The 1982 Northwestern Wildcats team represented Northwestern University during the 1982 Big Ten Conference football season. In their second year under head coach Dennis Green, the Wildcats compiled a 3–8 record (2–7 against Big Ten Conference opponents) and finished in a tie for eighth place in the Big Ten Conference. On September 25, Northwestern defeated Northern Illinois 31–6 to end the Wildcats' 34-game losing streak, which remains the longest losing streak in FBS/1-A history.