June 7, 2011

Park Ridge, Ill. - ESPN/ABC and the Big Ten Network have confirmed the first three weeks of the 2011 Big Ten football schedule. Illinois' home opener against Arkansas State on Sept. 3 is slated for 2:30 p.m. and the Sept. 10 home game against South Dakota State will be at 11 a.m. The Big Ten Network will televise both games.

Game times are now locked in for five of 12 Illinois football games for the 2011 season, including four of eight home games. Illinois' Sept. 17 home game against Arizona State was previously announced as a 6 p.m. start on the Big Ten Network, while the Northwestern game on Oct. 1 at Memorial Stadium and the Purdue game Oct. 22 in West Lafayette both will start at 11 a.m. CT with television on either ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or BTN.

The 2011 Illinois schedule features eight home games for the first time in over a century, including five straight to open the season. 2011 season tickets are on sale now at the UI Athletics Ticket Office, over the phone at 1-866-ILLINI-1 or online at fightingillini.com.

2011 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 3      Arkansas State             2:30 pm CT   BTN
Sept. 10     South Dakota State         11 am CT     BTN
Sept. 17     Arizona State              6 pm CT      BTN
Sept. 24     Western Michigan           TBA
Oct. 1       Northwestern (Homecoming)  11 am CT     ABC/ESPN/2/BTN
Oct. 8       at Indiana	                TBA
Oct. 15      Ohio State                 TBA
Oct. 22      at Purdue                  11 am CT     ABC/ESPN/2/BTN
Oct. 29      at Penn State              TBA
Nov. 12      Michigan (Dad's Day)       TBA
Nov. 19      Wisconsin                  TBA
Nov. 26      at Minnesota               TBA