Are the Stars Aligning for a Week 4 Illinois-Indiana ESPN 'College GameDay'?

Illinois and Indiana have both stormed out of their respective gates in 2025, setting up the rare ranked-versus-ranked showdown in the series at Bloomington's Memorial Stadium in Week 4. The network big-wigs have acknowledged it by plugging the game into NBC's primetime college football slot on Sept. 20 (6:30 p.m. CT). All of which leads to the most important question on the topic:

Will ESPN’s "College GameDay" be there?

Below, we break down all the options:

Illinois has done its part

Sep 6, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema during the third quarter against the Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Illinois has handled its business so far – and with authority – opening the season with a blowout of Western Illinois before traveling to Durham, North Carolina, to dismantle Duke in Week 2. The Illini face Western Michigan at home next, another chance to fine-tune before the grind of Big Ten play begins.

The offense, directed by quarterback Luke Altmyer and powered by a deep, punishing ground game, looks sharp and efficient, while the defense has flexed its muscle and depth, mostly shutting down explosive plays and forcing turnovers in bunches.

Illinois is a LEGIT playoff contender this year pic.twitter.com/uA7kPhWl37
— College Football Zone (@CollegeFBonX) September 6, 2025

It's all part of a steady rise since Bret Bielema took over in Champaign, reshaping the program into one built on toughness, discipline and across-the-board buy-in to the larger vision. Now ranked No. 9 in the country, Illinois carries itself like a team capable of more than just competing in the Big Ten. With momentum and talent, Bielema’s squad appears prepared to insert itself into the College Football Playoff conversation.

Why Indiana makes sense

Cut Cignetti — Head Coach Curt Cignetti during the Indiana versus Kennesaw State Big Ten football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Indiana, meanwhile, is off to its own strong start after opening the year ranked No. 20. The Hoosiers have long struggled to gain traction nationally, but since the arrival of coach Curt Cignetti, the program has turned a corner. Indiana went 11-2 and made the CFP in 2024, and it followed a beatdown of Old Dominion (after a clunky start) in its opener by punishing Kennesaw State in a showcase of their offensive firepower and defensive prowess in Week 2.

Good morning Hoosiers #iufb

Curt Cignetti is 13-2 as Indiana Football Head Coach. Have a great day! pic.twitter.com/wJCb6cYpjT
— Hoosier Review (@Hoosier_Review) September 7, 2025

Now ranked at No. 22, Cignetti’s squad is led by quarterback Fernando Mendoza, a potential first-round pick who has brought stability and star power to the offense. With talent, confidence and momentum, Indiana enters Week 3 against in-state foe Indiana State with a chance to sharpen things further before welcoming Illinois. The clash is without a doubt the most anticipated UI-IU football game in recent memory.

Other matchups

The rest of the national scheduling picture might help clear a path to Bloomington for "GameDay." The only other notable matchups in Week 4 are Florida at No. 5 Miami, No. 11 South Carolina at No. 25 Missouri and No. 24 Auburn at No. 11 Oklahoma. Florida-Miami carries rivalry weight, but the shine is fading. The Gators already suffered a shocking home loss to South Florida (and still have No. 3 LSU on deck), which means Florida could stumble into South Beach at 1–2 and unranked.

South Carolina-Missouri and Auburn-Oklahoma will draw attention, but the combined rankings in those games don't match that of Illinois–Indiana. Also, the Sooners just hosted "GameDay" in Week 2, making it unlikely that the show will make a return trip to Norman two weeks later. That makes Bloomington the rare stage where a matchup between two ranked, undefeated non-traditional Big Ten powers could actually stand out above the rest of the week’s slate.

The Illinois on SI verdict

It's simple: Bloomington will host ESPN's College "GameDay" in Week 4. A top-10 Illinois team on the rise traveling to face a ranked Indiana squad provides the perfect mix of storylines and stakes, and the atmosphere promises to be electric. With both teams heavily favored this week, there is little standing in the way of the Sept. 20 clash becoming a marquee Big Ten showdown – with "GameDay" taking showing up front and center.