Illini Ranked No. 3 in AP Preseason Poll
October 19, 2026 | Men's Basketball
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois will open the 2026-27 season at No. 3 in the Associated Press Top 25. This is the second-highest preseason rank ever for the Fighting Illini program, matching the No. 3 spot 25 years ago prior to the 2001-02 campaign.
The Fighting Illini appear in the AP preseason rankings for the sixth time in the last seven years of Head Coach Brad Underwood's tenure. Illinois previously started off at No. 8 in 2020-21, No. 11 in 2021-22, No. 23 in 2022-23, No. 25 in 2023-24, and No. 17 last season.
It is the 22nd time in program history, meanwhile, that the Illini are ranked in the preseason poll.
Illinois is one of five ranked Big Ten teams, joined by No. 6 Michigan State, No. 16 Michigan, No. 21 USC, and No. 22 UCLA. Five additional B1G teams received votes: Nebraska, Purdue, Ohio State, Iowa and Indiana.
In addition to Big Ten play, the Illini will once again play a challenging non-conference schedule featuring three preseason top-20 teams in No. 2 Duke, No. 4 UConn, and No. 19 Texas Tech. Missouri, and North Carolina also received votes.
The Illini make their State Farm Center debut on Friday, hosting Baylor in an exhibition game at 7 p.m. The regular season begins on Nov. 2.
Ticket Sales
Single-game tickets are on sale now at FightingIllini.com.
Illinois has sold out of public season ticket inventory for the third straight year, while student season tickets are sold out for the sixth season in a row, this time in a record nine minutes.
Support a B1G Winner
The 3rd-ranked Fighting Illini have high expectations once again in 2026-27. Head coach Brad Underwood welcomes back five rotation players from the NCAA Final Four run in David Mirkovic, Andrej Stojakovic, Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic, and Jake Davis while adding an impact transfer in Stefan Vaaks from Providence and a top-15 recruiting class consisting of six freshmen highlighted by High School All-American Quentin Coleman.
Illinois is coming off its first Final Four appearance in 21 years, a 28-9 record to mark the fourth-most wins in school history, and a Big Ten runner-up finish.
Illinois remains the winningest team in Big Ten play this decade. During this stretch the Illini are one of only four teams nationally with seven-straight 20-win regular seasons, one of 12 teams in the country to make six-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, and the only Big Ten team to post a winning league record in each of the last seven 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
2026-27 – #3
