Northwestern has finalized locations for next season and announced on Wednesday its 2024 schedule, featuring the Wildcats’ final two home games at Wrigley Field.
Second-year head coach David Braun and Northwestern will host Ohio State on Nov. 16 and Illinois on Nov. 30 at the home of the Chicago Cubs. The Wildcats are rebuilding Ryan Field across the next two seasons after a historic $480 million gift from the Ryan family, the largest in Northwestern history, and will remain playing home games in the Chicago metropolitan area in 2024.
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The Wildcats will open the season with three-straight home games against defending Mid-American Conference champion Miami (OH), Duke and Eastern Illinois, and those games will be played inside the Lanny and Sharon Martin Lakeside Facility.
While the Big Ten Conference expands welcoming Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington — all from the Pac-12 Conference — and goes divisionless in 2024, Northwestern will play a nine-game conference schedule including bouts against last season’s College Football Playoff National Championship participants on the road against the defending Pac-12 champion Huskies on Sept. 21 and reigning national title winner and Big Ten champion Michigan on Nov. 23.
Kickoff times and television networks along with additional game information will be announced by the Big Ten office at a later date, according to a release.
Braun and the Wildcats are building on an 8-5 season in 2023 which ended with a 14-7 win over Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. Braun earned Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading Northwestern on a seven-win turnaround, the largest by any Football Bowl Subdivision team in college football.
Former Mississippi State and Vanderbilt quarterback Mike Wright announced his commitment to transfer and join Braun and the Wildcats last week. Wright is expected to command the starting quarterback competition, and he has over 2,500 passing yards and 20 touchdowns at the college level.
Here is Northwestern’s full 2024 schedule.
Week 1 (Aug. 31) — Miami (OH) at Northwestern (Lanny and Sharon Martin Lakeside Facility)
Week 2 (Sept. 7) — Duke at Northwestern (Lanny and Sharon Martin Lakeside Facility)
Week 3 (Sept.14) — Eastern Illinois at Northwestern (Lanny and Sharon Martin Lakeside Facility)
Week 4 (Sept. 21) — Northwestern at Washington (Husky Stadium)
Week 5 (Sept. 28) — BYE
Week 6 (Oct. 5) — Indiana at Northwestern (Lanny and Sharon Martin Lakeside Facility)
Week 7 (Oct. 12) — Northwestern at Maryland (SECU Stadium)
Week 8 (Oct. 19) — Wisconsin at Northwestern (Lanny and Sharon Martin Lakeside Facility)
Week 9 (Oct. 26) — Northwestern at Iowa (Kinnick Stadium)
Week 10 (Nov. 2) — Northwestern at Purdue (Ross-Ade Stadium)
Week 11 (Nov. 9) — BYE
Week 12 (Nov. 16) — Ohio State at Northwestern (Wrigley Field)
Week 13 (Nov. 23) — Northwestern at Michigan (Michigan Stadium)
Week 14 (Nov. 30) — Illinois at Northwestern (Wrigley Field)
