Illinois and Tennessee basketball announce two-year neutral site agreement
The Illinois Fighting Illini and Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball programs have finalized a two-year agreement to continue their high-level non-conference rivalry.
The deal includes:
- December 6, 2025: A neutral-site matchup at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, as part of a doubleheader event organized by bdG Sports.
- 2027 (Exact date TBD): A return game in Chicago, giving both fanbases a marquee showdown in a major city.
This follows a competitive home-and-home series over the past two seasons, with Tennessee winning both matchups — 86–79 in Knoxville (2023) and 66–64 in Champaign (2024). Illinois won the first meeting in the series back in 1988.
Coaches Rick Barnes (Tennessee) and Brad Underwood (Illinois) praised the partnership, noting its value in preparing their teams for the rigor of SEC and Big Ten play.
The meeting in December will be broadcast nationally on ESPN networks, with the tip-off time to be announced at a later date.
Illinois returns three key starters in Tomislav Ivisic, Kylan Boswell, and Ben Humrichous. The team will feature an international flair, with the additions of California transfer Andrej Stojakovic, Arkansas transfer Zvonimir Ivisic, and newcomers David Mirkovic from Montenegro and Mihailo Petrovic from Serbia.
“Coming off an extremely competitive home-and-home series with Tennessee, we are excited to continue that partnership and meet in Nashville on Dec. 6, along with a game in Chicago in 2027,” said Underwood. “Playing the SEC will prepare us well for the Big Ten race, and you know when you’re facing the Rick Barnes-led Vols that you are going up against as tough and talented a team as there is in college basketball. We’re excited to make our program’s first-ever visit to Bridgestone Arena and know the Illini family will travel to Nashville as well.”
The Tennessee Volunteers enter the 2025-26 season with lofty expectations following back-to-back Elite Eight appearances. Barnes’ squad will feature a blend of returning talent and new stars, including top five national recruit Nate Ament, a 6-9 forward from Virginia, and Maryland transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who averaged 14.7 points per game last season.
Under Barnes’ leadership, the Vols have emerged as an SEC powerhouse with five consecutive top four conference finishes, highlighted by a regular-season title in 2024 and an SEC Tournament championship in 2022.
“Our program is really looking forward to this matchup with Illinois,” said Barnes. “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 upcoming game will mark the sixth all-time meeting between Tennessee and Illinois. The Vols hold a 4–1 series lead, including recent wins in Knoxville (86–79 in 2023) and Champaign (66–64 in 2024). Illinois’ lone victory came in 1988, a 103–79 blowout.
The Vols-Illini clash is one of two high-level matchups being staged by bdG Sports at Bridgestone Arena that weekend. The night before, Kentucky will take on Gonzaga in another marquee contest.
Tickets for the high-profile showdown will go on sale to the public beginning Friday, July 18 at 10 a.m. CT via Ticketmaster.
For more details and updates, fans can visit www.tennesseeillinois.com or follow @bdglobalsports on social media.
