Missouri football reportedly will no longer play Illinois in 2026, 2032. What that means for MU
According to multiple reports from local media Thursday in Champaign, Illinois, the proposed eight-game series between Missouri football and Illinois is being trimmed to six matchups.
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The games that are on the chopping block, according to reports stemming from media availability with Illini athletic director Josh Whitman, are the 2026 and 2032 contests.
Mizzou and Illinois, who have not played against each other on the gridiron since 2010, originally had two sets of four-game home-and-home series scheduled. The first was set to be played from 2026-29. The second was scheduled from 2032-35.
The two games that have been trimmed were scheduled to be played in Champaign. According to 247Sports' Jeremy Werner, Whitman indicated that the renewed series will still have a home-and-home element, but that the schools are looking into options for neutral-site matchups — as was the case for each of the six Braggin' Rights football games held between 2002-10 in St. Louis.
Further details about the alteration were immediately unclear.
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Mizzou now has just three games on its 2026 nonconference schedule: On the road against Kansas, and at home against Troy and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
It's possible that the Tigers do not need to add another nonconference game, but unlikely.
A decision on a potential nine-game SEC schedule beginning in 2026 is expected to come from the league before the upcoming season begins. It is, however, not widely expected to be approved as it lacks widespread support.
If the SEC does stick with an eight-game model in 2026, then the Tigers will have to add a nonconference opponent to their slate.
More: Missouri football adds three-star wide receiver out of Illinois
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More: Missouri football adds Chicago-based running back Maxwell Warner to 2026 recruiting class
The alteration of the series does mean Mizzou will play only one Power-conference road game instead of two in 2026, as MU will still travel to Lawrence to face the Jayhawks. That does, on paper, make MU's schedule a little easier — something that is generally considered a positive in the College Football Playoff era.
The next scheduled game between Mizzou and Illinois football is now set for 2027, which will mark a 17-year gap between the two teams facing one another.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri football reportedly will no longer play Illinois in 2026, 2032
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