Big Ten schedule release for 2026 college football season

The Big Ten announced its 2026 college football schedule for each of its 18 members Wednesday.

One big change to this upcoming season's schedule is that each Big Ten team -- except for USC which will have two -- will only have one bye week, compared to the past couple of seasons where teams received two. We'll also see new head coaches at Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and UCLA in 2026. New Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald will be hosting his former team, the Northwestern Wildcats, in Week 7 in a must-see matchup.

While Oregon was able to escape Indiana in its schedule this season, the Ducks will have to travel to Columbus in a massive conference game against the Buckeyes. And the Indiana Hoosiers, the 2025-26 national champions who are coming off a historic 2025 season, will host Ohio State in a Big Ten title game rematch in Week 7.

Here are the team-by-team schedules for 2026:

Illinois Fighting Illini

Sept. 5: vs. UAB

Sept. 12: vs. Duke

Sept. 19: vs. SIU

Sept. 26: at Ohio State

Oct. 3: vs. Purdue

Oct. 10: at Michigan State

Oct. 24: vs. Oregon

Oct. 31: at Maryland

Nov. 7: vs. Nebraska

Nov. 14: at UCLA

Nov. 21: vs. Iowa

Nov. 28: vs. Northwestern

Indiana Hoosiers

Sept. 5: vs. North Texas

Sept. 12: vs. Howard

Sept. 19: vs. Western Kentucky

Sept. 26: vs. Northwestern

Oct. 3: at Rutgers

Oct. 10: at Nebraska

Oct. 17: vs. Ohio State

Oct. 24: at Michigan

Oct. 31: vs. Minnesota

Nov. 14: vs. USC

Nov. 21: at Washington

Nov. 28: vs. Purdue

Iowa Hawkeyes

Sept. 5: vs. Northern Illinois

Sept. 12: vs. Iowa State

Sept. 29: vs. Northern Iowa

Sept. 26: at Michigan

Oct. 3: vs. Ohio State

Oct. 10: at Washington

Oct. 24: at Minnesota

Oct. 31: vs. Wisconsin

Nov. 7: at Northwestern

Nov. 14: vs. Purdue

Nov. 21: at Illinois

Nov. 27: vs. Nebraska

Maryland Terrapins

Sept. 5: vs. Howard

Sept. 12: at UConn

Sept. 19: vs. Virginia Tech

Sept. 26: vs. UCLA

Oct. 3: at Nebraska

Oct. 10: at Ohio State

Oct. 17: vs. Rutgers

Oct. 31: vs. Illinois

Nov. 7: at Purdue

Nov. 14: vs. Wisconsin

Nov. 21: at USC

Nov. 28: vs. Penn State

Michigan Wolverines

Sept. 5: vs. Western Michigan

Sept. 12: vs. Oklahoma

Sept. 19: vs. UTEP

Sept. 26: vs. Iowa

Oct. 3: at Minnesota

Oct. 17: vs. Penn State

Oct. 24: vs. Indiana

Oct. 31: at Rutgers

Nov. 7: vs. Michigan State

Nov. 14: at Oregon

Nov. 21: vs. UCLA

Nov. 28: at Ohio State

Michigan State Spartans

Sept. 5: vs. Toledo

Sept. 12: vs. Eastern Michigan

Sept. 19: at Notre Dame

Sept. 26: vs. Nebraska

Oct. 3: at Wisconsin

Oct. 10: vs. Illinois

Oct. 17: vs. Northwestern

Oct. 24: at UCLA

Nov. 7: at Michigan

Nov. 14: vs. Washington

Nov. 21: vs. Oregon

Nov. 28: at Rutgers

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Sept. 3: vs. Eastern Illinois

Sept. 12: vs. Mississippi State

Sept. 19: vs. Akron

Sept. 26: at Washington

Oct. 3: vs. Michigan

Oct. 10: at Purdue

Oct. 24: vs. Iowa

Oct. 31: at Indiana

Nov. 7: vs. UCLA

Nov. 14: at Penn State

Nov. 21: vs. Northwestern

Nov. 28: at Wisconsin

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Sept. 5: vs. Ohio

Sept. 12: vs. Bowling Green

Sept. 19: vs. North Dakota

Sept. 26: at Michigan State

Oct. 3: vs. Maryland

Oct. 10: vs. Indiana

Oct. 17: at Oregon

Oct. 31: vs. Washington

Nov. 7: at Illinois

Nov. 14: at Rutgers

Nov. 21: vs. Ohio State

Nov. 27: at Iowa

Northwestern Wildcats

Sept. 5: vs. South Dakota State

Sept. 19: vs. Colorado

Sept. 26: at Indiana

Oct. 3: vs. Penn State

Oct. 10: vs. Ball State

Oct. 17: at Michigan State

Oct. 24: vs. Rutgers

Oct. 31: at Oregon

Nov. 7: vs. Iowa

Nov. 14: at Ohio State

Nov. 21: at Minnesota

Nov. 28: vs. Illinois

Ohio State Buckeyes

Sept. 5: vs. Ball State

Sept. 12: at Texas

Sept. 19: vs. Kent State

Sept. 26: vs. Illinois

Oct. 3: at Iowa

Oct. 10: vs. Maryland

Oct. 17: at Indiana

Oct. 31: at USC

Nov. 7: vs. Oregon

Nov. 14: vs. Northwestern

Nov. 21: at Nebraska

Nov. 28: vs. Michigan

Oregon Ducks

Sept. 5: vs. Boise State

Sept. 12: at Oklahoma State

Sept. 19: vs. Portland State

Sept. 26: at USC

Oct. 10: vs. UCLA

Oct. 17: vs. Nebraska

Oct. 24: at Illinois

Oct. 31: vs. Northwestern

Nov. 7: at Ohio State

Nov. 14: vs. Michigan

Nov. 21: at Michigan State

Nov. 28: vs. Washington

Penn State Nittany Lions

Sept. 5: vs. Marshall

Sept. 12: at Temple

Sept. 19: vs. Buffalo

Sept. 26: vs. Wisconsin

Oct. 3: at Northwestern

Oct. 10: vs. USC

Oct. 17: at Michigan

Oct. 31: vs. Purdue

Nov. 7: at Washington

Nov. 14: vs. Minnesota

Nov. 21: vs. Rutgers

Nov. 28: at Maryland

Purdue Boilermakers

Sept. 5: vs. Indiana State

Sept. 12: vs. Wake Forest

Sept. 19: at UCLA

Sept. 26: vs. Notre Dame

Oct. 3: at Illinois

Oct. 10: vs. Minnesota

Oct. 17: vs. Washington

Oct. 31: at Penn State

Nov. 7: vs. Maryland

Nov. 14: at Iowa

Nov. 21: vs. Wisconsin

Nov. 28: at Indiana

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Sept. 3: vs. UMass

Sept. 11: at Boston College

Sept. 19: vs. USC

Sept. 26: vs. Howard

Oct. 3: vs. Indiana

Oct. 17: at Maryland

Oct. 24: at Northwestern

Oct. 31: vs. Michigan

Nov. 7: at Wisconsin

Nov. 14: vs. Nebraska

Nov. 21: at Penn State

Nov. 28: vs. Michigan State

UCLA Bruins

Sept. 5: at Cal

Sept. 12: vs. San Diego State

Sept. 19: vs. Purdue

Sept. 26: at Maryland

Oct. 10: at Oregon

Oct. 17: vs. Wisconsin

Oct. 24: vs. Michigan State

Oct. 31: vs. Nevada

Nov. 7: at Minnesota

Nov. 14: vs. Illinois

Nov. 21: at Michigan

Nov. 28: vs. USC

USC Trojans

Sept. 5: vs. Fresno State

Sept. 12: vs. Louisiana

Sept. 19: at Rutgers

Sept. 26: vs. Oregon

Oct. 3: vs. Washington

Oct. 10: at Penn State

Oct. 24: at Wisconsin

Oct. 31: vs. Ohio State

Nov. 14: at Indiana

Nov. 21: vs. Maryland

Nov. 28: at UCLA

Washington Huskies

Sept. 5: vs. Washington State

Sept. 12: vs. Utah State

Sept. 19: vs. Eastern Washington