CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Following the Big Ten schedule announcement live on Big Ten Network Thursday, the 2023-24 Illinois women's basketball schedule is complete. The Fighting Illini revealed the second non-conference slate under head coach Shauna Green on Sept. 13.
SCHEDULE NOTES
- Illinois is slated for an 18-game conference schedule with nine home games and nine on the road.
- This season marks the fifth time in the last six seasons that the league will play an 18-game women's basketball schedule, and the 22nd time overall since 1982-83.
- Seven Big Ten squads appeared in the 2022-23 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament: Iowa (NCAA Runner-Up), Indiana (Second Round), Maryland (Elite Eight), Michigan (Second Round), Ohio State (Sweet 16), Purdue (First Four) and Illinois (First Four).
- Illinois will play eight league games against teams that appeared in the NCAA Tournament last season.
- The Illini will face off against five teams twice. Those programs are Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska and Northwestern.
- Weekend conference games inside State Farm Center include Michigan (Sunday, Dec. 10), Wisconsin (Sunday, Jan. 7), Minnesota (Sunday, Jan. 28), Maryland (Sunday, Feb. 11) and Nebraska (Sunday, March 3).
- The Illini will play nine weekday conference games, including four at home inside State Farm Center.
- Illinois will play two league games on Mondays, beginning at Purdue (Feb. 5) and home against Indiana (Feb. 19).
- UI opens conference play at home against Michigan on Sunday, Dec. 10, before concluding the remaining portion of its non-conference schedule.
- Illinois' regular-season finale is Sunday, March 3, at home versus Nebraska.
- The Big Ten Tournament is scheduled for March 6-10 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn.
Season tickets for the 2023-24 Illinois women's basketball season are on sale now with new seating options available.
Following a 2022-23 season that saw the Illini in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 years and the most wins (22) since 1999-2000, there's no better time to support Illinois and the new #OneWay Forward campaign.
In Year 1 under Shauna Green, Illinois women's basketball delivered one of the largest one-year turnarounds across the NCAA. Green led the squad to a 22-10 overall record after taking over a program that had gone 7-20 the season prior. The Illini were ranked in the Top 25 for the first time since the 2000-01 campaign. In the stands, Illinois secured the fifth-best single-season home attendance in program history during the 2022-23 campaign, and Green became the first head coach to bring in 50,000+ fans during her first season at the helm.
