Illinois football schedule 2024: Full future Big Ten Conference slate for Fighting Illini
Fans of Big Ten football team teams across the country got a glimpse of the conference's future scheduling format on Thursday.
The same is true for Illinois, which revealed its full conference slate from 2024 through 2028. Its Big Ten schedule will now see the additions of Pac-12 defectors Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington on top of the Illini's more traditional Midwest opponents, including a pair of protected traditional rivalries.
REQUIRED READING: Big Ten football schedule: Every home, away conference opponent
The 2024 Big Ten schedule will be the first in which the conference moves to 18 teams. It also will see the removal of divisions in lieu of a "Flex Protect XVIII" model, in which each Big Ten team plays every conference opponent at least twice — once home and once away — over a five-year period.
The format will see each team alternate between five home and five away conference opponents on a year-to-year basis. Here's everything you need to know about Illinois' future Big Ten schedules, the dates for which have yet to be revealed:
REQUIRED READING: Big Ten QBR Week 6: McCarthy and McCord stay at the top, Allar drops a few spots
Who are Illinois' protected rivalries?
Illinois will have two protected rivalries under the new Big Ten scheduling format: Northwestern and Purdue. That means the Fighting Illini are guaranteed every year to take on the Wildcats and Boilermakers on a rotating home-and-away basis. The remaining seven conference opponents will be rotated throughout the five-year conference format.
Illinois Big Ten football schedule 2024
Home: Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Purdue
Away: Nebraska, Northwestern, Oregon, Penn State, Rutgers
Illinois Big Ten football schedule 2025
Home: Maryland, Northwestern, Ohio State, Rutgers, USC
Away: Indiana, Purdue, Washington, Wisconsin
REQUIRED READING: Ohio State football's Big Ten opponents announced through 2028
Illinois Big Ten football schedule 2026
Home: Iowa, Nebraska, Oregon, Purdue
Away: Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, UCLA
Illinois Big Ten football schedule 2027
Home: Indiana, Northwestern, Penn State, UCLA, Wisconsin
Away: Michigan, Minnesota, Purdue, USC
Illinois Big Ten football schedule 2028
Home: Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Washington
Away: Indiana, Iowa, Northwestern, Oregon, Rutgers
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Illinois' full Big Ten Conference football schedule for 2024, beyond
