CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini women's tennis head coach Evan Clark has announced the 2026 spring schedule as he prepares for his 10th dual season at the helm of the program. In addition to hosting the ITA National Indoor Team Championships, the Orange and Blue will host 10 matches from the Atkins Tennis Center. The slate features at least 11 matches against squads that appeared in the 2025 NCAA Team Tournament.
Illinois' spring slate will open with a weekend trip to Waco, Texas, from Jan. 16-17 to face Pepperdine (neutral) and Baylor. The following weekend, Illinois will host Miami (OH) on Jan. 24 and Xavier the following day (Jan. 25). The Orange and Blue will make the trip south to Memphis for a Jan. 30 meeting before heading over to Ole Miss for a Feb. 1 match.
From Feb. 6-10, the Illini will co-host the ITA National Indoor Team Championships with Northwestern. As an event host (ANNOUNCEMENT), Illinois is guaranteed three matches in the event and does not have to qualify through ITA Kickoff Weekend. Besides Illinois and Northwestern, the remaining 14 teams competing will qualify by winning two matches at their respective ITA Kickoff Weekend sites.
The semifinals and finals matches of the ITA National Indoor Championships will be hosted in Evanston by the Wildcats. More information on the format can be found HERE.
Non-conference action will wrap up Feb. 13 at Iowa State.
Big Ten play begins at home for the Fighting Illini when Wisconsin comes to town on Feb. 20. Illinois hits the road for Nebraska (March 6) and Iowa (March 8).
From there, seven of the Orange and Blue's next nine matches will be at the Atkins Tennis Center. Northwestern comes to town for the lone regular-season meeting on March 14. The following weekend, Purdue (March 21) and Indiana (March 22) make the trip to Champaign-Urbana.
Next, Illinois makes the Pacific Northwest trip, visiting Oregon (March 27) and Washington (March 29).
Illinois' will open April action with a four-match homestand. On April 4, Michigan visits followed by Michigan State the next day (April 5). The following weekend, UCLA (April 10) and USC (April 12) will make their first trips to the Atkins Tennis Center for league play.
Illinois closes the regular season on the road at Rutgers (April 17) and Maryland (April 19).
Ohio State will host the Big Ten Tournament from April 23-26. The NCAA Tournament Selection Show is slated for April 26, with competition at regional host sites taking place from May 1-3.
According to the latest ITA Team rankings (2025 final), Illinois is slated for at least seven matches against top-25 ranked squads. Those contests include No. 3 Michigan (NCAA Semifinals), No. 16 UCLA (Super Regionals), No. 18 Washington (NCAA Second Round), No. 20 USC (NCAA Second Round), No. 23 Wisconsin (NCAA Second Round), No. 24 Baylor (NCAA First Round), No. 25 Pepperdine (NCAA Second Round), No. 34 Ole Miss, No. 35 Iowa, No. 52 Northwestern, No. 55 Penn State, No. 56 Maryland, No. 57 Memphis (NCAA First Round), No. 62 Purdue, No. 65 Iowa State, and No. 68 Michigan State.
