URBANA — Brad Underwood’s intent when it came to piecing together a schedule for the 2024-25 season was clear.
The Big Ten slate will sort itself out. Eventually. (Last year’s schedule didn’t get released until Sept. 19). And that’s ultimately at the whim of whatever computer program the conference uses to calculate what works best for now 18 teams that often share their home court.
Illinois head coach Brad Underwood watches a game last season. Underwood likes his team’s ceiling and the Illini have a schedule that help them get there.
Joseph Cress, Iowa City Press-Citizen
Underwood can exert his control on the nonconference portion of the schedule at least as far as other teams are willing to square off against Illinois. So he went looking for a combination of high-level opponents to create matchups TV networks would fight to broadcast.
“We’ve outdone ourselves in terms of what we put together with the nonconference schedule,” the Illini men’s basketball coach said Wednesday at Atkins Golf Club ahead of the Lou Henson Illini Rebounders Golf Outing. “This is, by far and away, our best schedule.”
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Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee and Duke are all basically locks to start the 2024-25 season ranked among the top-25 teams in the country. Illinois will get the Volunteers at home — a priority for Underwood — and get a prime spot on network TV when it faces the Razorbacks (CBS) and Blue Devils (Fox).
It’s the type of schedule that will challenge a young Illinois team that might double as the most talented Underwood has had in his tenure in Champaign. Playing multiple ranked teams in the first month of the season will certainly be an indicator of how true that might be.
“The one thing that I’m excited for is the growth,” Underwood said. “I think this team has a ceiling that’s pretty high. Maybe as high as any team we’ve had, yet there’s some youth there, some inexperience there. I think there’s challenges early. … There’s opportunities for this team to continue to grow and for us to figure some things out before we do hit the conference schedule.”
Illinois head coach Brad Underwood reacts last season. For the 2025-26 season, Underwood is pursuing more high-profile games at State Farm Center.
ABBIE PARR, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Some things about the Big Ten schedule haven’t changed even as the conference has expanded. It’s still a 20-game slate that includes early December games. The 16 days between facing Arkansas on Thanksgiving and hosting Tennessee in mid-December will be filled with a pair of Big Ten showdowns.
But there are questions about schedule structure in a Big Ten that now stretches coast to coast. Illinois is only making a single trip west to play at Washington and at Oregon. But how many days will the Illini have in between? What’s next on the schedule after they return home?
Underwood said three-game road trips might even become part of the Big Ten schedule. But he knows as much as anyone right now. As in, not much.
“The computers will figure that out,” he said. “We’ve got the best league in the country. We’re playing every night. We’ve got great networks that are all clamoring for our games and have contracts. We’ll play through it as we always do.”
Meanwhile, the scheduling focus moves forward to the 2025-26 season. Illinois will play Alabama in Chicago in a return of this year’s game in Birmingham, Ala. Whether the Illini look for a multi-team event or stick with more one-off games on neutral sites is to be determined.
What Underwood is pursuing, though, is more high-profile games at State Farm Center. Even if home-and-home matchups are difficult to schedule. The best the Illini could manage with the Crimson Tide was a pair of games somewhat close to their respective campuses.
Illinois coach Brad Underwood argues a call with an official in 2023.
Michael Allio, Associated Press
“We sell out,” Underwood said about what’s become the typical State Farm Center crowd. “I’ve said it all along, I always want to play big games here. I want to play big games in front of our fans. I want to reward our fans. I think it’s great for college basketball to have them on campus. I’m always going to keep pushing for those — at least one, maybe two — every year depending on what those look like.
“It’s a juggling act a little bit. I think we’re in a position where we like playing top-20 opponents. I think there’s great value in that. … There’s value in those games. It just so happens it was some one-offs this year and some neutral sites that worked.”
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Publish date : 2024-08-30 10:00:00
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