CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - Illinois men's basketball continues to fill out their nonconference slate for the 2026-27 season, adding a home game against Penn near the start of their campaign.
According to basketball insider Jon Rothstein, the two squads will meet for a rematch on November 5, 2026, after previously meeting in the NCAA tournament.
Source: Illinois will host Penn on November 5th as part of its 2026-27 non-conference schedule.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 7, 2026
The Illini and Quakers met in the First Round this past March in the Greensboro Regional, where Illinois took a convincing victory, 105-70.
During that game, the Illinois freshmen dominated on the scoresheet, with David Mirkovic turning in a double-double performance with a team high 29 points and 17 rebounds. The effort broke the Illinois record for most rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game. The scoring effort also broke the freshman scoring mark by a player in an Illini uniform.
Entering March Madness, Penn earned the #14 seed in the South Region by winning the Ivy League tournament championship. The Quakers are led by head coach Fran McCaffery, a longtime rival and friend of Brad Underwood. McCaffery coached at Iowa from 2010 to 2025. During his time in Iowa City, the Hawkeyes reached 7 NCAA tournaments and won the 2022 Big Ten tournament.
Copyright 2026. WAND TV. All rights reserved.
