Nebraska to Host Illinois for Friday Night Football

For the first time in more than 20 years, a non-Black Friday, weekday game will be played in Lincoln. Nebraska is set to host Illinois in September at part of FOX's Friday Night Football package.

Kaleb Henry | May 22, 2024

Nebraska Athletics

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Friday Night Football is coming to Lincoln.

The Big Ten Conference and FOX announced a number of games slated for the network's Friday Night Football package for the upcoming season. Nebraska's home game against Illinois was among the announced matchups.

Nebraska will host Illinois on Friday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. CDT. The game, televised on FOX, was originally scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21.

A light show and fireworks take over Memorial Stadium between the third and fourth quarters as Nebraska football hosts Michigan Oct. 9, 2021. / Nebraska Athletics

This is the first non-Black Friday, weekday home game for Nebraska since Sept. 20, 2001, when NU hosted Rice. That game had been postponed following the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Two of Nebraska's games this fall now have announced game times. Besides the Illinois game, Nebraska will host Colorado on Sept. 7 at 6:30 p.m. CDT.

Other Friday Night Football games on FOX for this fall include Arizona at Kansas State on Sept. 13, Washington at Rutgers on Sept. 27, Michigan State at Oregon on Oct. 4, Northwestern at Maryland on Oct. 11, Oregon at Purdue on Oct. 18, Rutgers at USC Oct. 25, Iowa at UCLA on No. 8, Purdue at Michigan State on Nov. 22, Utah at UCF on Nov. 29, and the Mountain West Championship on Dec. 6.

The Big Ten and its television partners are expected to announce additional game times and broadcast information before the end of May.

Published May 22, 2024

KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.