CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– Illinois Basketball has secured its latest marquee home-and-home series, scheduling Duke in a two-year agreement.
Illinois will travel to Durham this upcoming season, playing at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday, Nov. 17. Duke is coming off a 35-3 campaign and NCAA Elite Eight appearance, along with ACC regular season and tournament titles.
The Fighting Illini then host the Blue Devils during the 2027-28 season, with the rematch set for Saturday, Dec. 4, 2027, at State Farm Center. It will mark Duke's first-ever visit to Champaign.
Duke leads the all-time series 6-3, including a win in the most recent meeting at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 22, 2025. The Illini, however, have won in their only two previous appearances at Cameron Indoor Stadium, most recently an 83-68 victory on Dec. 8, 2020, during Brad Underwood's fourth season.
This is Illinois' fourth home-and-home with a power-5 program in the Underwood era, following Arizona, Tennessee, and the current series with Texas Tech.
The Illini are once again putting together an aggressive non-conference slate for the 2026-27 season. Illinois has secured road games at Duke and at Texas Tech, has a rematch from the Final Four against UConn at the United Center in Chicago, and continues the McBride Homes Braggin' Rights series against Missouri at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
Illinois is coming off a Final Four appearance, 28-9 record – the fourth-most wins in school history – and Big Ten runner-up finish. The Illini are slated to return five rotation players while adding a top-15 recruiting class and impact transfer to the roster.
Illinois is the winningest team in Big Ten play over the last seven seasons and is one of four programs nationally with seven straight 20-win regular seasons.
