April 6, 2011
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The University of Illinois announced four future non-conference games, while the Big Ten office announced the conference schedules for the 2013 and 2014 football seasons on Wednesday.
In 2013, Illinois opens the season by hosting Southern Illinois on Aug. 31 and also will welcome Cincinnati (Sept. 7) and Washington (Sept. 14) to Memorial Stadium early in the season. The fourth non-conference game has yet to be finalized. The Illini will open Big Ten play on Oct. 5 with a trip to Nebraska, who joins the conference this fall but doesn't face Illinois in 2011 and 2012. In other 2013 Big Ten action, the Orange and Blue will host Wisconsin (Oct. 19), Michigan State (Oct. 26), Ohio State (Nov. 16) and Northwestern (Nov. 30) and will travel to Penn State (Nov. 2), Indiana (Nov. 9) and Purdue (Nov. 23).
In 2014, Illinois has one of its four non-conference games already scheduled, as the Illini will travel to Washington on Sept. 13. Big Ten action will begin for the Orange and Blue on Oct. 4 with a trip to Michigan State. Illinois also will travel to Wisconsin (Oct. 25), Ohio State (Nov. 8) and Northwestern (Nov. 29) in 2014, and will welcome Indiana (Oct. 11), Nebraska (Oct. 18), Purdue (Nov. 15) and Penn State (Nov. 22) to Memorial Stadium. The Illini won't face Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota in 2013 and 2014.
The Big Ten football division alignments, which take effect this fall with addition of Nebraska to the conference, include the Legends Division featuring Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern, and the Leaders Division featuring Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin. Each school will play the other five schools within its division and also will face three teams from the other division, including one cross-division matchup guaranteed on an annual basis. The guaranteed cross-division matchups are Iowa-Purdue, Michigan-Ohio State, Michigan State-Indiana, Minnesota-Wisconsin, Nebraska-Penn State and Northwestern-Illinois.
The champions of the Legends Division and the Leaders Division will meet in the Big Ten Football Championship Game on the first Saturday of December, with the winner earning the Big Ten Championship and a chance to play in the Rose Bowl Game or Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game.
Illinois' football schedules for 2011 and 2012 were previously released and are available HERE.
2013 Illinois Football Schedule
Aug. 31 Southern Illinois Memorial Stadium
Sept. 7 Cincinnati Memorial Stadium
Sept. 14 Washington Memorial Stadium
Sept. 21 TBA
Sept. 28 TBA
Oct. 5 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb.
Oct. 12 TBA
Oct. 19 Wisconsin Memorial Stadium
Oct. 26 Michigan State Memorial Stadium
Nov. 2 at Penn State University Park, Pa.
Nov. 9 at Indiana Bloomington, Ind.
Nov. 16 Ohio State Memorial Stadium
Nov. 23 at Purdue West Lafayette, Ind.
Nov. 30 Northwestern Memorial Stadium
Dec. 7 Big Ten Championship Game
2014 Illinois Football Schedule
Aug. 30 TBA
Sept. 6 TBA
Sept. 13 at Washington Seattle, Wash.
Sept. 20 TBA
Sept. 27 TBA
Oct. 4 at Michigan State East Lansing, Mich.
Oct. 11 Indiana Memorial Stadium
Oct. 18 Nebraska Memorial Stadium
Oct. 25 at Wisconsin Madison, Wis.
Nov. 1 TBA
Nov. 8 at Ohio State Columbus, Ohio
Nov. 15 Purdue Memorial Stadium
Nov. 22 Penn State Memorial Stadium
Nov. 29 at Northwestern Evanston, Ill.
Dec. 6 Big Ten Championship Game
