Big Ten announces early 2025 football schedule, including marquee Oregon-Penn State matchup
The college football season is fast approaching and the first three weeks of the NBC Sports and Peacock schedules are set, as well as a Week 4 matchup between Purdue and Notre Dame and a marquee Week 5 game between Oregon and Penn State.
Keep reading for a closer look at the opening weeks of the Big Ten college football season on NBC and Peacock.
Week 1 matchups
NBC and Peacock will open the 2025 Big Ten season with a Friday night matchup featuring Western Illinois and Illinois.
This will mark the fourth matchup ever between the Fighting Illini and the Leathernecks. Illinois has won all three previous matchups between the two teams dating back to 2007. The Fighting Illini and Leathernecks most recently met in September 2018, when Illinois won, 34-14.
Illinois finished the 2024 season with a 10-3 overall record, including a 6-3 mark in conference play.
On the following day, the Big Ten Saturday Night action continues as Michigan hosts New Mexico at the Big House. This game will provide a first look at a Michigan team that disappointed last season with an 8-5 overall mark. Head coach Sherrone Moore reportedly is expected to be suspended for two games in the 2025 season as part of self-imposed sanctions by the university for the Connor Stalions advanced scouting scandal.
Week 2 matchups
Miami Ohio will visit Rutgers at SHI Stadium to kick off the Week 2 slate, followed by Michigan State hosting Boston College in the evening window.
The Miami Ohio-Rutgers matchup will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Rutgers, which finished the 2024 season with a 7-6 mark, will seek its third-consecutive winning record next year. Miami Ohio posted a 9-5 record last season, including a 7-1 conference mark.
At night, Michigan State will host Boston College at Spartan Stadium. Both teams last played each other during the 2024 season when the Eagles stormed back in the fourth quarter to defeat the Spartans. The schools have faced each other seven times dating back to 1935, and Boston College leads the all-time series, 5-1-1.
The Eagles finished the 2024 season with a 7-5 mark, while the Spartans posted a 5-7 record.
Week 3 matchups
The Week 3 slate will feature Towson at Maryland in the afternoon window, followed by Ohio at defending national champion Ohio State in the evening.
The Tigers delivered a strong 2024 campaign, earning their first seven-win season since 2019. The team finished with a 7-5 overall record, including a 5-3 mark in the CAA.
Towson will take on Maryland for the first time since the 2023 season.
Maryland is coming off of a 4-8 season last year and lost many players to the transfer portal. Coach Mike Locksley recruited well though, landing solid players in the recruiting class and transfer portal.
The night matchup will feature Ohio at Ohio State at Ohio Stadium. The series history between these two teams dates back to 1999 and the Buckeyes are 3-0 in head-to-head matchups.
Ohio State finished with a 14-2 overall record last season, including a 7-2 mark in conference play en route to the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes defeated Notre Dame to win their ninth National Championship - the first championship for the program since 2014.
Purdue at Notre Dame in Week 4
Notre Dame, which advanced to the College Football Playoff National Championship least season, will host instate rival Purdue in the afternoon slate of Week 4.
Both teams last played each other last season when the Fighting Irish defeated the Boilermakers, 66-7. This matchup will mark the second-consecutive season in which Notre Dame has faced Purdue in Game 3 of the season to battle for the Shillelagh Trophy.
The Irish and Boilermakers first played each other in 1896 and both teams have faced off 88 times over the course of their histories. Notre Dame holds a 60-26-2 overall advantage in the series.
RELATED: NBC Sports' 2025 Notre Dame football schedule headlined by matchups vs. Texas A&M, Boise State
Oregon vs. Penn State in Week 5
Both Oregon and Penn State enter the 2025 college football season hungry for more.
Dan Lanning's Oregon team looked like one of the best in the country during the regular season. The Ducks were the only team to finish the season undefeated, posting a 12-0 mark. When Oregon defeated Penn State to win the Big Ten Championship game, the Ducks looked like they had the most momentum entering the College Football Playoff.
But — after a first-round bye — the Ducks lost to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, dashing their championship hopes.
Penn State meanwhile, made a deeper postseason run in the first season with the expanded College Football Playoff. The Nittany Lions finished the 2024 season with a 13-3 record, including an 8-1 mark in conference play. After losing to Oregon in the Big Ten Championship, Penn State defeated SMU and Boise State in the College Football Playoff before falling just short to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl.
Complete first three weeks of the 2025 Big Ten schedule on NBC and Peacock:
Western Illinois at Illinois (7:30p EST, Peacock)
New Mexico at Michigan (7:30p EST, NBC, Peacock)
Miami (OH) at Rutgers (3:30p EST, Peacock)
Boston College at Michigan State (7:30p EST, NBC, Peacock)
Towson at Maryland (3:30p EST, Peacock)
Ohio at Ohio State (7:15p EST, Peacock)
Purdue at Notre Dame (3:30p EST, NBC, Peacock)
Afternoon game TBA
Oregon at Penn State (7:30p EST, NBC, Peacock)
Stay tuned to NBC Sports for continued updates on the 2025 Big Ten football schedule. Sign up here to watch all of Peacock's LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You'll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC & Bravo hits—Peacock is here for whatever you're in the mood for.
Luke Altmyer sits down with Nicole Auerbach to discuss his decision to return to Illinois, the culture that coach Bret Bielema fosters and the significance of defeating South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl.
Ryan Day sits down with Nicole Auerbach to discuss the youth on this season's Ohio State team, the QB battle between Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz and Tavien St. Clair and the offseason coordinator changes.
RBs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton sit down with Mike Robinson to unpack their decision to return to Penn State, how they separate football from their friendship and what they want their legacies to be.
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