NBC Sports’ 2025 Big Ten Football Coverage Kicks Off This Friday with No. 12 Illinois Hosting Western Illinois at 7:30 p.m. ET Exclusively on Peacock
Big Ten College Countdown Begins at 7 p.m. ET on Friday (Peacock) and Saturday (NBC & Peacock)
STAMFORD, Conn. – Aug. 27, 2025 – The Associated Press-ranked No. 14 Michigan Wolverines open their 2025 season against the New Mexico Lobos in the season debut of NBC Sports’ Big Ten Saturday Night this Saturday, Aug. 30, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Coverage begins with Big Ten College Countdown at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
NBC Sports’ coverage of Big Ten college football season kicks off with the No. 12 Illinois Fighting Illini hosting the Western Illinois Leathernecks this Friday, Aug. 29, at 7:30 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock. Coverage begins with Big Ten College Countdown at 7 p.m. ET on Peacock.
Big Ten Saturday Night, 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock: New Mexico at No. 14 Michigan
The No. 14 Michigan Wolverines host the New Mexico Lobos at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Coverage begins with Big Ten College Countdown at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
The Wolverines, ranked No. 14 in the preseason AP poll, finished last season with three consecutive wins, including a 13-10 win over reigning national champion Ohio State and a 19-13 victory over then-No. 11 Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl. On Monday, true freshman Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class, was named the Wolverines’ starting quarterback.
New Mexico finished last season with two wins in its final three games, highlighted by a 38-35 victory over then-No. 18 Washington State. Transfer running back Scottre Humphrey, a 2025 Preseason All-Mountain West selection, looks to lead the Lobos’ offense after being named First Team All-Big Sky Conference at Montana State last season.
New Mexico-Michigan will be called from Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., by NBC Sports’ Big Ten Saturday Night team of Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), and Kathryn Tappen (sidelines). Terry McAulay serves as the rules analyst.
Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock: Western Illinois at No. 12 Illinois
The No. 12 Illinois Fighting Illini host the Western Illinois Leathernecks at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill., this Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock. Coverage begins with Big Ten College Countdown at 7 p.m. ET on Peacock.
Illinois opens the season ranked No. 12, the program’s highest preseason ranking since 1990. The Fighting Illini return 16 starters from last season — tied for the most in the nation — including quarterback Luke Altmyer, who ranked fifth in the Big Ten with 22 touchdown passes last season, and linebacker Gabe Jacas. Last year, Illinois capped off one of the best seasons in program history by beating then-No. 14 South Carolina in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, 21-17.
The Leathernecks, voted fifth in the OVC-Big South preseason coaches’ poll, enter their 2025 campaign with multiple key returning players including wide receivers Demari Davis and Christian Anaya, as well as preseason 2025 OVC-Big South First Team Special Teams kicker Antonio Chadha.
Western Illinois at Illinois will be called by Paul Burmeister (play-by-play), 15-year NFL quarterback and Super Bowl XXI MVP Phil Simms (analyst), who makes his return to NBC Sports after serving as an NFL game analyst from 1995-98 and calling Super Bowls XXX and XXXII on NBC, and Zora Stephenson (sidelines). Terry McAulay serves as the rules analyst.
Big Ten College Countdown
NBC Sports’ Big Ten College Countdown studio show begins at 7 p.m. ET on Friday (exclusively on Peacock) and Saturday (NBC and Peacock). The Big Ten College Countdown team features host Ahmed Fareed in studio alongside analysts Chris Simms and Joshua Perry, and college football insider Nicole Auerbach. Jordan Cornette hosts on-site in Ann Arbor with analysts Matt Cassel and Michael Robinson.
Big Ten College Countdown will lead into Big Ten games on NBC/Peacock. In addition, College Countdown will lead into Notre Dame Football games on NBC/Peacock.
NBC Sports College Football Podcasts:
Rushing the Field with Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry presented by Xfinity returns for its second season with new episodes every Thursday morning and Saturday night. Auerbach and Perry will break down the biggest college football stories, preview the upcoming weekend slate, analyze the college football playoff picture, and cultivate a home for college sports fans who want the latest news, smart takes, and laughs. Each week’s episode will also air on NBC Sports NOW FAST Channel on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. ET, beginning next Tuesday, Sept. 2.
NBC Sports’ 2025 Big Ten and Notre Dame Football games announced to date
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform(s) |
| Fri., Aug. 29 | 7:30 p.m. | Western Illinois at Illinois | Peacock |
| Sat., Aug. 30 | 7:30 p.m. | New Mexico at Michigan | NBC, Peacock |
| Sat., Sept. 6 | 3:30 p.m. | Miami (OH) at Rutgers | Peacock |
| Sat., Sept. 6 | 7:30 p.m. | Boston College at Michigan State | NBC, Peacock |
| Sat., Sept. 13 | Noon | Towson at Maryland | Peacock |
| Sat., Sept. 13 | 7 p.m. | Ohio at Ohio State | Peacock |
| Sat., Sept. 13 | 7:30 p.m. | Texas A&M at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
| Sat., Sept. 20 | 3:30 p.m. | Purdue at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
| Sat., Sept. 27 | 7:30 p.m. | Oregon at Penn State | NBC, Peacock |
| Sat., Oct. 4 | 3:30 p.m. | Boise State at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
| Sat., Oct. 11 | 3:30 p.m. | N.C. State at Notre Dame | Peacock |
| Sat., Oct. 18 | 7:30 p.m. | USC at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
| Sat., Nov. 8 | 7:30 p.m. | Navy at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
| Sat., Nov. 22 | 3:30 p.m. | Syracuse at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
| Fri., Nov. 28 | 7:30 p.m. | Indiana at Purdue | NBC, Peacock |
The remaining NBC Sports’ Big Ten Football games will be announced during the season, with each matchup typically announced 12 days prior to the scheduled game date.
NBC Sports’ Big Ten Football package features Big Ten Saturday Night on NBC and Peacock – marking Big Ten Football’s first dedicated weekly primetime game on a national broadcast network.
Peacock will simulstream all of NBC Sports’ college football games and studio shows airing on the NBC broadcast network this season, including Big Ten Saturday Night and Notre Dame Football home games.
In addition to Big Ten football, Peacock’s sports programming features live coverage of the NFL, including Sunday Night Football, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Big Ten basketball, BIG EAST basketball, Big 12 basketball, Notre Dame Football, Premier League, the U.S. Women’s and Men’s National Teams soccer matches (in Spanish), golf, NBA and WNBA coming in 2025 and 2026, respectively, and much more.
To learn more about how to watch Big Ten Football on Peacock and how to sign up, click here.
--NBC SPORTS--
