Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Release 2013 and 2014 Football Schedules
4/6/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 6, 2011
Renew or Purchase your 2011 Season Tickets -- Deadline to Renew is April 16
2013 Big Ten Football Schedule 
2014 Big Ten Football Schedule
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern, in unison with the Big Ten Conference, announced its 2013 and 2014 football schedules on Wednesday.
This is the second set of football schedules that the Big Ten has released since it was announced last summer that Nebraska was becoming the league's 12th member starting with the 2011 football season. Nebraska is a member of the six-team Legends Division, which includes Northwestern, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State and Minnesota.
"We are extremely excited about the future of our football program, and our upcoming schedules in 2013 and 2014 will provide a tremendous opportunity for our student-athletes and coaches to compete against the nation's very best," said Jim Phillips, Northwestern's director of athletics and recreation. "In addition to providing our student-athletes with the best competition, I fully believe that fans of Chicago's Big Ten team will be excited with the quality of opponents scheduled to visit Ryan Field in those two seasons."
Northwestern's 2013 schedule includes Big Ten home games against Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Minnesota. It will mark the first time since 1998 that both the Buckeyes and Wolverines travel to Evanston in the same season. The Wildcats' four Big Ten road games include visits to Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska and Illinois. In both 2013 and 2014, the Northwestern-Illinois game moves to Thanksgiving weekend when a majority of the Big Ten's top rivalry games are being played.
In 2013 nonconference action, the Wildcats play California, Syracuse and Vanderbilt in addition to Maine. Northwestern will play Syracuse and Maine at home that year, while traveling to California and Vanderbilt. In 2014, Cal and Vandy visit Ryan Field, along with instate foe Western Illinois. A fourth nonconference opponent for 2014 will be announced at a later date.
The Wildcats' 2014 Big Ten schedule includes the same eight conference foes as in 2013, with just the four away opponents (Nebraska, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois) making visits to Evanston. Northwestern will not play Indiana, Penn State and Purdue in the 2013-14 seasons.
For both 2013 and 2014, all Big Ten schools will have two built-in open dates since there are 14 Saturdays that fall from Labor Day weekend to Thanksgiving weekend. Northwestern will play four nonconference games to open the 2013 campaign before enjoying an open date on Sept. 28. The Wildcats then play five Big Ten games before having a second open date on Nov. 9. In 2014, the Wildcats presently have three open dates -- Sept. 6, Sept. 27 and Nov. 15 -- although one of those dates will be filled with a nonconference game.
Starting in 2011, each Big Ten institution will play the other five schools within its division and also will face three teams from the other division, including one cross-division matchup guaranteed on an annual basis. The guaranteed cross-division games are Iowa-Purdue, Michigan-Ohio State, Michigan State-Indiana, Minnesota-Wisconsin, Nebraska-Penn State and Northwestern-Illinois. The champions of the Legends Division and the Leaders Division will meet in the Big Ten Football Championship Game on the first Saturday of December, with the winner earning the Big Ten Championship and a chance to play in the Rose Bowl or BCS National Championship Game. The inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game will be played in prime time on Dec. 3, 2011, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. FOX Sports will serve as the official broadcast partner of the 2011-16 Big Ten Football Championship Games.
Season tickets for Northwestern's upcoming 2011 season currently are on sale, ranging from $116 (end zone) to $200 (sidelines), and also feature a new family pricing option. Season ticket holders have the opportunity to purchase additional tickets to regular season home games and bowl games before they go on sale to the general public, including upcoming marquee matchups against Nebraska, Ohio State and Michigan. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 888-GO-PURPLE or visit NUsports.com.
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN FOOTBALL
Northwestern is savoring its most successful stretch of football in school history. Since 1995, the Wildcats have posted 10 seasons with six or more victories. Since 2000, the Wildcats have won six or more games eight times (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010) and touted seven bowl-eligible teams.
In the last 16 years, only Ohio State and Michigan have won more Big Ten titles than the Wildcats' three conference crowns. NU has won a combined 24 games the past three seasons, which ranks as the 29th-best figure nationally among FBS programs. The Wildcats are coming off back-to-back New Year's Day bowl game appearances.
Off the field, Northwestern's football program is shining, too. The Wildcats had 55 players earn a 3.0 grade point average for the 2011 winter quarter, and for the third time in as many years, the team earned a cumulative GPA of better than 3.0. NU had eight student-athletes earn 4.0 GPAs for the winter quarter. Northwestern had a school-record 32 football student-athletes earn Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2010, with three of those individuals being named ESPN The Magazine first-team Academic All-District selections. Northwestern's football student-athletes also volunteer over 1,100 hours of combined community outreach each year.
2013 NORTHWESTERN SCHEDULE
Aug. 31 at California
Sept. 7 vs. Syracuse
Sept. 14 at Vanderbilt
Sept. 21 vs. Maine
Sept. 28 Open Date
Oct. 5 vs. Ohio State
Oct. 12 at Wisconsin
Oct. 19 vs. Minnesota
Oct. 26 at Iowa
Nov. 2 at Nebraska
Nov. 9 Open Date
Nov. 16 vs. Michigan
Nov. 23 vs. Michigan State
Nov. 30 at Illinois
2014 NORTHWESTERN SCHEDULE
Aug. 30 vs. California
Sept. 6 Open Date
Sept. 13 vs. Vanderbilt
Sept. 20 vs. Western Illinois
Sept. 27 Open Date
Oct. 4 vs. Nebraska
Oct. 11 at Minnesota
Oct. 18 vs. Wisconsin
Oct. 25 at Ohio State
Nov. 1 at Michigan State
Nov. 8 vs. Iowa
Nov. 15 Open Date
Nov. 22 at Michigan
Nov. 29 vs. Illinois
NOTE: Northwestern still has one nonconference game to schedule for 2014.
Dates are tentative and subject to change
