ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference unveiled the football lineup for the 2026-27 Big Ten Rivalry Series presented by Venmo, highlighting some of the biggest matchups across football, men’s and women’s basketball this season.
The Rivalry Series, now in its second year, will kick off on Saturday, Sept. 26, in Los Angeles when No. 12 USC hosts No. 20 Oregon inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The football slate features 18 games, including battles for long-standing rivalry trophies such as the Heroes Trophy (Nebraska at Iowa; Nov. 27), Paul Bunyan’s Axe (Minnesota at Wisconsin; Nov. 27), Old Oaken Bucket (Purdue at Indiana; Nov. 28) and Land of Lincoln Trophy (Illinois at Northwestern; Nov. 28).
A complete schedule is below.
Men’s and women’s basketball games included in the Big Ten Rivalry Series presented by Venmo will be announced at a later date.
2026 Big Ten Football Rivalry Series presented by Venmo
| Saturday, September 26 |
Oregon at USC |
| Saturday, October 3 |
Ohio State at Iowa |
| Saturday, October 10 |
USC at Penn State |
| Saturday, October 10 |
Illinois at Michigan State |
| Saturday, October 17 |
Northwestern at Michigan State |
| Saturday, October 31 |
Ohio State at USC |
| Saturday, October 31 |
Michigan at Rutgers |
| Saturday, November 7 |
Oregon at Ohio State |
| Saturday, November 7 |
Penn State at Washington |
| Saturday, November 21 |
Iowa at Illinois |
| Saturday, November 21 |
Ohio State at Nebraska |
| Saturday, November 21 |
Wisconsin at Purdue |
| Friday, November 27 |
Nebraska at Iowa (Heroes Trophy) |
| Friday, November 27 |
Minnesota at Wisconsin |
| Saturday, November 28 |
Purdue at Indiana (Old Oaken Bucket) |
| Saturday, November 28 |
Penn State at Maryland |
| Saturday, November 28 |
Illinois at Northwestern (Land of Lincoln Trophy) |
| Saturday, November 28 |
Washington at Oregon |
Venmo’s Big Ten Campus & Gameday Activations
Throughout the 2026-2027 school year, Venmo will bring energy to Big Ten campus life by tapping into the Rivalry Series and other key moments to meet students and fans where it matters most. Backed by more than 60 student ambassadors across six Big Ten schools who gain hands-on business experience representing the brand, Venmo will fuel community and connection all year long through:
Venmo Hall: Takeovers in State College and Ann Arbor will transform popular student venues into immersive fan experiences during marquee football weekends with free entry, complimentary food and beverage, exclusive giveaways, limited-time merch drops, and live musical performances for Venmo customers.
Friday, October 9: Champs Downtown in State College, Pa.
Friday, November 6: Garage Bar in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Venmo Mobile Activations: From midterms to gamedays, pop-up experiences and on-campus events will feature offers from popular local businesses, games, and prize giveaways students won’t want to miss.
Venmo Nights & Local Merchant Offers: Standing discounts for Venmo Customers throughout the semester at Garage Bar in Ann Arbor, Biggby Coffee in East Lansing, as well as Vibe Coffee Co. in State College.
About Venmo
Venmo is the go-to money movement app of the next generation, offering fast, safe, and social payments. With best-in-class experiences for users to send, split, shop, and sell, Venmo enables a seamless flow of money between the people and places that matter most to millions of users across the United States. For more information, go to:
Venmo.com.
About Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. The Big Ten Conference sponsors 28 official sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, and the broad-based programs of the 18 Big Ten institutions provide direct financial support for more than 14,000 student-athletes. For more information, visit
www.bigten.org.