Northwestern Finalizes 2027 Nonconference Schedule With FCS Opponent

The 'Cats will play an FCS team in 2025, 2026 and 2027.

Jul 23, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Northwestern head coach David Braun speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

The Northwestern Wildcats have officially locked in their nonconference schedule for the 2027 college football season.

On Thursday afternoon, the program announced it had scheduled a home game against Holy Cross for September 4, 2027. The Crusaders join a nonconference slate that includes a road game at Colorado on September 11, 2027, and a home contest against East Carolina on September 18, 2027. The remaining nine weeks of Northwestern's schedule will be played against Big Ten opponents.

Holy Cross competes at the FCS level as part of the Patriot League, which the program won in five consecutive seasons between 2019 and 2023 under head coach Bob Chesney. After Chesney was hired at James Madison, the team went 6-6 (5-1 in conference play) with new head coach Dan Curran in 2024, winning a share of its sixth consecutive league title.

The meeting will be the first in history between Northwestern and Holy Cross and is set to be held at the new Ryan Field. The Wildcats' stadium is expected to open in the fall of 2026, when Northwestern's nonconference schedule features home games against South Dakota State, Colorado and Ball State.

On August 30, the 'Cats will open the season at Tulane, which went 9-5 overall and 7-1 in the American in 2024. Northwestern then rounds out its non-Big Ten schedule against FCS opponent Western Illinois on September 5 and the Sun Belt's Louisiana Monroe on October 4.

After Northwestern announced it had scheduled the game against East Carolina on July 29, Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock took to social media with a jab at the Wildcats. Hammock appeared to express frustration that Northwestern has not played against the Huskies since Northern Illinois upset the 'Cats at Ryan Field, 23-15, in 2014.

The Wildcats had one potential nonconference game remaining in which they could've scheduled NIU in 2027, but Northwestern's addition of the contest against Holy Cross closes the door on an in-state rematch with the Huskies. However, the 'Cats currently only have one opponent set in stone for each of the 2028 (Central Florida), 2029 (Rice) and 2030 (Illinois State) college football seasons, meaning an eventual game against Northern Illinois can not be ruled out yet.

With Holy Cross joining the fold, Northwestern is scheduled to play an FCS team at home in each of the next three years. While Western Illinois and Holy Cross may look to be easy victories at first, the Wildcats could have a tough time with South Dakota State, which won the FCS National Championship in 2022 and 2023. Northwestern offensive coordinator Zach Lujan was the Jackrabbit's OC and quarterbacks coach for both Championship teams.