After a strong start to the season, the Illinois Fighting Illini football team will hit pause for a bye week.
The 25th-ranked Fighting Illini have a pair of wins against ranked opponents (vs. Kansas and at Nebraska), but are coming off a 21-7 loss to No. 7 Penn State. The Illini are poised to make a run toward a bowl game.
See Illinois ticket prices on StubHub
Coach Bret Bielema and the Illini come back from the bye to host Purdue (1-3) before facing their two toughest remaining opponents — at home vs. No. 10 Michigan and on the road at No. 6 Oregon.
Here’s all you need to know about Illinois’ schedule in Week 6 and onward:
The Fighting Illini will not play Saturday, which serves as their first of two byes of the season, following Week 5. Illinois also has a bye in Week 11.
Every team in the Football Bowl Subdivision gets two byes this season because of an NCAA by-law that prohibits FBS teams from playing a game before the first Thursday before Labor Day.
Friday’s game
Saturday’s games
Below is Illinois’ 2024 college football schedule, including its Week 6 bye on Saturday, with TV info; all times are CT.
Thursday, Aug. 29: Illinois 45, Eastern Illinois 0 | Recap
Saturday, Sept. 7: Illinois 23, Kansas 17 | Recap
Saturday, Sept. 14: Illinois 30, Central Michigan 9 | Recap
Friday, Sept. 20: No. 24 Illinois 31, No. 22 Nebraska 24 (OT) | Recap
Saturday, Sept. 28: No. 8 Penn State 21, No. 21 Illinois 7 | Recap
Saturday, Oct. 5: BYE
Saturday, Oct. 12: vs. Purdue* | 2:30 p.m. | FS1 (Fubo free trial)
Saturday, Oct. 19: vs. No. 10 Michigan*
Saturday, Oct. 26: at No. 6 Oregon*
Saturday, Nov. 2: vs. Minnesota*
Saturday, Nov. 9: BYE
Saturday, Nov. 16: vs. Michigan State*
Saturday, Nov. 23: at Rutgers*
Saturday, Nov. 30: at Northwestern*
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Does Illinois play today? Fighting Illini’s Week 7 college football schedule
From the moment the wheels of Deion Sanders’ jet touched down in suburban Denver in December 2022, Colorado has been one of the most closely followed teams in
Jamie Foxx stars In the 1999 football movie 'Any Given Sunday.' Getty Images Many sports have enjoyed their cinematic companions, from baseball to basketball to
Las Vegas — It would be disingenuous to say that Syracuse football’s epic 44-41 overtime defeat of UNLV was born entirely out of luck.But, hey, everyone nee
US LBM Coaches Poll: Georgia falls to Alabama, Texas becomes new No. 1The latest US LBM Coaches Poll is here and Georgia no longer sits at the top after a stunn