Among the highlights of Northwestern's 2015 and 2016 football schedules, which were released Tuesday, are home-and-home series with Duke and Stanford and seven home games at Ryan Field in '15 and '16.

            The Wildcats will play the Blue Devils and the Cardinal in both years, and will also host Eastern Illinois and Ball State in 2015. TheWildcats open the season in 2015 with a home date against Stanford on Sept. 5 and then travel to Duke on Sept. 19.

            NU opens the 2016 campaign at home Sept. 3 against Western Michigan and then faces Illinois State for another home date a week later.

            In 2016, the Wildcats host Duke Sept. 17 and travel to Stanford Sept. 24.

            Among Big Ten contests, the Wildcats bypass Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin.

            Here are the 2015 and 2016 NU schedules:

2015


Sept. 5 vs. Stanford


Sept. 12 vs. Eastern Illinois


Sept. 19 at Duke


Sept. 26 vs. Ball State


Oct. 3 at Iowa


Oct. 10 vs. Minnesota


Oct. 17 at Nebraska


Oct. 24 Open Date


Oct. 31 vs. Purdue


Nov. 7 at Indiana


Nov. 14 vs. Michigan


Nov. 21 vs. Michigan State


Nov. 28 at Illinois 

2016

Sept. 3 vs. Western Michigan


Sept. 10 vs. Illinois State


Sept. 17 vs. Duke


Sept. 24 at Stanford


Oct. 1 vs. Nebraska


Oct. 8 at Purdue


Oct. 15 at Michigan 


Oct. 22 vs. Iowa


Oct. 29 at Minnesota


Nov. 5 Open Date


Nov. 12 vs. Indiana


Nov. 19 at Michigan State


Nov. 26 vs. Illinois