Land of Lincoln Trophy
Northwestern vs Illinois
Northwestern555 ties119 meetings
59Illinois
Illinois leads the series · Northwestern on a 2-game losing run.
| Season | Site | Result | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 13-20 |
| 2024 | Illinois win | Neutral | L | 28-38 |
| 2023 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 45-43 |
| 2022 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 3-41 |
| 2021 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 14-47 |
| 2020 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 28-10 |
| 2019 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 29-10 |
| 2018 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 24-16 |
| 2017 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 42-7 |
| 2016 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 42-21 |
| 2015 | Northwestern win | Neutral | W | 24-14 |
| 2014 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 33-47 |
| 2013 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 37-34 |
| 2012 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 50-14 |
| 2011 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 35-38 |
| 2010 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 27-48 |
| 2009 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 21-16 |
| 2008 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 27-10 |
| 2007 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 22-41 |
| 2006 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 27-16 |
| 2005 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 38-21 |
| 2004 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 28-21 |
| 2003 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 37-20 |
| 2002 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 24-31 |
| 2001 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 28-34 |
| 2000 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 61-23 |
| 1999 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 7-29 |
| 1998 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 10-13 |
| 1997 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 34-21 |
| 1996 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 27-24 |
| 1995 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 17-14 |
| 1994 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 7-28 |
| 1993 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 13-20 |
| 1992 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 27-26 |
| 1991 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 17-11 |
| 1990 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 23-28 |
| 1989 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 14-63 |
| 1988 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 9-14 |
| 1987 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 28-10 |
| 1986 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 23-18 |
| 1985 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 20-45 |
| 1984 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 16-24 |
| 1983 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 24-56 |
| 1982 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 13-49 |
| 1981 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 12-49 |
| 1980 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 9-35 |
| 1979 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 13-29 |
| 1978 | Tie | Evanston | T | 0-0 |
| 1977 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 21-7 |
| 1976 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 6-48 |
| 1975 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 7-28 |
| 1974 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 14-28 |
| 1973 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 9-6 |
| 1972 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 13-43 |
| 1971 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 7-24 |
| 1970 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 48-0 |
| 1969 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 10-6 |
| 1968 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 0-14 |
| 1967 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 21-27 |
| 1966 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 35-7 |
| 1965 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 6-20 |
| 1964 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 6-17 |
| 1963 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 9-10 |
| 1962 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 45-0 |
| 1961 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 28-7 |
| 1960 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 14-7 |
| 1959 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 0-28 |
| 1958 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 20-27 |
| 1957 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 0-27 |
| 1956 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 14-13 |
| 1955 | Tie | Champaign | T | 7-7 |
| 1954 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 20-7 |
| 1953 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 14-39 |
| 1952 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 28-26 |
| 1951 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 0-3 |
| 1950 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 14-7 |
| 1949 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 9-7 |
| 1948 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 20-7 |
| 1947 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 28-13 |
| 1946 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 0-20 |
| 1945 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 13-7 |
| 1944 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 6-25 |
| 1943 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 53-6 |
| 1942 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 7-14 |
| 1941 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 27-0 |
| 1940 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 32-14 |
| 1939 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 13-0 |
| 1938 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 13-0 |
| 1937 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 0-6 |
| 1936 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 13-2 |
| 1935 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 10-3 |
| 1934 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 3-14 |
| 1933 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 0-3 |
| 1932 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 26-0 |
| 1931 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 32-6 |
| 1930 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 32-0 |
| 1929 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 7-0 |
| 1928 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 0-6 |
| 1927 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 6-7 |
| 1923 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 0-29 |
| 1922 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 3-6 |
| 1915 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 6-36 |
| 1914 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 0-33 |
| 1913 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 0-37 |
| 1912 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 6-0 |
| 1911 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 13-27 |
| 1910 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 0-27 |
| 1909 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 0-35 |
| 1908 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 8-64 |
| 1904 | Northwestern win | Evanston | W | 12-6 |
| 1903 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 12-11 |
| 1902 | Illinois win | Evanston | L | 0-17 |
| 1901 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 17-11 |
| 1900 | Tie | Champaign | T | 0-0 |
| 1896 | Northwestern win | Champaign | W | 10-4 |
| 1895 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 4-38 |
| 1894 | Illinois win | Champaign | L | 0-66 |
| 1893 | Tie | Champaign | T | 0-0 |
| 1892 | Tie | Evanston | T | 16-16 |
The head-to-head series, every meeting on record since 1892.
See the Northwestern vs Illinois rivalry breakdown for by-decade splits, trends and the next meeting.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the Land of Lincoln Trophy?
The Land of Lincoln Trophy is the name of the Northwestern vs Illinois series. Northwestern is 55-59-5 against Illinois in 119 meetings on record since 1892.
What is the all-time record between Northwestern and Illinois?
Northwestern is 55-59-5 against Illinois across 119 meetings on record since 1892. Illinois leads the series.
When did Northwestern last play Illinois?
They last met in 2025, a 13-20 loss for Northwestern.