CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Fighting Illini men's gymnastics team has released its 2018 schedule, which features matchups against two teams that finished in the top five of last year's NCAA Championships. The new campaign will begin with the annual Orange & Blue exhibition meet on Saturday, December 9 and features tournaments in Chicago, Las Vegas and Puerto Rico.
Schedule Notes:
- Home opener set for Saturday, January 20 versus Arizona State
- One Big Ten home meet: Michigan
- Three Big Ten away meets: Penn State, Iowa and Minnesota
- Three tournaments: Windy City Invitational (Jan. 13), Winter Cup (Feb. 15-17) and Puerto Rico Invitational (March 3)
- NCAA Championships to be held in Chicago, Ill., from April 20-21
Schedule
| 2018 Men's Gymnastics Schedule |
| Day |
Date |
Opponent |
Location (Stadium) |
Notes |
| Sat. |
Dec. 9 |
Orange & Blue |
Huff Hall |
Annual exhibition meet |
| Sat. |
Jan. 13 |
Windy City Invitational |
Chicago, Ill. |
The Illini have won the event the last three years. |
| Sat. |
Jan. 20 |
Arizona State |
Huff Hall |
Illinois is 23-5 all-time vs. ASU |
| Sat. |
Jan. 27 |
at Penn State |
State College, Pa. |
UI defeated PSU 411.350-404.550 at Huff Hall a year ago |
| Sat. |
Feb. 3 |
at Iowa |
Iowa City, Iowa. |
Illinois has won each of the last five meetings dating back to 2012-13 |
| Sat. |
Feb. 10 |
Minnesota |
Minneapolis, Minn. |
Finished fifth at 2017 NCAA Championships |
| Thurs.-Sat. |
Feb. 15-17 |
Winter Cup |
Las Vegas, Nev. |
Brandon Ngai finished second on pommel horse at the event a year ago |
| Sat. |
Feb. 24 |
Michigan |
Huff Hall |
125-90-1 all-time against Wolverines |
| Sat. |
March 3 |
Puerto Rico Inv. |
San Juan, Puerto Rico |
Illini will make second ever trip to the event |
| Fri. |
March 9 |
Air Force & UIC |
Huff Hall |
Orange and Blue own a 97-21 combined all-time record against the two schools |
| Sat. |
March 17 |
Oklahoma |
Huff Hall |
Have won three consecutive National Championships |
| Fri.- Sat. |
April 6-7 |
Big Ten Championships |
Ann Arbor, Mich. |
Illinois hosted the event a year ago and finished second |
| Fri. |
April 20 |
NCAA Qualifiers |
Chicago, Ill. |
UI will look for an 11th National Championship in program history |
| Sat. |
April 21 |
NCAA Team & Individual Finals |
Chicago, Ill. |
The Illini finished third at the NCAA Championships a year ago |
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