Illinois to Play UConn Dec. 4 at United Center
July 9, 2026 | Men's Basketball
News
CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– The date is set for one of the premier non-conference games of the 2026-27 college basketball season, as reigning Final Four teams Illinois and UConn will meet on Friday, Dec. 4, at the United Center in Chicago.
All current Illinois Men's Basketball premium and season ticket holders and I FUND members will receive an email next week from the Illinois Ticket Office with the opportunity to order tickets for this anticipated rematch between the Illini and the Huskies. Tickets will go on sale to the general public at a later date.
Illinois and UConn will play for the fourth time in four seasons, and seventh time overall. The programs met twice last season, including the 2026 National Semifinal in Indianapolis, a 71-62 Huskies victory. UConn leads the all-time series, 5-1.
The UConn contest is the latest in another aggressive non-conference slate for Brad Underwood's squad. Illinois has also secured road games at Duke and at Texas Tech, faces North Carolina at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, and continues the McBride Homes Braggin' Rights series against Missouri at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
The Illini return five rotation players while adding a top-15 recruiting class and impact transfer to this year's roster, appearing in the Top 5 of early preseason rankings for 2026-27.
Illinois is coming off a Final Four appearance, 28-9 record – the fourth-most wins in school history – and Big Ten runner-up finish. Illinois is the winningest team in Big Ten play this decade and is one of four programs nationally with seven straight 20-win regular seasons.
