Redbird Football Adds 2030 Game With Northwestern
NORMAL, Ill. – With games against FBS opponents already scheduled through 2029, Illinois State has added an in-state Big Ten Conference foe to its schedule in 2030 in the form Northwestern, the teams announced on Friday. The game will be played on August 31, 2030, in Evanston at the new Ryan Field which is set to open in 2026.
Illinois State now has FBS road games scheduled for the next six seasons: Oklahoma (2025), Northern Illinois (2026), Missouri (2027), Illinois (2028), Wisconsin (2029) and Northwestern (2030).
"Securing a future game against a respected in-state Big Ten program like Northwestern is great for our program," ISU head coach Brock Spack said. "We have so many players every year from the Chicagoland area that we recruit and try to bring into the program, so the opportunity to play these kinds of games in front of their friends, teammates and families is huge. We always know we are going to get a great game when we face off against a Big Ten opponent, and the upcoming games with Illinois, Wisconsin and Northwestern will be no different. The 2016 victory at Northwestern was one of the most memorable in school history and Ryan Field was loud with Redbird fans and supporters, which we hope it will be again in 2030."
The meeting in 2030 will be the third between the two programs. The first came in 2010, when second-year head coach Brock Spack took the Redbirds to Evanston to compete against the Wildcats at Ryan Field. Northwestern won that game by a score of 37-3, however the second game played between NU and ISU would result in one of the biggest wins in school history for the Redbirds.
In 2016, the Redbirds held strong for the entirety of the game against the Wildcats and used a 33-yard field goal from placekicker Sean Slattery as time expired to pick up a 9-7 win over Northwestern, which remains ISU's lone win against a team from the Big Ten.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
Latest Athletics News
- Redbirds Beat Salukis, 11-9, to Open SeriesIllinois State baseball team secured a Friday night victory at Southern Illinois by a 11-9 scoreline at Itchy Jones Stadium.
- Redbirds Drop Series Opener To The Panthers, 9-8The opening game of the weekend series between Illinois State and UNI was an explosive one, as the team combined for 17 runs and 26 hits on Friday night, but it was the visiting Panthers (27-16, 15-7 MVC) that came out on top over the Redbirds (19-27, 12-9 MVC) by a score of 9-8 at Marian Kneer Stadium.
- Birds Advance to MVC Semifinals with 4-2 win over DrakeThe Illinois State women's tennis team (14-7, 7-2 MVC) defeated the Drake Bulldogs (5-16, 2-7 MVC) in the quarterfinal round of the 2025 Missouri Conference Championships by a score of 4-2 inside The Courts of Northwest Indiana hosted by Valparaiso University.
- Track & Field Travels To Champaign For Fighting Illini Twilight On SaturdayThe Illinois State track & field program will travel to Champaign, Ill., for the Fighting Illini Twilight hosted by Illinois on Saturday afternoon.
- Redbirds Set To Host Final Home Conference Series Against UNIThe Illinois State softball team will host its final Missouri Valley Conference series at home this weekend, when the Redbirds welcome in the UNI Panthers for a crucial three-game set at Marian Kneer Stadium.
- Jankulovska, Pomarolli Earn Scholar-Athlete HonorsIllinois State graduate student Elena Jankulovska was one of two Illinois State women's tennis student-athletes honored as part of the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Tennis Scholar-Athlete Team announced Thursday
