Illinois drops pair of matchups against Mizzou in 2027 and 2028

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Mizzou football team will be looking for a Power-4 opponent for the 2027 and 2028 seasons, after Illinois dropped a pair of games against the Tigers, on Tuesday.

The Fighting Illini announced they have opted to schedule a home-and-home series with Notre Dame in those seasons, meaning the previously scheduled games against MU will no longer be on the schedule.

For head coach Eli Drinkwitz and company, the new opponent will have to come from a power conference to fulfill the College Football Playoff requirement of having 10 Power-4 games on the schedule. The SEC slate is nine games, so now MU will look to add an opponent from either the Big Ten, Atlantic Coast or Big 12 Conferences.

In a statement, Mizzou Athletic Director Laird Veatch said, "We are disappointed by Illinois' decision to withdraw from multiple future football games, including a home game for Mizzou in 2027. We are exploring all available options to address this matter."

The 2027 meeting was supposed to be the renewal of grudge fest between these two programs, as the Tigers and Fighting Illini have not met on the gridiron since 2010. MU holds the all-time advantage in the series 17-7, including six-straight wins over Illinois from 2002 to 2010.

We will keep you updated when Mizzou finds a new opponent to fill those holes in the schedule.