Some rivalries take years to find their next chapter. For Illinois, the wait began in 2010, when Missouri walked away with a 23-13 victory and left the Fighting Illini with a score to settle. Years would pass before the two teams were due to meet again. When the game finally appeared on the 2027 schedule, it felt like the end of a long wait, and the chance to put that old defeat behind them. But the rematch is no longer happening. In a twist few would have expected, Illinois made the call to cancel it!
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Well, it seems like Illinois has a much older rivalry that it would like to reignite. At least, that’s what the latest buzz is, as reported by 247Sports.
Illinois has found a different opponent for the dates once set aside for Missouri. The Fighting Illini announced on Tuesday that Notre Dame will visit for a home-and-home series spanning 2027 and 2028. Here’s what will happen:
The series will open on Notre Dame’s turf, with Illinois making the trip to South Bend on September 4, 2027. A year later, the setting will change. The Fighting Illini will welcome the Irish to Champaign on September 2, 2028, bringing the home-and-home series to a close.
Interestingly, the programs haven’t played against each other since 1968, and this is one of the biggest reasons, Notre Dame was added to Illinois’ list. Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman admitted it himself.
“This is a series I have wanted to get on the football schedule since I arrived in 2016,” he said on Tuesday. “It has been too long since these two tradition-rich programs have met, given our proximity, common values, and deep roots in Chicago and throughout the Midwest.”
But it goes without saying that Missouri is extremely unhappy with the decision. They released a statement, which read: “We are disappointed by Illinois’ decision to withdraw from multiple future football games, including a home game for Mizzou in 2027. We are exploring all available options to address this matter.”
And as per the Columbia Tribune, Illinois will likely have to pay Missouri $500,000, owing to the breach of agreement clause in the contract. Their contract reads:
“Either party’s failure to comply with the conditions of (the scheduled games), either by cancellation or failure to appear, shall result in payment of liquidated damages in the amount of Five Hundred Thousand dollars ($500,000.00) to the non-breaching party. The contract can be canceled “without penalty or liability” if agreed by mutual consent or if the event a “party’s conference (adopts) new scheduling requirements.”
It seems like Illinois and Missouri will have to wait for their football rivalry to get heated once again. After all, the schools are known for their basketball rivalry.
Regardless, Notre Dame steps into that space now. The Fighting Irish got those dates by pausing their series with Purdue, which answered by adding West Virginia for 2027.
Interesting Fact: Illinois and Notre Dame have crossed paths 12 times, but their history is largely rooted in a brief stretch of college football’s past. The programs first met in 1898, and nine of their 12 encounters came between 1937 and 1946. Their most recent meeting was in 1968, when Notre Dame Stadium hosted the final game of a two-year series.
Illinois is 5-3 and unranked. The Illini have won three straight, beating Michigan State 38-37 in overtime, Oregon 21-10, and Maryland 20-17. Their losses came against Duke, Ohio State, and Purdue. On the other hand, Notre Dame is the one with real stakes.
The Fighting Irish are 7-1 and fourth in the AP poll, but the CFP rankings committee put them 11th, the last team in the bracket if the playoff started today. Their only loss was 28-24 at BYU. Their next matchup is against No. 1 Miami in South Bend on Saturday, a rematch of last year’s opener, which the Hurricanes won.
Illinois also removed Eastern Illinois from its schedule.
Illinois’ 2027 schedule is taking a different shape. Alongside the Notre Dame matchup, the Fighting Illini have added FIU for August 28, 2027. That change comes at Eastern Illinois’ expense. The Illini will no longer face them next season.
The matchups are now in place, but the finer details will have to wait. Kickoff times and television assignments for the games will be announced at a later date.