EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern will kick off the 2017 season at Ryan Field against the University of Nevada on Saturday, September 2, at 2:30 p.m. CT, and will host Bowling Green two weeks later under the lights, the Big Ten Network announced on Tuesday.
The Wildcats will open the season versus the Wolf Pack at Ryan Field on the Big Ten Network before returning home two weeks later for a primetime contest on BTN versus the Falcons.
The announcement comes a week after ESPN and Fox Sports announced select game times for the first three weeks of the season and all 14 Big Ten homecoming games. NU will travel to Duke on Sept. 9 to take on the Blue Devils on ESPNU at 11 a.m. CT. Chicago's Big Ten Team will host defending Big Ten champion Penn State as a part of homecoming on Oct. 7 at 11 a.m. CT. A television designation for the matchup with the Nittany Lions will be announced at a later date.
The 2017 campaign marks the first time in history that Northwestern will host five Big Ten Conference tilts at Ryan Field. The 'Cats kick off the home Conference slate against reigning Big Ten champion Penn State on Saturday, October 7, and will also take on Iowa, Michigan State, Purdue and Minnesota in Evanston.
Northwestern is 1-1 all-time against the Wolf Pack, with both teams successfully defending home field during a home-and-home series in 2006 and 2007. Quarterback C.J. Bacher led the Wildcats on a game-winning, 80-yard touchdown drive in the game's final 72 seconds to secure a 36-31 victory at Ryan Field on Sept. 8, 2007, in the last meeting between the two programs.
The Wildcats are 0-2 all-time against Bowling Green, with the most-recent meeting coming in the 2003 Motor City Bowl at Detroit's Ford Field, a 28-24 win for the Falcons.
Season tickets, the only way to ensure the best seats at Ryan Field, can by purchased at NUSports.com or by calling 888-GO-PURPLE.
The Wildcats will open the season versus the Wolf Pack at Ryan Field on the Big Ten Network before returning home two weeks later for a primetime contest on BTN versus the Falcons.
The announcement comes a week after ESPN and Fox Sports announced select game times for the first three weeks of the season and all 14 Big Ten homecoming games. NU will travel to Duke on Sept. 9 to take on the Blue Devils on ESPNU at 11 a.m. CT. Chicago's Big Ten Team will host defending Big Ten champion Penn State as a part of homecoming on Oct. 7 at 11 a.m. CT. A television designation for the matchup with the Nittany Lions will be announced at a later date.
The 2017 campaign marks the first time in history that Northwestern will host five Big Ten Conference tilts at Ryan Field. The 'Cats kick off the home Conference slate against reigning Big Ten champion Penn State on Saturday, October 7, and will also take on Iowa, Michigan State, Purdue and Minnesota in Evanston.
Northwestern is 1-1 all-time against the Wolf Pack, with both teams successfully defending home field during a home-and-home series in 2006 and 2007. Quarterback C.J. Bacher led the Wildcats on a game-winning, 80-yard touchdown drive in the game's final 72 seconds to secure a 36-31 victory at Ryan Field on Sept. 8, 2007, in the last meeting between the two programs.
The Wildcats are 0-2 all-time against Bowling Green, with the most-recent meeting coming in the 2003 Motor City Bowl at Detroit's Ford Field, a 28-24 win for the Falcons.
Season tickets, the only way to ensure the best seats at Ryan Field, can by purchased at NUSports.com or by calling 888-GO-PURPLE.