Coach Bret Bielema's Illinois Fighting Illini have become fringe College Football Playoff contenders since the former Arkansas and Wisconsin boss took over the program in December 2020. 

The Fighting Illini are now an in-demand non-conference opponent as one of the better programs in the Big Ten, which landed them a game against 2025 ACC champion Duke and future games against the Missouri Tigers recently. 

The Illini decided to cancel their 2027 game against Missouri after the announcement of a handshake agreement to expand the College Football Playoff to 24 teams, replacing the Tigers with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. 

Following the news, Missouri AD Laird Veatch decided to react, indicating that he was not happy about the decision. 

Veatch made a statement on Illinois' cancellations, as shared by Matt Fortuna of Sports Business Journal. 

"We are disappointed by Illinois' decision to withdraw from multiple future football games, including a home game for Mizzou in 2027," he said. 

"We are exploring all available options to address the matter," Veatch added. 

The Tigers' football team is 6-2 so far this season, 3-2 in the SEC, occupying a similar position to Bielema's Fighting Illini in the Big Ten. 

Missouri leads the all-time series in football by a tally of 17-7. The first meeting came on October 17, 1896, a 10-0 Fighting Illini win. The last meeting between the two teams came on September 4, 2010, a 23-13 Tigers win in St Louis, MO. 

The Tigers won six straight from 2002-2010, when Illinois was coached by Ron Turner, and, later, by Ron Zook. 

Bielema spoke about the Fighting Illini's decision to replace Missouri on their future schedules in recent comments. The Fighting Illini first replaced the Tigers with Eastern Illinois before pivoting to a 2027 matchup with coach Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame Fighting Irish, which has become one of the best programs in the country during his tenure. 

"We moved off Missouri almost two months ago...Had subbed in Eastern Illinois because the world of college football (was a little different back then)," Bielema said. 

"I think this is a great example of what this 24-team playoff format can do," the Illinois coach continued. "They would have never agreed to it...I'm sure we probably wouldn't have agreed to it unless this (24-team playoff agreement) happened." 

The Fighting Illini are scheduled to take on Florida International on August 28, 2027 in Champaign, followed by Notre Dame on Sept. 4 in South Bend, Ind. before concluding the non-conference schedule against Delaware at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill.