Northwestern adds future games vs. Rice and South Dakota State

By Kevin Kelley -

The Northwestern Wildcats have scheduled future football games against the Rice Owls and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, the school announced on Wednesday.

The Wildcats and Owls were previously scheduled to play a home-and-home series at Northwestern on Sept. 14, 2024 and at Rice on Sept. 20, 2025. However, the series has been moved to 2029 and 2031.

Northwestern and Rice will now play at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas on Sept. 8, 2029 and then two seasons later at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois on Sept. 6, 2031.

Northwestern and Rice first met on the gridiron in 1967 and have played seven times overall. The Wildcats have won the last three games in the series, but still trail 4-3.

The Northwestern Wildcats and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits will play a single game in Evanston on Sept. 12, 2026. The game will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools on the football field.

South Dakota State is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Last season, South Dakota State fell to James Madison 51-16 in the FCS Playoff Semifinals and finished 11-3 overall.

Northwestern has also scheduled a home-and-home series with the Tulane Green Wave. The two schools will meet in Evanston on Sept. 12, 2020 and in New Orleans on Aug. 30, 2025.

Football Schedules