Big Ten opponents set for 2026-27 season
May 12—CHAMPAIGN — The first step in finalizing Illinois' 2026-27 Big Ten schedule is complete, with the conference announcing each team's 20 league games Tuesday afternoon. That 20-game slate again includes three teams Illinois will play both at home and on the road — Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin — and seven opponents each for home only or road only matchups. The Illini will face Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, UCLA and USC at State Farm Center only during the 2026-27 season.
Also on the schedule are road games at Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Rutgers and Washington. Illinois tied with Nebraska and Michigan State for second in the Big Ten this past season and earned the No. 4 seed in the Big Ten tournament.
The Illini went on to reach the Final Four in the NCAA tournament and finished the 2025-26 season with a 28-9 record. Several starters and key rotation players are set to return for the 2026-27 season. That group is led by 6-foot-9 forward David Mirkovic, with Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic and Jake Davis also set to return.
While Andrej Stojakovic also announced his return, the 6-7 guard is currently going through the pre-draft process for the 2026 NBA Draft.