Wildcats Daily

Northwestern Schedules Non-Conference Football Opponent for 2027

A team out of the American will take on the 'Cats in their new stadium.
Gavin Dorsey|
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
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

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Northwestern Wildcats

The 2026 college football season is a highly anticipated one for Northwestern. The New Ryan Field is set to open at the start of the season as one of the most innovative stadiums in the sport, and the Wildcats will welcome a pair of difficult opponents to their home in Colorado and South Dakota State.

Northwestern is also solidifying its 2027 schedule. On Tuesday, the Wildcats announced in a social media post that they will face off against East Carolina at Ryan Field on September 18, 2027. NU is scheduled to play the back half of its home-and-home series at Colorado a week before, and with the addition of a matchup with ECU, the 'Cats have one non-conference game left to schedule two years into the future.

While the Pirates struggled for much of the 2010s, they've managed to find recent success in the American Athletic Conference. Thanks to a 5-1 finish after making a head coaching change, East Carolina went 8-5 last season and capped off the year with a 26-21 win over North Carolina State in the Military Bowl. The Pirates have won at least seven games in three of the last four seasons.

The 2027 matchup will be the first in history for Northwestern and East Carolina. Of Northwestern's non-conference opponents in 2026 and 2027, only Ball State has faced off against the 'Cats before — a 24-19 NU win in 2015. The Wildcats will play Colorado and South Dakota State for the first time in 2026.

In response to Northwestern's announcement, Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock called out the Wildcats on social media. Hammock said, "We are right down the road," implying he is looking to set up a game between the Huskies and 'Cats.

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Gavin Dorsey
GAVIN DORSEY

Gavin Dorsey is the Lead Writer for Northwestern Wildcats On SI and covers a handful of other teams in the On SI network. Before joining On SI in February 2025, he wrote for the Star Tribune and Inside NU while broadcasting college sports for both radio and television. Dorsey is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, where he also studied psychology. In his free time, he enjoys running and being outdoors. Dorsey is currently a freelance writer for the Associated Press, covering Chicago area sports teams.

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