Northwestern football has scheduled five future non-conference games against Rice, South Dakota State and Tulane.

The announcement of a two-game series with the Tulane Green Wave will be the most immediate impact for Northwestern fans. The first game will take place at Ryan Field on September 12, 2020. This will move the previously scheduled game with the Central Michigan Chippewas to September 19, 2020. Northwestern will play at Tulane on August 30, 2025.

If you think that’s far away, that’s nothing compared to Northwestern’s scheduled series with the Rice Owls. Northwestern will travel to Houston to play Rice in 2029. Rice will visit Evanston in 2031. That’s 13 years down the road! Will Inside NU still exist in 2031?

Lastly, Northwestern has scheduled a 2026 meeting with the FCS South Dakota State Jackrabbits. If anyone is confused, the Big Ten dropped its policy of banning teams from scheduling FCS games in 2017. South Dakota State is a good FCS program, but the Jackrabbits are not quite as well-known for FBS upsets like North Dakota State. Still, Northwestern’s last game against an FCS opponent did not end well, so we can’t promise anything.