Illinois Men's Tennis Unveils 2026 Home Schedule

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini men's tennis team announced its 2026 home schedule on Friday. Illinois will host 12 matches at Atkins Tennis Center, including seven Big Ten contests.

The Orange and Blue will host seven teams that made the 2025 NCAA Tournament, including national runner-up TCU, during the 2026 campaign.

Illinois will begin its home slate on Jan. 16 against Mississippi State, which earned the #12 national seed in the NCAA Tournament last season. The Bulldogs advanced to the quarterfinals before finishing the year ranked #10 in the country in the final ITA poll.

Two weeks later, the Illini will welcome the Duke Blue Devils, who closed their 2025 season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Illinois fell to then-#7 Duke on the road on Jan. 31.

A run of five consecutive home matches follow for the Fighting Illini, who will play North Carolina (Feb. 22), Baylor (Feb. 27), and TCU (Feb. 28) to close out nonconference play before beginning Big Ten action against Oregon (March 6) and Washington (March 8) at home. The Bears, the Horned Frogs, and the Huskies all competed at the 2025 NCAA Tournament, with #2-seeded TCU progressing all the way to the national championship match.

The Orange and Blue will host five other conference duals during the 2026 season: Michigan (March 20), Michigan State (March 22), Indiana (April 3), Purdue (April 5), and Northwestern (April 18).

The 2025-26 Illini feature five returners and five newcomers in head coach Brad Dancer's 21st season at the helm of the program. Illinois looks to build off last year's 15-12 campaign that saw the squad earn its 18th NCAA Tournament appearance under Dancer's leadership.

Illinois' 2026 Home Schedule