Tennessee basketball sets future meetings with Illinois in Nashville, Chicago
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Tennessee and Illinois have scheduled 2 more meetings.
On Wednesday, bdG Sports announced the Volunteers and Illini have agreed to 2 neutral-site games over the next 3 seasons. In the upcoming 2025-26 season, the teams will play on Dec. 6 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. A Chicago game is also planned for 2027-28, with the date and venue to be announced later.
Our program is really looking forward to this matchup with Illinois,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said in a released statement. “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 announcement of the neutral-site meetings comes after Tennessee swept a home-and-home over the last 2 years. In December 2023, the Vols won 86-79 in Knoxville. The Champaign victory in December came on a buzzer-beater from Jordan Gainey, giving UT a 66-64 win.
Tennessee leads the all-time series 4-1. The next 2 meetings will be the first times the teams play on neutral floors. The Vols are 3-0 against Illinois at home and 1-1 on the road.
Round III with the Illini set for Bridgestone Arena this December
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) July 9, 2025
the series will shift to Chicago in 2027-28
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Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
