Illinois Football Announces Start Times for First Three Games of 2026 Season

Illinois starts the season at home on Friday, Aug. 29 (after moving the date up a day), against FCS local rival Western Illinois at 6:30 p.m. CT. It will make the first time the Illini have opened the season on a Friday since 2020, when the Illini kicked things off at Wisconsin.

Illinois plays its first road game eight days later, on Saturday, Sept. 6, against Duke. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT. The game will be the third overall matchup between the two teams and first since the Illini beat the Blue Devils 28-14 in Champaign way back in 1965.

Illinois then returns home to Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, to face Western Michigan. The Illini will host the Broncos on FamILLy Day, which will begin at 6 p.m. It will be the first matchup between the teams since 2016, when Western Michigan stunned Illinois, 34-10.

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