{"id":710186,"date":"2026-01-28T00:41:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T00:41:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/710186\/"},"modified":"2026-01-28T00:41:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T00:41:17","slug":"big-ten-schedule-for-2026-college-football-season-set-see-full-breakdown-by-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/710186\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Ten schedule for 2026 college football season set: See full breakdown by team"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Big Ten became the final Power Four conference to unveil its schedule for the 2026 college football<\/a> season when it released on Tuesday the full slate for its 18 members. One game in particular stands above the rest with reigning conference and national champion Indiana<\/a> set to host Ohio State<\/a> on Oct. 17 in one of the highest-profile games of the entire campaign.<\/p>\n

The Hoosiers’ road back to Big Ten supremacy features a handful of other tough tests, and if the Buckeyes are to get over the hump and win the conference, they will have to overcome challenges like home games against Oregon<\/a> and Michigan<\/a> and road battles at Iowa<\/a>, USC<\/a> and Nebraska<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Outside of conference play, a number of high-profile matchups that will define the race to the College Football Playoff. Week 2 alone features a pair of marquee non-conference showdowns: Ohio State’s return trip to Texas<\/a> and Michigan’s home showdown against Oklahoma<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One uncertainty that remains after the schedule release is where UCLA<\/a> will play its home games. The Bruins are planning a move from the Rose Bowl to SoFi Stadium<\/a> starting this season, but an ongoing lawsuit and lack of a finalized agreement raises questions about whether the move will occur by the start of the 2026 campaign.<\/p>\n

USC is also a unique case after it failed to renew its rivalry series with Notre Dame<\/a>. The Trojans have just 11 games scheduled and will look to fill one of their two bye weeks with a replacement non-conference matchup.<\/p>\n

This season marks the third year of the Big Ten’s Flex Protect XVIII model, which runs through 2028 and serves as the foundation for the complicated matrix that is an 18-team conference schedule. Teams have known their 2026 opponents since 2024 when the league announced matchups for the following five years, but the dates and order of those games were not solidified until Tuesday. The Flex Protect XVIII format ensures teams will play each other at least twice (once home and once away) and no more than three times from 2024-28. The league’s 12 protected rivalries are exceptions to that rule.<\/p>\n

While conference championship odds have yet to be released, the national championship odds at FanDuel<\/a> outline the potential pecking order at the top of the Big Ten. Ohio State boasts the brightest national title outlook at +650, while Indiana is +700 to repeat as champion and Oregon is +950 to hoist the trophy for the first time in school history. USC (+3500), Michigan (+4000) and Penn State<\/a> (+6000) could also factor into the CFP hunt.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Below are team-by-team schedules for the 2026 Big Ten football season.<\/p>\n

2026 Big Ten football scheduleIllinois<\/p>\n

Sept. 5 — UAB<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 12 — Duke<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 19 — SIU<\/p>\n

Sept. 26 — at Ohio State<\/p>\n

Oct. 3 — Purdue<\/a><\/p>\n

Oct. 10 — at Michigan State<\/a><\/p>\n

Oct. 17 — BYE<\/p>\n

Oct. 24 — Oregon<\/p>\n

Oct. 31 — at Maryland<\/a><\/p>\n

Nov. 7 — Nebraska<\/p>\n

Nov. 14 — at UCLA<\/p>\n

Nov. 21 — Iowa<\/p>\n

Nov. 28 — Northwestern<\/a><\/p>\n

Indiana<\/p>\n

Sept. 5 — North Texas<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 12 — Howard<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 19 — Western Kentucky<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 26 — Northwestern<\/p>\n

Oct. 3 — at Rutgers<\/a><\/p>\n

Oct. 10 — at Nebraska<\/p>\n

Oct. 17 — Ohio State<\/p>\n

Oct. 24 — at Michigan<\/p>\n

Oct. 31 — Minnesota<\/a><\/p>\n

Nov. 7 — BYE<\/p>\n

Nov. 14 — USC<\/p>\n

Nov. 21 — at Washington<\/a><\/p>\n

Nov. 28 — Purdue<\/p>\n

Iowa<\/p>\n

Sept. 5 — Northern Illinois<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 12 — Iowa State<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 19 — Northern Iowa<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 26 — at Michigan<\/p>\n

Oct. 3 — Ohio State<\/p>\n

Oct. 10 — at Washington<\/p>\n

Oct. 17 — BYE<\/p>\n

Oct. 24 — at Minnesota<\/p>\n

Oct. 31 — Wisconsin<\/a><\/p>\n

Nov. 7 — at Northwestern<\/p>\n

Nov. 14 — Purdue<\/p>\n

Nov. 21 — at Illinois<\/a><\/p>\n

Nov. 27 (Friday) — Nebraska<\/p>\n

Maryland<\/p>\n

Sept. 5 — Howard<\/p>\n

Sept. 12 — at UConn<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 19 — Virginia Tech<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 26 — UCLA<\/p>\n

Oct. 3 — at Nebraska<\/p>\n

Oct. 10 — at Ohio State<\/p>\n

Oct. 17 — Rutgers<\/p>\n

Oct. 24 — BYE<\/p>\n

Oct. 31 — Illinois<\/p>\n

Nov. 7 — at Purdue<\/p>\n

Nov. 14 — Wisconsin<\/p>\n

Nov. 21 — at USC<\/p>\n

Nov. 28 — Penn State<\/p>\n

Michigan<\/p>\n

Sept. 5 — Western Michigan<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 12 — Oklahoma<\/p>\n

Sept. 19 — UTEP<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 26 — Iowa<\/p>\n

Oct. 3 — at Minnesota<\/p>\n

Oct. 10 — BYE<\/p>\n

Oct. 17 — Penn State<\/p>\n

Oct. 24 — Indiana<\/p>\n

Oct. 31 — at Rutgers<\/p>\n

Nov. 7 — Michigan State<\/p>\n

Nov. 14 — at Oregon<\/p>\n

Nov. 21 — UCLA<\/p>\n

Nov. 28 — at Ohio State<\/p>\n

Michigan State<\/p>\n

Sept. 5 — Toledo<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 12 — Eastern Michigan<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 19 — at Notre Dame<\/p>\n

Sept. 26 — Nebraska<\/p>\n

Oct. 3 — at Wisconsin<\/p>\n

Oct. 10 — Illinois<\/p>\n

Oct. 17 — Northwestern<\/p>\n

Oct. 24 — at UCLA<\/p>\n

Oct. 31 — BYE<\/p>\n

Nov. 7 — at Michigan<\/p>\n

Nov. 14 — Washington<\/p>\n

Nov. 21 — Oregon<\/p>\n

Nov. 28 — at Rutgers<\/p>\n

Minnesota<\/p>\n

Sept. 3 (Thursday) — Eastern Illinois<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 12 — Mississippi State<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 19 — Akron<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 26 — at Washington<\/p>\n

Oct. 3 — Michigan<\/p>\n

Oct. 10 — at Purdue<\/p>\n

Oct. 17 — BYE<\/p>\n

Oct. 24 — Iowa<\/p>\n

Oct. 31 — at Indiana<\/p>\n

Nov. 7 — UCLA<\/p>\n

Nov. 14 — at Penn State<\/p>\n

Nov. 21 — Northwestern<\/p>\n

Nov. 28 — at Wisconsin<\/p>\n

Nebraska<\/p>\n

Sept. 5 — Ohio<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 12 — Bowling Green<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 19 — North Dakota<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 26 — at Michigan State<\/p>\n

Oct. 3 — Maryland<\/p>\n

Oct. 10 — Indiana<\/p>\n

Oct. 17 — at Oregon<\/p>\n

Oct. 24 — BYE<\/p>\n

Oct. 31 — Washington<\/p>\n

Nov. 7 — at Illinois<\/p>\n

Nov. 14 — at Rutgers<\/p>\n

Nov. 21 — Ohio State<\/p>\n

Nov. 27 (Friday) — at Iowa<\/p>\n

Northwestern<\/p>\n

Sept. 5 — South Dakota State<\/p>\n

Sept. 12 — BYE<\/p>\n

Sept. 19 — Colorado<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 26 — at Indiana<\/p>\n

Oct. 3 — Penn State<\/p>\n

Oct. 10 — Ball State<\/a><\/p>\n

Oct. 17 — at Michigan State<\/p>\n

Oct. 24 — Rutgers<\/p>\n

Oct. 31 — at Oregon<\/p>\n

Nov. 7 — Iowa<\/p>\n

Nov. 14 — at Ohio State<\/p>\n

Nov. 21 — at Minnesota<\/p>\n

Nov. 28 — Illinois<\/p>\n

Ohio State<\/p>\n

Sept. 5 — Ball State<\/p>\n

Sept. 12 — at Texas<\/p>\n

Sept. 19 — Kent State<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 26 — Illinois<\/p>\n

Oct. 3 — at Iowa<\/p>\n

Oct. 10 — Maryland<\/p>\n

Oct. 17 — at Indiana<\/p>\n

Oct. 24 — BYE<\/p>\n

Oct. 31 — at USC<\/p>\n

Nov. 7 — Oregon<\/p>\n

Nov. 14 — Northwestern<\/p>\n

Nov. 21 — at Nebraska<\/p>\n

Nov. 28 — Michigan<\/p>\n

Oregon<\/p>\n

Sept. 5 — Boise State<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 12 — at Oklahoma State<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 19 — Portland State<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 26 — at USC<\/p>\n

Oct. 3 — BYE<\/p>\n

Oct. 10 — UCLA<\/p>\n

Oct. 17 — Nebraska<\/p>\n

Oct. 24 — at Illinois<\/p>\n

Oct. 31 — Northwestern<\/p>\n

Nov. 7 — at Ohio State<\/p>\n

Nov. 14 — Michigan<\/p>\n

Nov. 21 — at Michigan State<\/p>\n

Nov. 28 — Washington<\/p>\n

Penn State<\/p>\n

Sept. 5 — Marshall<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 12 — at Temple<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 19 — Buffalo<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 26 — Wisconsin<\/p>\n

Oct. 3 — at Northwestern<\/p>\n

Oct. 10 — USC<\/p>\n

Oct. 17 — at Michigan<\/p>\n

Oct. 24 — BYE<\/p>\n

Oct. 31 — Purdue<\/p>\n

Nov. 7 — at Washington<\/p>\n

Nov. 14 – Minnesota<\/p>\n

Nov. 21 — Rutgers<\/p>\n

Nov. 28 — at Maryland<\/p>\n

Purdue<\/p>\n

Sept. 5 — Indiana State<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 12 — Wake Forest<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 19 — at UCLA<\/p>\n

Sept. 26 — Notre Dame<\/p>\n

Oct. 3 — at Illinois<\/p>\n

Oct. 10 — Minnesota<\/p>\n

Oct. 17 — Washington<\/p>\n

Oct. 24 — BYE<\/p>\n

Oct. 31 — at Penn State<\/p>\n

Nov. 7 — Maryland<\/p>\n

Nov. 14 — at Iowa<\/p>\n

Nov. 21 — Wisconsin<\/p>\n

Nov. 28 — at Indiana<\/p>\n

Rutgers<\/p>\n

Sept. 3 (Thursday) — UMass<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 11 (Friday) — at Boston College<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 19 — USC<\/p>\n

Sept. 26 — Howard<\/p>\n

Oct. 3 — Indiana<\/p>\n

Oct. 10 — BYE<\/p>\n

Oct. 17 — at Maryland<\/p>\n

Oct. 24 — at Northwestern<\/p>\n

Oct. 31 — Michigan<\/p>\n

Nov. 7 — at Wisconsin<\/p>\n

Nov. 14 — Nebraska<\/p>\n

Nov. 21 — at Penn State<\/p>\n

Nov. 28 — Michigan State<\/p>\n

UCLA<\/p>\n

Sept. 5 — at California<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 12 — San Diego State<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 19 — Purdue<\/p>\n

Sept. 26 — at Maryland<\/p>\n

Oct. 3 — BYE<\/p>\n

Oct. 10 — at Oregon<\/p>\n

Oct. 17 — Wisconsin<\/p>\n

Oct. 24 — Michigan State<\/p>\n

Oct. 31 — Nevada<\/a><\/p>\n

Nov. 7 — at Minnesota<\/p>\n

Nov. 14 — Illinois<\/p>\n

Nov. 21 — at Michigan<\/p>\n

Nov. 28 — USC<\/p>\n

USC<\/p>\n

Sept. 5 — Fresno State<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 12 — Louisiana<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 19 — at Rutgers<\/p>\n

Sept. 26 — Oregon<\/p>\n

Oct. 3 — Washington<\/p>\n

Oct. 10 — at Penn State<\/p>\n

Oct. 17 — BYE<\/p>\n

Oct. 24 — at Wisconsin<\/p>\n

Oct. 31 — Ohio State<\/p>\n

Nov. 7 — BYE<\/p>\n

Nov. 14 — at Indiana<\/p>\n

Nov. 21 — Maryland<\/p>\n

Nov. 28 — at UCLA<\/p>\n

Washington<\/p>\n

Sept. 5 — Washington State<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 12 — Utah State<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 19 — Eastern Washington<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 26 — Minnesota<\/p>\n

Oct. 3 — at USC<\/p>\n

Oct. 10 — Iowa<\/p>\n

Oct. 17 — at Purdue<\/p>\n

Oct. 24 — BYE<\/p>\n

Oct. 31 — at Nebraska<\/p>\n

Nov. 7 — Penn State<\/p>\n

Nov. 14 — Michigan State<\/p>\n

Nov. 21 — Indiana<\/p>\n

Nov. 28 — at Oregon<\/p>\n

Wisconsin<\/p>\n

Sept. 6 (Sunday) — Notre Dame (Green Bay, Wisconsin)<\/p>\n

Sept. 12 — Western Illinois<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 19 — Eastern Michigan<\/p>\n

Sept. 26 — at Penn State<\/p>\n

Oct. 3 — Michigan State<\/p>\n

Oct. 10 — BYE<\/p>\n

Oct. 17 — at UCLA<\/p>\n

Oct. 24 — USC<\/p>\n

Oct. 31 — at Iowa<\/p>\n

Nov. 7 — Rutgers<\/p>\n

Nov. 14 — at Maryland<\/p>\n

Nov. 21 — at Purdue<\/p>\n

Nov. 28 — Minnesota<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Big Ten became the final Power Four conference to unveil its schedule for the 2026 college football…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":710187,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5],"tags":[3715,103068,103069,331,103071,103070,7,4728,103072,4725,103073,1286,1868,80611,2549,71,4727,49,48,4604,8243,4732,69,26677,575,19233,2743,4729,4726,666,8242,671,2785],"class_list":{"0":"post-710186","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-big-ten-football","9":"tag-big-ten-football-schedule-2026","10":"tag-big-ten-football-schedule-release","11":"tag-college-football","12":"tag-college-football-biggest-games-2026","13":"tag-college-football-schedule-2026","14":"tag-football","15":"tag-illinois-fighting-illini","16":"tag-indiana-football-schedule","17":"tag-indiana-hoosiers","18":"tag-iowa-football-schedule","19":"tag-iowa-hawkeyes","20":"tag-maryland-terrapins","21":"tag-michigan-football-schedule","22":"tag-michigan-state-spartans","23":"tag-michigan-wolverines","24":"tag-minnesota-golden-gophers","25":"tag-ncaa","26":"tag-ncaa-football","27":"tag-nebraska-cornhuskers","28":"tag-northwestern-wildcats","29":"tag-notre-dame-fighting-irish","30":"tag-ohio-state-buckeyes","31":"tag-ohio-state-football-schedule","32":"tag-oregon-ducks","33":"tag-p","34":"tag-penn-state-nittany-lions","35":"tag-purdue-boilermakers","36":"tag-rutgers-scarlet-knights","37":"tag-ucla-bruins","38":"tag-usc-trojans","39":"tag-washington-huskies","40":"tag-wisconsin-badgers"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/710186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=710186"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/710186\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/710187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=710186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=710186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=710186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}