Big Ten football schedule 2021: Games, dates & matchups

The 2021 Big Ten college football schedule is below, with Illinois hosting Nebraska on Saturday, Aug. 28. The game was originally scheduled to take place in Dublin, Ireland, but was rescheduled to Illinois because to COVID-19. Instead, Nebraska will begin the 2022 season in Ireland versus Northwestern.

While Nebraska and Illinois will begin their seasons on August 28, the remainder of the Big Ten will begin play in Week 1.

2021 Big Ten football schedule: Dates, times, TV channels 

All times ET.

Week 0

Saturday, Aug. 28

• Nebraska at Illinois | 1 p.m. | FOX 

Week 1 

Thursday, Sept. 2

• Temple at Rutgers | 6:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
• No. 4 Ohio State at Minnesota | 8 p.m. | FOX

Friday, Sept. 3 

• Michigan State at Northwestern | 9 p.m. | ESPN

Saturday, Sept. 4

• Fordham at Nebraska | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
• No. 19 Penn State at No. 12 Wisconsin | 12 p.m. | FOX
• Western Michigan at Michigan | 12 p.m. | ESPN
• No. 17 Indiana at No. 18 Iowa | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
• West Virginia at Maryland | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
• Oregon State at Purdue | 7 p.m. | FS1
• UTSA at Illinois | 7:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network

MORE GAMES: Full college football TV schedule and times for the 2021-22 season

Week 2 — Saturday, Sept. 11

• Illinois at Virginia | 11 a.m. | ACC Network
• Miami (Ohio) at Minnesota | 12 p.m. | ESPNU
• Indiana State at Northwestern | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
• Youngstown State at Michigan State | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
• Oregon at Ohio State | 12 p.m. | FOX
• Rutgers at Syracuse | 2 p.m. | ACC Network
• Purdue at UConn | 3 p.m. | CBSSN
• Buffalo at Nebraska | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
• Ball State at Penn State | 3:30 p.m. | FS1
• Iowa at Iowa State | 4:30 p.m. | ABC
• Eastern Michigan at Wisconsin | 7 p.m. | FS1
• Idaho at Indiana | 7:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
• Howard at Maryland | 7:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
• Washington at Michigan | 8 p.m. | ABC

Week 3 

Friday, Sept. 17 

• Maryland at Illinois | 9 p.m. | FS1

Saturday, Sept. 18 

• Nebraska at Oklahoma | 12 p.m. | FOX
• Cincinnati at Indiana | 12 p.m. | ABC or ESPN
• Northern Illinois at Michigan | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
• Michigan State at Miami (Fla.) | 12 p.m. | ABC or ESPN
• Minnesota at Colorado | 1 p.m. | Pac-12 Network
• Purdue at Notre Dame | 2:30 p.m. | NBC
• Kent State at Iowa | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
• Tulsa at Ohio State | 3:30 p.m. | FS1
• Delaware at Rutgers | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
• Northwestern at Duke | 4 p.m. | ACC Network
• Auburn at Penn State | 7:30 p.m. | ABC

COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS: Latest AP Top 25 poll | Conference standings

Week 4 — Saturday, Sept. 25

• Bowling Green at Minnesota | 12 p.m. | ESPN Network TBD 
• Wisconsin at Notre Dame | 12 p.m. | FOX 
• Rutgers at Michigan | 3:30 p.m. | TBA 
• Indiana at Western Kentucky | 8 p.m. | CBSSN
• Illinois at Purdue 
• Colorado State at Iowa 
• Nebraska at Michigan State 
• Ohio at Northwestern 
• Kent State at Maryland 
• Akron at Ohio State 
• Villanova at Penn State 

Week 5 

Friday, Oct. 1

• Iowa at Maryland | 8 p.m. | FS1 

Saturday, Oct. 2

• Minnesota at Purdue | 12 p.m. | TBA
• Northwestern at Nebraska | 7:30 p.m. | TBA 
• Western Kentucky at Michigan State | 7:30 p.m. | TBA
• Charlotte at Illinois 
• Michigan at Wisconsin 
• Indiana at Penn State 
• Ohio State at Rutgers 

Week 6 — Saturday, Oct. 9

• Maryland at Ohio State | 12 p.m. | TBA 
• Michigan State at Rutgers | 12 p.m. | TBA 
• Wisconsin at Illinois | 3:30/4 p.m. | TBA 
• Penn State at Iowa | TBA | Fox or FS1
• Michigan at Nebraska  

Week 7 — Saturday, Oct. 16

• Rutgers at Northwestern | 12 p.m. | TBA
• Michigan State at Indiana | 12 p.m. | TBA 
• Purdue at Iowa | 3:30 p.m. | TBA 
• Nebraska at Minnesota 
• Army at Wisconsin 

Week 8 — Saturday, Oct. 23

• Illinois at Penn State | 12 p.m. | TBA 
• Maryland at Minnesota 
• Northwestern at Michigan 
• Wisconsin at Purdue 
• Ohio State at Indiana 

Week 9 — Saturday, Oct. 30

• Iowa at Wisconsin | 12 p.m. | TBA 
• Rutgers at Illinois 
• Minnesota at Northwestern
• Purdue at Nebraska 
• Indiana at Maryland 
• Michigan at Michigan State 
• Penn State at Ohio State 

Week 10 — Saturday, Nov. 6

• Illinois at Minnesota 
• Iowa at Northwestern 
• Ohio State at Nebraska 
• Michigan State at Purdue 
• Wisconsin at Rutgers 
• Indiana at Michigan 
• Penn State at Maryland 

Week 11 — Saturday, Nov. 13

• Minnesota at Iowa 
• Northwestern at Wisconsin 
• Purdue at Ohio State 
• Rutgers at Indiana 
• Maryland at Michigan State 
• Michigan at Penn State 

Week 12 — Saturday, Nov. 20

• Illinois at Iowa 
• Minnesota at Indiana 
• Nebraska at Wisconsin
• Purdue at Northwestern
• Michigan at Maryland 
• Michigan State at Ohio State 
• Rutgers at Penn State 

Week 13 

Friday, Nov. 26

• Iowa at Nebraska | 1:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network 

Saturday, Nov. 27

• Ohio State at Michigan | 12 p.m. | FOX 
• Iowa at Nebraska | 1:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network 
• Northwestern at Illinois 
• Wisconsin at Minnesota
• Indiana at Purdue 
• Maryland at Rutgers
• Penn State at Michigan State 

2021 Big Ten college football schedule: Team-by-team 

Illinois 

• Aug. 28: vs. Nebraska 
• Sept. 4: vs. UTSA 
• Sept. 11: at Virginia 
• Sept. 17: vs Maryland 
• Sept. 25: at Purdue 
• Oct. 2: vs. Charlotte 
• Oct. 9: vs Wisconsin 
• Oct. 23: at Penn State 
• Oct. 30: vs. Rutgers 
• Nov. 6: at Minnesota 
• Nov. 20: at Iowa 
• Nov. 27: vs. Northwestern 

Indiana 

• Sept. 4: at No. 18 Iowa 
• Sept. 11: vs. Idaho 
• Sept. 18: vs Cincinnati 
• Sept. 25: at Western Kentucky 
• Oct. 2: at Penn State 
• Oct. 16: vs. Michigan State 
• Oct. 23: vs. Ohio State 
• Oct. 30: at Maryland 
• Nov. 6: at Michigan 
• Nov. 13: vs Rutgers 
• Nov. 20: vs Minnesota 
• Nov. 27: at Purdue 

Iowa

• Sept. 4: vs. No. 17 Indiana 
• Sept. 11: at Iowa State 
• Sept. 18: vs. Kent State 
• Sept. 25: vs. Colorado State 
• Oct. 1: at Maryland 
• Oct. 9: vs. Penn State 
• Oct. 16: vs. Purdue 
• Oct. 30: at Wisconsin 
• Nov. 6: at Northwestern 
• Nov. 13: vs. Minnesota 
• Nov. 20: vs. Illinois 
• Nov. 26: at Nebraska 

Maryland

• Sept. 4: vs. West Virginia 
• Sept. 11: vs. Howard 
• Sept. 17: at Illinois 
• Sept. 25: vs. Kent State 
• Oct. 1: vs. Iowa 
• Oct. 9: at Ohio State 
• Oct. 23: at Minnesota 
• Oct. 30: vs. Indiana 
• Nov. 6: vs. Penn State 
• Nov. 13: at Michigan State 
• Nov. 20: vs. Michigan 
• Nov. 27: at Rutgers

Michigan

• Sept. 4: vs. Western Michigan 
• Sept. 11: vs. Washington 
• Sept. 18: vs. Northern Illinois 
• Sept. 25: vs. Rutgers 
• Oct. 2: at Wisconsin 
• Oct. 9: at Nebraska 
• Oct. 23: vs. Northwestern 
• Oct. 30: at Michigan State 
• Nov. 6: vs. Indiana 
• Nov. 13: at Penn State 
• Nov. 20: at Maryland 
• Nov. 27: vs. Ohio State 

Michigan State 

• Sept. 3: at Northwestern 
• Sept. 11: vs. Youngstown State 
• Sept. 18: at Miami 
• Sept. 25: vs. Nebraska 
• Oct. 2: vs. Western Kentucky 
• Oct. 9: at Rutgers 
• Oct. 16: at Indiana 
• Oct. 30: vs. Michigan 
• Nov. 6: at Purdue 
• Nov. 13: vs. Maryland 
• Nov. 20: at Ohio State 
• Nov. 27: vs. Penn State 

Minnesota 

• Sept. 2: vs. No. 4 Ohio State 
• Sept. 11: vs. Miami (OH) 
• Sept. 18: at Colorado 
• Sept. 25: vs. Bowling Green 
• Oct. 2: at Purdue 
• Oct. 16: vs. Nebraska 
• Oct. 23: vs. Maryland 
• Oct. 30: at Northwestern 
• Nov. 6:  vs. Illinois 
• Nov. 13: at Iowa 
• Nov. 20: at Indiana 
• Nov. 27: vs. Wisconsin 

Nebraska 

• Aug. 28: at Illinois 
• Sept. 4: vs. Fordham 
• Sept. 11: vs. Buffalo 
• Sept. 18: at Oklahoma 
• Sept. 25: at Michigan State 
• Oct. 2: vs. Northwestern 
• Oct. 9: vs. Michigan 
• Oct. 16: at Minnesota 
• Oct. 30: vs. Purdue 
• Nov. 6: vs. Ohio State 
• Nov. 20: at Wisconsin 
• Nov. 26: vs. Iowa 

Northwestern 

• Sept. 3: vs. Michigan State 
• Sept. 11: vs. Indiana State 
• Sept. 18: at Duke 
• Sept. 25: vs. Ohio 
• Oct. 2: at Nebraska 
• Oct. 16: vs. Rutgers 
• Oct. 23: at Michigan 
• Oct. 30: vs. Minnesota 
• Nov. 6: vs. Iowa 
• Nov. 13: at Wisconsin 
• Nov. 20: vs. Purdue 
• Nov. 27: at Illinois 

Ohio State 

• Sept. 2: at Minnesota 
• Sept. 11: vs. Oregon 
• Sept. 18: vs. Tulsa 
• Sept. 25: vs. Akron 
• Oct. 2: at Rutgers 
• Oct. 9: vs. Maryland 
• Oct. 23: at Indiana 
• Oct. 30: vs. Penn State 
• Nov. 6: at Nebraska 
• Nov. 13: vs. Purdue 
• Nov. 20: vs. Michigan State 
• Nov. 27: vs. Michigan 

Penn State 

• Sept. 4: at No. 12 Wisconsin 
• Sept. 11: vs. Ball State 
• Sept. 18: vs. Auburn 
• Sept. 25: vs. Villanova 
• Oct. 2: vs. Indiana 
• Oct. 9: at Iowa 
• Oct. 23: vs. Illinois 
• Oct. 30: at Ohio State 
• Nov. 6: at Maryland 
• Nov. 13: vs. Michigan 
• Nov. 20: vs. Rutgers 
• Nov. 27: at Michigan State 

Purdue 

• Sept. 4: vs. Oregon State 
• Sept. 11: at UConn 
• Sept. 18: at Notre Dame 
• Sept. 25: vs. Illinois 
• Oct. 2: vs. Minnesota 
• Oct. 16: at Iowa 
• Oct. 23: vs. Wisconsin 
• Oct. 30: at Nebraska 
• Nov. 6: vs. Michigan State 
• Nov. 13: at Ohio State 
• Nov. 20: at Northwestern 
• Nov. 27: vs. Indiana 

Rutgers 

• Sept. 2: vs. Temple 
• Sept. 11: at Syracuse 
• Sept. 18: vs. Delaware 
• Sept. 25: at Rutgers 
• Oct. 2: vs. Ohio State 
• Oct. 9: vs. Michigan State 
• Oct. 16: at Northwestern 
• Oct. 30: at Illinois 
• Nov. 6: vs. Wisconsin 
• Nov. 13: at Indiana 
• Nov. 20: at Penn State 
• Nov. 27: vs. Maryland 

Wisconsin 

• Sept. 4: vs. No. 19 Penn State 
• Sept. 11: vs. Eastern Michigan 
• Sept. 25: at Notre Dame  
• Oct. 2: vs. Michigan 
• Oct. 9: at Illinois 
• Oct. 16: vs. Army 
• Oct. 23: at Purdue 
• Oct. 30: vs. Iowa 
• Nov. 6: at Rutgers 
• Nov. 13: vs. Northwestern 
• Nov. 20: vs. Nebraska 
• Nov. 27: at Minnesota