2026-27 Big Ten Women's Basketball Schedule Released
September 16, 2026 | Women's Basketball
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Following the Big Ten schedule announcement live on Big Ten Network Wednesday, the 2026-27 Illinois women's basketball schedule is complete. The Fighting Illini revealed the fifth non-conference slate under head coach Shauna Green on Sept. 15. The most up-to-date Fighting Illini women's basketball schedule can be found HERE.
SCHEDULE NOTES
- Illinois is slated for an 18-game conference schedule with nine home games and nine on the road.
- This season marks the eighth time in the last nine seasons that the league will play an 18-game women's basketball schedule, and the 25th time overall since 1982-83.
- Twelve Big Ten squads, including Illinois, appeared in the 2025-26 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament: UCLA (Champion), Michigan (Elite Eight), Minnesota (Sweet 16), Illinois (Second Round), Maryland (Second Round), Ohio State (Second Round), USC (Second Round), Michigan State (Second Round), Washington (Second Round), Iowa (Second Round), Oregon (Second Round), and Nebraska (First Round).
- Illinois will play 11 league games against teams that appeared in the NCAA Tournament last season.
- The Illini will face off against just one team twice during the regular season: Northwestern.
- Illinois will host four weekend conference games inside State Farm Center including: Purdue (Jan. 10), Michigan State (Jan. 17), Northwestern (Feb. 7), and Oregon (Feb. 13).
- The Illini will play eight weekday conference games, including five at home inside State Farm Center.
- Big Ten games by day of the week breakdown:
- Monday: 0
- Tuesday: 3 (2 home, 1 away)
- Wednesday: 3 (1 home, 2 away)
- Thursday: 2 (2 home)
- Friday: 0
- Saturday: 5 (1 home, 4 away)
- Sunday: 5 (3 home, 2 away)
- The Illini open conference play on the road for the fifth time in the last seven seasons
- Illinois will head to Wisconsin on Saturday, Dec. 5, to open Big Ten play.
- The 2026-27 matchup against Wisconsin marks the first time Illinois opened Big Ten play against the Badgers under Shauna Green.
- Illinois will open Big Ten play against Wisconsin for just the second time in program history (2013-14).
- Illinois' regular-season finale is Sunday, Feb. 28, at Minnesota.
- The final home game of the regular season for the Orange and Blue is slated for Thursday, Feb. 25 vs. Penn State.
- The Big Ten Tournament is scheduled for March 3-7 in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
SEASON TICKETS
Fresh off the announcement of her second contract extension, Green and the Illini have sold out of lower bowl reserved seat season tickets in State Farm Center for back-to-back seasons. Thanks to the expansion of reserved seating into four upper 100-level sections (121, 122, 142, 143) prior to the 2026-27 season, some reserved season ticket inventory is still available. Additionally, general admission season tickets to catch the 2026-27 Illinois women's basketball squad in action from State Farm Center are still available and can be purchased HERE. Single-game tickets will be available closer to the start of the season.
ILLINOIS UNDER GREEN
Illinois enters Year 5 under head coach Shauna Green while compiling a 51-15 record at home over the last four seasons, including five upsets of AP Top-20 ranked teams: No. 12 Iowa (1/1/23), No. 14 Indiana (2/19/24), No. 19 Florida State (11/7/24), No. 23 Iowa (1/9/25), and No. 7 Maryland (1/1/26).
Across her time at Illinois, Green has led the Illini to an 85-47 record, including a 39-33 mark in Big Ten play. In four seasons under Green, the Illinois women's basketball team has registered a program-best 85 wins under a head coach in their first four years, the first-ever postseason championship in program history (2024 WBIT), and four consecutive top-5 season attendances in State Farm Center. Additionally, the Illini have racked up nine AP Top 25-ranked wins, secured double-digit home victories for four-straight seasons for the first time in program history, won an NCAA Tournament game in back-to-back seasons, and brought in the No. 7-ranked recruiting class by espnW ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
In 2025-26, the Orange and Blue continued the program's upward trajectory with another 22-win season (22-12), a fourth-straight postseason appearance, and an NCAA Tournament win in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1998-2000. Green moved into second place on the program's all-time win list during just her fourth season at the helm.
Inside State Farm Center, Fighting Illini Women's Basketball looks to build upon its continued attendance growth. Across the 2025-26 campaign, Illinois recorded a total home attendance of 98,014, marking the second-highest reading in program history. That value ranked fifth in the Big Ten and 15th in the NCAA. An average of 5,766 fans took in each regular season outing in SFC last season, which ranked as the third-best mark in Illinois women's basketball history. Home crowds for the Illini were the fifth-largest in the Big Ten and ranked 14th across the NCAA.
