CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– Illinois is the No. 4 seed in the 2026 Big Ten Tournament. The 11th-ranked Fighting Illini will open play at the United Center in Chicago in the quarterfinal round on Friday at approximately 1:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.
Illinois will face the winner of Thursday's third-round game between No. 5 seed Wisconsin and either No. 12 Washington or No. 13 USC.
Illinois owns a record of 24-7 overall, notching the program's most regular-season victories in the last 20 years. Illinois was Big Ten runner-up at 15-5, tying the second-most conference wins in school history. Head Coach Brad Underwood now owns the top three, and five of the top nine, winningest B1G seasons in program history.
This marks the fifth time in the last seven years that Underwood has led the Illini to a top-4 Big Ten Tournament seed and bye into the quarterfinals.
Illinois has won three Big Ten titles in the Underwood era, highlighted by B1G Tournament crowns in 2021 and 2024. Illinois is the winningest team in Big Ten play this decade, registering 96 league victories since 2019-20. Illinois also stands as the only program with a winning Big Ten record in each of the last seven seasons.
The Fighting Illini enter the postseason with seven Quad 1 wins, including six Quad 1A victories.
The Illini are one of only four teams nationally to record 20-win regular seasons in each of the last seven years, joined by Gonzaga, Houston, and San Diego State.
