| NORTHWESTERN FOOTBALL: GAMEDAY INFORMATION | ||||||
| DATE | Opponent | TIME | LOCATION | Live Stats | TELEVISION | RADIO |
| Friday, Sept. 3 | Michigan State | 8 p.m. CT | Ryan Field | Stats | ESPN | AM-720 WGN Radio |
| 2021 VIRTUAL PRESS BOX | GAMEDAY INFORMATION | TICKETS | ||||||
EVANSTON, Ill. — Football is back.
Fresh off its second Big Ten West Division title in three years and a 2021 Citrus Bowl championship, Northwestern opens the 2021 campaign with a Friday night Big Ten showdown against Michigan State at Ryan Field.
Fans can still purchase single-game tickets for the 8 p.m. CT kickoff or catch the action on ESPN or AM-720 WGN Radio. Any fan coming to Ryan Field this season is encouraged to check out the Football Gameday Information page.
Northwestern finished the 2020 campaign with a 7-2 overall record and a 6-1 mark during the regular season. The Wildcats' lone loss during the 2020 regular season came in East Lansing when the Spartans topped NU, 29-20.
STORYLINES
- Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald named Hunter Johnson the starting quarterback.
- The last two seasons that Northwestern has opened the season against a Big Ten opponent the Wildcats have won the West Division and gone to the league title game. Northwestern opened the 2018 season with a 31-27 win at Purdue, while the 2020 campaign began with a 43-3 win over Maryland at Ryan Field.
- Northwestern is 82-42-7 in home openers dating back to 1888. Pat Fitzgerald is 11-4 all-time in the first home game of the season and 12-3 in season openers