Sept. 26: vs. Indiana (H)
• Oct. 3: at Washington (A)
• Oct. 10: at Maryland (A)
• Oct. 17: vs. Maryland (H)
• Oct. 24: at Iowa (A)
• Oct. 31: vs. Ohio State (H)
• Nov. 7: at Purdue (A)
• Nov. 14: vs. Michigan (H)
• Nov. 21: vs. Ohio State (H)
• Nov. 28: at Illinois (A)

Ohio State Buckeyes

• Sept. 5: vs. Akron (H)
• Sept. 12: vs. Western Michigan (H)
• Sept. 19: vs. Marshall (H)
• Sept. 26: at Illinois (A)
• Oct. 3: at Iowa (A)
• Oct. 10: vs. Nebraska (H)
• Oct. 17: at Indiana (A)
• Oct. 24: vs. Purdue (H)
• Oct. 31: at Northwestern (A)
• Nov. 7: at Penn State (A)
• Nov. 14: vs. Indiana (H)
• Nov. 21: at Northwestern (A)
• Nov. 28: vs. Michigan (H)

Oregon Ducks

• Sept. 5: vs. Boise State (H)
• Sept. 12: at Texas Tech (A)
• Sept. 19: at Oregon State (A)
• Sept. 26: at UCLA (A)
• Oct. 3: vs. Michigan State (H)
• Oct. 10: vs. Ohio State (H)
• Oct. 17: at Purdue (A)
• Oct. 24: vs. Illinois (H)
• Oct. 31: at Michigan (A)
• Nov. 7: vs. Maryland (H)
• Nov. 14: at Wisconsin (A)
• Nov. 21: vs. Washington (H)
• Nov. 28: at Oregon State (A)

Penn State Nittany Lions

• Sept. 5: vs. Marshall (H)
• Sept. 12: at Temple (A)
• Sept. 19: vs. Buffalo (H)
• Sept. 26: vs. Wisconsin (H)
• Oct. 3: at Northwestern (A)
• Oct. 10: vs. USC (H)
• Oct. 17: at Michigan (A)
• Oct. 24: Bye
• Oct. 31: vs. Purdue (H)
• Nov. 7: at Washington (A)
• Nov. 14: vs. Minnesota (H)
• Nov. 21: vs. Rutgers (H)
• Nov. 28: at Maryland (A)

Purdue Boilermakers

• Sept. 5: vs. Indiana State (H)
• Sept. 12: vs. Notre Dame (H)
• Sept. 19: vs. Oregon State (H)
• Sept. 26: vs. Indiana (H)
• Oct. 3: vs. Illinois (H)
• Oct. 10: at Wisconsin (A)
• Oct. 17: vs. Oregon (H)
• Oct. 24: at Ohio State (A)
• Oct. 31: at Penn State (A)
• Nov. 7: vs. Michigan State (H)
• Nov. 14: at Northwestern (A)
• Nov. 21: vs. Michigan (H)
• Nov. 28: at Indiana (A)

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

• Sept. 5: vs. Howard (H)
• Sept. 12: at Virginia Tech (A)
• Sept. 19: vs. Akron (H)
• Sept. 26: vs. Washington (H)
• Oct. 3: at Nebraska (A)
• Oct. 10: vs. Wisconsin (H)
• Oct. 17: vs. UCLA (H)
• Oct. 24: at Maryland (A)
• Oct. 31: at USC (A)
• Nov. 7: vs. Minnesota (H)
• Nov. 14: at Michigan State (A)
• Nov. 21: at Penn State (A)
• Nov. 28: vs. Illinois (H)

UCLA Bruins

• Sept. 5: vs. Georgia (H)
• Sept. 12: at LSU (A)
• Sept. 19: vs. UNLV (H)
• Sept. 26: vs. Oregon (H)
• Oct. 3: at Penn State (A)
• Oct. 10: vs. Minnesota (H)
• Oct. 17: at Nebraska (A)
• Oct. 24: vs. Rutgers (H)
• Oct. 31: at Iowa (A)
• Nov. 7: vs. Illinois (H)
• Nov. 14: vs. Nebraska (H)
• Nov. 21: at Washington (A)
• Nov. 28: vs. USC (H)

USC Trojans

• Sept. 5: vs. Utah State (H)
• Sept. 12: at Notre Dame (A)
• Sept. 19: vs. San Jose State (H)
• Sept. 26: at Michigan (A)
• Oct. 3: vs. Wisconsin (H)
• Oct. 10: at Minnesota (A)
• Oct. 17: vs. Maryland (H)
• Oct. 24: at Rutgers (A)
• Oct. 31: vs. Purdue (H)
• Nov. 7: at Washington (A)
• Nov. 14: vs. Nebraska (H)
• Nov. 21: at UCLA (A)
• Nov. 28: vs. Notre Dame (H)

Washington Huskies

• Sept. 5: vs. Weber State (H)
• Sept. 12: vs. Eastern Michigan (H)
• Sept. 19: vs. Washington State (H)
• Sept. 26: at Rutgers (A)
• Oct. 3: vs. Michigan (H)
• Oct. 10: at Iowa (A)
• Oct. 17: at Penn State (A)
• Oct. 24: Bye
• Oct. 31: vs. USC (H)
• Nov. 7: vs. Penn State (H)
• Nov. 14: vs. UCLA (H)
• Nov. 21: vs. Oregon (H)
• Nov. 28: at Oregon (A)

Wisconsin Badgers

• Sept. 5: vs. Western Michigan (H)
• Sept. 12: vs. South Dakota (H)
• Sept. 19: vs. Alabama (H)
• Sept. 26: at Penn State (A)
• Oct. 3: at USC (A)
• Oct. 10: vs. Purdue (H)
• Oct. 17: at Illinois (A)
• Oct. 24: vs. Iowa (H)
• Oct. 31: vs. Iowa (H)
• Nov. 7: at Nebraska (A)
• Nov. 14: vs. Oregon (H)
• Nov. 21: vs. Minnesota (H)
• Nov. 28: at Nebraska (A)

How to Use This Schedule

Print the official Big Ten grid for your wall or use our free tools to plan your season:

Stay tuned to SportsBrackets.net for updates, including TV times and printable versions. 

Disclaimer

Schedules are based on official Big Ten announcements as of February 2026. Dates and opponents subject to change. SportsBrackets.net provides informational resources only.

Will Lewis has covered sports for over 18 years, specializing in bracketology, tournament predictions, and in-depth analysis across college hoops, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and more. March Madness is his favorite season, fueling his quest for perfect brackets before diving into pro playoffs. A lifelong Kentucky Wildcats fan, Bengals supporter since the Joe Montana era, and now a Padres devotee, Will delivers reliable, fan-first insights at Sports Brackets. Connect on X or comment. He loves talking brackets and more.