The Purdue football program is putting a pause on its series against Notre Dame, taking the games planned for 2027 and 2028 off the schedule, the school announced Tuesday.
Instead, the Boilermakers will play West Virginia in Morgantown early in the 2027 season. The teams last met in 1996.
Notre Dame moved swiftly to fill the schedule opening with games against a different Big Ten opponent, announcing contests in South Bend, Ind., on Sept. 4, 2027, and in Champaign, Ill., on Sept. 2, 2028. The Irish are 11-0-1 all-time against the Illini.
Illinois ended its border series with Missouri, and the SEC foe was fired up about the schedule change Tuesday afternoon.
Missouri athletic director Laird Veatch did not know immediately how the Tigers would address the opening in the 2027 home schedule.
“We are disappointed by Illinois’ decision to withdraw from multiple future football games, including a home game for Mizzou in 2027,” Veatch said in a statement. “We are exploring all available options to address this matter.”
Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman said he’s been looking to add Notre Dame to the schedule since he was hired. The programs last played in 1968.
According to Notre Dame records, the Irish stand 62-26-2 against the Boilermakers. Notre Dame has won the past 11 games, including a 49-10 victory on Sept. 26 this season.
Purdue said any resumption of play against Notre Dame would be announced in the future, and athletic director Tommy McClelland offered a reason for the interruption of the series between the Indiana schools.
“With the expected expansion of the College Football Playoff to 24 teams, there will be scheduling parameters for schools to follow, including having 10 regular season games against power conference opponents,” McClelland said. “Getting Coach (Barry) Odom’s program into matchups that best serve our goals and ambitions has been a focus of mine since arriving in West Lafayette, and we are excited to add this game with West Virginia. The tradition-rich rivalry of Purdue and Notre Dame, a matchup that has been played on and off 90 times in program history, will be reevaluated for potential addition to future schedules.”
Purdue also announced it had finalized home nonconference games against FCS program Albany on Aug. 28, 2027, and Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 11, 2027.
On the season, No. 4 Notre Dame is 7-1. Purdue has a 3-5 record.
–Field Level Media
