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CHAMPAIGN, ILL. – Fighting Illini women's basketball, head coach Nancy Fahey and the Big Ten Conference announced the 2017-18 season schedule on Wednesday. The Illini will set out on several challenging road trips and host an exciting slate of opponents at the State Farm Center. The Illini will face 12 teams who advanced to postseason play in 2017 during the nonconference portion of the year including 2017 Big Ten Tournament Champion Maryland. 

"We're excited to get the season underway," head coach Nancy Fahey said. "The team has been working hard in the offseason and we can't wait to get on the floor inside the State Farm Center. We will host several exciting opponents and also have the opportunity to travel and face some great competition during nonconference play that will prepare us for the Big Ten portion of the season."

The Illini welcome back all five starters from last season in senior Kennedy Cattenhead, juniors Alex Wittinger and Jaelyne Kirkpatrick and sophomores Brandi Beasley and Petra Holešínská. Illinois also returns key contributors Ali Andrews and Courtney Joens. Five newcomers will join the program for the 2017-18 campaign in Lyric Robins, Addaya Moore, Jnaya Walker, Nancy Panagiotopoulou and Alli Ball.

The Orange and Blue will tip off the 2017-18 campaign on November 10 against Fort Wayne. Illinois is 5-0 against the Mastodons in program history, and is coming off a 56-33 victory over the team last season.

The Illini will then travel to face 2017 Atlantic Sun Conference Champions Florida Gulf Coast on November 12 before returning to the State Farm Center to host Chicago State (November 15) and Bradley (November 18). UI will also welcome Western Illinois on November 21 to close a three-game home stand.

The Illini squad will find itself in Albuquerque, New Mexico for the Thanksgiving Holiday, as the team is set for three matchups at the New Mexico Thanksgiving Tournament. Illinois will take on UC Irvine (November 24), New Mexico (November 25) and Wichita State (November 26) during the three-day event. The Orange and Blue will face UC Irvine for the first time in program history, and the program will see New Mexico for the first time since 1981. Illinois has not matched up against Wichita State since 1983.

Illinois will then host Virginia Tech for the annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge on November 30 before traveling to Memphis for a matchup against the Tigers to open the month of December.

UI will then host three consecutive contests at the State Farm Center before closing nonconference play at Missouri on December 22. The Illini are 8-3 against the Tigers, earning victories in the last eight matchups. During the three-game home stretch, the Illini will face Indiana State (December 7) and Detroit Mercy on December 10. The home stretch will conclude on December 16 as the Orange and Blue take on Austin Peay.

Big Ten play kicks off on December 28 as Illinois will face 2017 Big Ten Tournament Champion Maryland in College Park. The Orange and Blue will then return home for a New Year's Eve matchup against Northwestern. Illinois will begin 2018 with a January 3^rd contest at Rutgers.

The Illini will host three consecutive home contests in January, welcoming Iowa (January 7), Nebraska (January 10) and Michigan State (January 17), before making back-to-back road trips to Michigan (January 20) and Penn State (January 23). UI will also host Wisconsin (January 28) during the month of January.

The month of February will begin with a road trip to Nebraska (February 1), and the month will also see the Orange and Blue heading to Indiana (February 8), Northwestern (February 18) and Purdue (February 21). Illinois will continue to host exciting opponents during the month as Purdue (February 4), Ohio State (February 13) and Minnesota (February 25) will travel to the State Farm Center.

The Big Ten Tournament is set to begin on February 28 at Bankers' Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana and continue through the championship game on March 4.

Season ticket renewals for the 2017-18 season will be sent out this week, with new season tickets to go on sale at a later date. Schedule dates are subject to change. 

Stay tuned to FightingIllini.com for more information on Illinois Women's Basketball.