KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team will face Illinois in Nashville, Tenn., during its 2025-26 non-conference slate, as released Wednesday afternoon by bdG Sports.
The Volunteers and Fighting Illini will square off Dec. 6 at Bridgestone Arena. The game time and TV network—it will be on an ESPN channel—will be announced later.
“Our program is really looking forward to this matchup with Illinois,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said. “We have a great deal of respect for Brad Underwood and the Illini, and we know playing them will help prepare us for SEC action. The opportunity to compete in Nashville, a city filled with diehard Tennessee fans, is always special and we can’t wait to see Vol Nation pack Bridgestone Arena.”
The two programs are also in agreement to play another neutral-site game during the 2027-28 campaign, with that affair slated for Chicago. The game date and venue are still to be determined.
The 2025-26 contest will extend the streak to three consecutive seasons with a matchup between Tennessee and Illinois.
The Volunteers swept a home-and-home series over the last two years. Tennessee first claimed an 86-79 home victory on Dec. 9, 2023, and then knocked off the Fighting Illini, 66-64, on a Jordan Gainey buzzer-beater on Dec. 14, 2024, in Champaign, Ill.
Overall, Tennessee sports a 4-1 record versus Illinois. It is 3-0 at home and 1-1 on the road; the 2025-26 meeting will be the first between the two programs on a neutral floor.
The Volunteers are 36-44 all-time against the current Big Ten membership. In addition to beating Illinois last season, they also defeated UCLA, 67-58, March 22 in Lexington, Ky., in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32. Additionally, Barnes owns a 42-40 ledger versus the Big Ten’s 18 current institutions.
Tennessee is 21-14 at Bridgestone Arena, including 13-12 in the SEC Tournament and 8-2 in all other neutral-site contests. Of the latter 10 outings, eight came between 2000-01 and 2009-10.
The Volunteers’ game against Illinois is part of a two-day event, as Kentucky will play Gonzaga at Bridgestone Arena the prior night.
Tickets for the Tennessee/Illinois matchup will go on sale to the public July 18 at 11 a.m., HERE through Ticketmaster. For the latest information, fans can visit www.tennesseeillinois.com or follow @bdglobalsports on social media.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
