Northwestern’s early 2018 Big Ten season opener just got even earlier. The Big Ten has moved the Northwestern/Purdue game from Saturday, Sept. 1 to Thursday, Aug. 30. This means that the season will start a full 27 days before classes begin at Northwestern, but also gives the Wildcats a longer break before playing Duke at home on Sept. 8.
The official television time and broadcast information will not be announced for a while, but it’s safe to assume this will be a night game at Ross-Ade Stadium. The Big Ten also moved four other Big Ten games to new dates, but Northwestern’s only switch will be the Purdue game.