Huskers to Face Illinois in Friday Night Matchup

The Nebraska football team will travel to Illinois to play under the lights in early November, as FOX Sports announced its Friday night television package for the upcoming season this morning.

The Huskers’ contest in Champaign was moved up one day to Friday, Nov. 6, marking the third time in four seasons the schools have met in a Friday night matchup.  The game will be televised on FOX with kickoff time set for 7 p.m. CT.  

Nebraska and Illinois have a history of non-traditional game dates over the last decade. The Huskers and Illini met in Friday evening games in Champaign in 2017 and 2023, with Nebraska winning both matchups. In 2024, Illinois won a Friday night overtime matchup in Lincoln. In addition, the teams met in a Week Zero matchup at Illinois in 2021.

This season will mark the fifth straight year Nebraska has played multiple Friday games, including the Huskers’ annual Black Friday game against Iowa. In addition to the 2023 and 2024 matchups with Illinois, Nebraska played Friday night games at Rutgers (2022) and at Minnesota (2025).

The Big Ten Conference and its national television partners will announce kickoff times and television information for additional games by the end of May, including the first three weeks of the season, Homecoming Games and other special dates, including Black Friday. 

Remaining season tickets for Nebraska's 2026 home schedule will go on sale on May 22 and mini plans will be available for purchase in June.  Both can be purchased by visiting Huskers.com/tickets.