Kansas and Illinois will meet on the gridiron for the first time since 1968 when the Jayhawks host the Illini in 2023 as the first part of a home-and-home series, it was announced Tuesday afternoon.

The 2023 home game against Illinois is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 9, at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence. KU will travel to Champaign, Ill., for a return game at the Illini’s Memorial Stadium on Sept. 7, 2024.

“I am really pleased to add Illinois to our schedule,” said Kansas football head coach Charlie Weis. “This series gives us another opportunity to play a game in an important area to our recruiting efforts. Additionally, it’s a chance to accommodate our large alumni base in the Chicago area.”

Kansas trails the all-time series with Illinois, 2-3. KU defeated the Illini, 26-4, on Nov. 1, 1892 in Lawrence in the programs’ first ever meeting. The 1892 meeting came in KU’s second year of fielding a football team.

Illinois put together three-straight wins over KU, all in games played in Champaign. The Illini took a 30-0 win in 1916, followed by a 22-0 victory versus the Jayhawks in 1917. They closed out the winning streak with a 25-0 triumph over KU in 1929.

The Jayhawks won the most recent game against Illinois, putting together a 47-7 win in Champaign on Sept. 21, 1968.