Northwestern’s 2018 season opener against Purdue moved to Thursday

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.

The Northwestern Wildcats have not played a game on a Thursday since 2006, when it opened the season at Miami (OH). For context, this was Pat Fitzgerald’s first game as head coach of the Wildcats. The Purdue Boilermakers have not opened a season on a Thursday since 1895. But hey, TV money, it’s a thing!