Purdue Swaps Notre Dame for West Virginia in 2027 Football Schedule

Purdue and Notre Dame will not meet on the gridiron during the 2027 college football season. The Boilermakers announced on Tuesday that they are pausing their long-standing rivalry with the Irish. West Virginia will take Notre Dame's place on Purdue's upcoming slate.

Tommy McClelland, the vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics at Purdue, explained the decision. He noted that the expansion of the College Football Playoff to 24 teams will create new scheduling rules. Those rules require schools to play 10 regular season games against power conference opponents. McClelland stated that filling the schedule with games that fit Coach Odom's program has been a priority since his arrival in West Lafayette.

The Boilermakers have a deep history with their new opponent. Purdue last faced West Virginia on Sept. 21, 1996, and lost that contest 20-6. The two teams first met on Sept. 2, 1995, a game Purdue won 26-24.

Notre Dame quickly moved to replace Purdue in its own schedule. The Irish announced a home-and-home series with Illinois, a fellow Big Ten school. The two programs have not played each other since 1968. Illinois will visit Notre Dame on Sept. 4, 2027. The Irish will travel to Champaign for the second matchup on Sept. 2, 2028. Notre Dame holds an all-time record of 11-0-1 against the Illini.

Purdue's other non-conference fixtures for 2027 are set. The Boilermakers will host UAlbany on Aug. 28 and face Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 11. McClelland said the Purdue-Notre Dame series, which has been played on and off 90 times, will be reevaluated for potential addition to future schedules.