May 22, 2024

Husker Football to Host Illinois in Friday Evening Contest

Posted May 22, 2024 7:22 PM

The Big Ten Conference and FOX have announced details of the network’s Friday Night Football package for the 2024 season, including Nebraska’s home matchup at Memorial Stadium against Illinois.

The Huskers’ game with the Illini will be played on Friday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. CT, with the game televised to a national audience on FOX. The two schools were originally scheduled to play on Saturday, Sept. 21 in Lincoln.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule yells at an official arguing for pass interference following a Maryland interception during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule yells at an official arguing for pass interference following a Maryland interception during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

This is the second Nebraska home game selected for prime-time national coverage in the season’s first four weeks. Earlier this month, NBC announced it would televise Nebraska’s game against Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 7 with kickoff at 6:30 p.m.

Nebraska and Illinois will be meeting on Friday night for the second straight season and for the third time since 2017. Nebraska was victorious in games in Champaign in both 2017 and 2023. It is also the third consecutive season Nebraska has played a Friday night game after winning at Rutgers in 2022.

Aside from its traditional Black Friday games at Memorial Stadium, this will be Nebraska’s first weekday home game since Sept. 20, 2001, when Nebraska hosted Rice. The game was postponed for five days following the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

The Big Ten and its television partners are expected to announce additional game times and broadcast information before the end of May.