Kickoff Time, TV Information Released For Purdue's Week 5 Game vs. Illinois
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Purdue's Week 5 game against Illinois officially has a start time and a television designation. The Big Ten released the complete schedule for that week, and the Boilermakers and Fighting Illini will have a late-afternoon start.
The Oct. 3 clash between Purdue and Illinois is scheduled for a 4:15 p.m. ET kickoff. The game will air on Big Ten Network. This will be the fourth game the Boilermakers have played that has a start later than noon ET this season.
Purdue's only noon kickoff this season came in Week 2 against Wake Forest. This weekend's matchup with Notre Dame is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET and will air on Peacock.
Locked for the trip to Champaign 🔒
— Purdue Football (@BoilerFootball) September 21, 2026
Kicking off at 4:15 PM ET on @BigTenNetwork. pic.twitter.com/wsxdtFnP7C
Illinois defeated Purdue at Ross-Ade Stadium last season 43-27. The Fighting Illini have won each of the last two meetings in the series and will look to make it three-straight victories for the first time since rattling off six consecutive victories over the Boilers from 1988 through 1993.
Purdue is 1-2 on the season and 0-1 in Big Ten play. It will host No. 3 Notre Dame on Saturday in West Lafayette. Illinois sits at 2-1 on the year and opens its conference slate this week in Columbus, playing No. 7 Ohio State.
Ryan Browne's big day in 2024
Things haven't gone Purdue's way against Illinois the last two years, but the last time quarterback Ryan Browne played in Champaign, he put on quite a show.
Purdue trailed 24-3 at the half, but Browne put on an impressive show in the second half. He led the Boilermakers back from a large deficit and forced the game into overtime at 43-43. The Fighting Illini scored a touchdown and the Boilermakers responded in the extra period, but failed on a two-point conversion try to lose the game.
Still, it was a valiant effort from Browne and the Boilers. He ended that contest with 297 passing yards and three touchdowns while completing 18-of-26 throws. The quarterback also accounted for 118 yards on 17 carries.
Although the Boilermakers have struggled through the first three games this season, Browne and his team is in a much better position to go into Champaign and pull out a victory this fall. It sould be an entertaining rivalry game in Week 5.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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