East Carolina and Northwestern will face off in a non-conference football game on September 18, 2027, at Ryan Field, both schools announced on Tuesday. The game will mark ECU’s first trip to Northwestern and its 10th game against a current Big Ten team.

The matchup is ECU’s third non-conference contest scheduled for 2027, joining home games against Wake Forest (Sept. 11) and Georgia State (Sept. 25) at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

“We’re thrilled to add a program like Northwestern to our 2027 schedule,” said ECU Athletics Director Jon Gilbert. “Our commitment to challenging top-tier non-conference opponents continues to elevate our program’s national presence.”

Ryan Field, in Chicago suburb Evanston, is in the midst of an $850 million construction project that is expected to be complete in time for the 2026 season.

The Northwestern game adds to the Pirates’ scheduled games with Power Conference opponents. Future matchups are set with Wake Forest (2027 home, 2028 away), N.C. State (2028 home), Clemson (2029 away) and South Carolina (2030 away).

This season, ECU faces P4 opponents N.C. State (Aug. 28 away) and Brigham Young (Sept. 20 home).

An ECU press release contributed to this article.