Illinois announced its non-conference schedule, featuring six high-profile games against reigning NCAA Tournament teams in preparation for league play.
Illinois will host 19 games at State Farm Center this season: 10 Big Ten contests, eight non-conference tilts, and one exhibition tune-up. Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at FightingIllini.com or by phone at 866-ILLINI-1.
Illinois will hold an exhibition game against Ottawa (Kan.) on Friday, Oct. 20, on the eve of the Homecoming football game vs. Wisconsin.
Illinois officially begins the 2023-24 season with seven straight match-ups at State Farm Center during the month of November. The Illini tip off the season for the second straight year against Eastern Illinois, hosting the Panthers on Nov. 6.
Oakland visits on Nov. 10, the night before the Dad's Day football game vs. Indiana.
Illinois will host 2023 Big East champion and Sweet 16 participant Marquette on Nov. 14 in the Gavitt Tipoff Games.
Former Illini standout Roger Powell Jr. will return to campus on Nov. 17, as the first-year Valparaiso head coach brings the Beacons to Champaign. Illinois will then play Southern on a one-day prep Nov. 19.
Brad Underwood spent 10 seasons as an assistant at Western Illinois from 1994-2003. He will face off against the Leathernecks for the first time as Illinois head coach on Nov. 24 when WIU comes to town. That is the night before the final home football game vs. Northwestern.
Illinois closes out November by hosting reigning Patriot League champion Colgate on Nov. 27.
The Colgate match-up is the first of five straight games against NCAA Tournament teams to close out the non-conference schedule. The Illini return to the Jimmy V Classic for the second straight season and third time in four years on Dec. 5, taking on 2023 Final Four participant Florida Atlantic on ESPN.
Following the trip to New York City for the Jimmy V, Illinois heads to Knoxville on Dec. 9 to play at Tennessee, where the Volunteers are fresh off a Sweet 16 appearance.
The Illini return to St. Louis' Enterprise Center on Dec. 22 to face Missouri in the annual McBride Homes Braggin' Rights game. Mizzou is coming off a trip to the NCAA second round as is Fairleigh Dickinson, who upset No. 1 seed Purdue in last year's tournament. FDU visits State Farm Center on Dec. 29 in the Illini's non-league finale.
Illinois' Big Ten home schedule includes the following 10 teams: Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, and Rutgers. The full conference schedule will be released at a later date.
Illinois is the Big Ten's winningest team in conference play over the last four years, with Head Coach Brad Underwood directing the program to a 55-25 record.
During this stretch the Illini have made three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, own four straight 20-win regular seasons, and have recorded four straight top-five Big Ten finishes highlighted by a league-best 16 wins and tournament title in 2021 and 15 wins en route to the regular season crown in 2022. The 55 B1G wins are the most over a four-year stretch in school history.
State Farm Center will be rocking once again this season with Illinois featuring one of the oldest and most experienced rosters in the nation, highlighted by the return of first-team All-Big Ten guard Terrence Shannon Jr. and versatile power forward Coleman Hawkins, who both withdrew from the NBA Draft to return to Champaign.
