| Year: | 2011 |
| Team: | Northwestern Wildcats |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Big Ten Conference |
| Division: | Legends Division |
| Short Conf: | Big Ten |
| Record: | 6–7 |
| Conf Record: | 3–5 |
| Hc Year: | 6th |
| Off Coach: | Mick McCall |
| Oc Year: | 4th |
| Dc Year: | 4th |
| Def Scheme: | Multiple 4–3 |
| Captain: | Jordan Mabin[1] |
| Captain2: | Al Netter |
| Captain2 Year: | 2nd |
| Captain3: | Dan Persa |
| Captain3 Year: | 2nd |
| Captain4: | Brian Peters |
| Bowl Result: | L 22–33 vs. Texas A&M |
The 2011 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University during the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Pat Fitzgerald, in his sixth season at Northwestern, was the team's head coach. The Wildcats home games were played at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois. They are members of the Legends Division of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season 6–7, 3–4 in Big Ten play to finish in fifth place in the Legends Division. They were invited to the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas where they were defeated by Texas A&M 22–33.
Starting in 2011, the Big Ten Conference created two divisions, "Legends" and "Leaders", following the University of Nebraska's membership into the conference. Northwestern was placed in the "Legends" division, with the University of Iowa, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, the University of Minnesota and the University of Nebraska joining them.[2]
The schedule is as follows:[3]
See also: 2011 Boston College Eagles football team.
See also: 2011 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team.
See also: 2011 Army Black Knights football team.
See also: 2011 Illinois Fighting Illini football team and Illinois–Northwestern football rivalry.
See also: 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team.
See also: 2011 Iowa Hawkeyes football team.
See also: 2011 Penn State Nittany Lions football team.
See also: 2011 Indiana Hoosiers football team.
See also: 2011 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team. [5]
See also: 2011 Rice Owls football team.
See also: 2011 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team.
See also: 2011 Michigan State Spartans football team.
See also: 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas.
See also: 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings.