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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois will open the 2025-26 season at No. 17 in the Associated Press Top 25.
The Fighting Illini appear in the AP preseason rankings for the fifth time during Head Coach Brad Underwood's tenure. Illinois also started off at No. 8 in 2020-21, No. 11 in 2021-22, No. 23 in 2022-23 and No. 25 in 2023-24.
It is the 21st time in program history, meanwhile, that the Illini are ranked in the preseason poll.
Illinois is one of six ranked Big Ten teams, joining No. 1 Purdue, No. 7 Michigan, No. 12 UCLA, No. 22 Michigan State, and No. 24 Wisconsin.
In addition to the league slate, the Illini will once again play a challenging non-conference schedule featuring four preseason top-20 teams in No. 4 UConn, No. 10 Texas Tech, No. 15 Alabama, and No. 18 Tennessee.
Illinois makes its debut on Sunday, hosting Illinois State in an exhibition game at 2 p.m. at State Farm Center. The ISU game is part of the season ticket package. Additionally, a limited number of ISU single-game tickets are on sale now.
Illinois has sold out of public season ticket inventory for the second straight year, while student season tickets are sold out for the fifth season in a row, this time in a record 18 minutes.
Mini-plan tickets are on-sale now, with the five-game Illini Orange mini-plan still available ahead of regular season single-game sales.
Single-game tickets will go on sale to I FUND members starting on Oct. 20, prior to the Oct. 24 public on-sale date.
Fighting Illini Basketball has high expectations once again in 2025-26, with the team returning three starters from a 22-win campaign, NCAA Tournament Second Round appearance, and final kenpom ranking of 17th last season.
Illinois is the winningest team in Big Ten play over the last six years of the Underwood era and has won Big Ten championships in three of the last five seasons.
During this stretch the Illini are one of only four teams nationally with six-straight 20-win regular seasons, one of 13 teams in the country to make five-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, and the only Big Ten team to post a winning league record in each of the last six years.
Illinois All-Time in the AP Preseason Poll
1962-63 – #8
1984-85 – #2
1985-86 – #7
1986-87 – #14
1988-89 – #9
1989-90 – #8
1993-94 – #17
1994-95 – #25
1999-2000 – #16
2000-01 – #8
2001-02 – #3
2003-04 – #13
2004-05 – #5
2005-06 – #17
2009-10 – #23
2010-11 – #13
2020-21 – #8
2021-22 – #11
2022-23 – #23
2023-24 – #25
2025-26 – #17
