Dan
Admin
Women's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule Announced - University of Illinois Athletics
Illinois will play inside State Farm Center 10 times during its non-conference schedule.
Illini Women's Basketball 2026-2027
This is a pitiful schedule for a pre-season Top 20 team with all of the top players returning. PITIFUL NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE!!
Like the non conference schedule. Nice and easy. Just like Cignetti does it at Indiana.
I don't see any losses here.
Women's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule Announced - University of Illinois Athletics
Illinois will play inside State Farm Center 10 times during its non-conference schedule.fightingillini.com
Last year NET rankings
IL - #30
Marquette - #69 - Lost 4 of top 5 scorers
Ball State - #70 - Return most other than top scorer
Mizzou - #83
St. Joseph - #88
WIU - #94
ODU - #151
Southern - #217
Semo - #232
Evansville - #265
Wright St - #294
Detroit Mercy - #302
Chicago State - #346
Definitely not challenging the team in the non-conference. Guess they're going to rely on the B1G for any scheduling strength.
IL - #30
Marquette - #69 - Lost 4 of top 5 scorers
Ball State - #70 - Return most other than top scorer
Mizzou - #83
St. Joseph - #88
WIU - #94
ODU - #151
Southern - #217
Semo - #232
Evansville - #265
Wright St - #294
Detroit Mercy - #302
Chicago State - #346
Definitely not challenging the team in the non-conference. Guess they're going to rely on the B1G for any scheduling strength.
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Dan
Admin
2026-27 Big Ten Women's Basketball Schedule Released - University of Illinois Athletics
The most up-to-date Fighting Illini women's basketball schedule can be found HERE .
Pretty sure Vanderbilt backed out. That would have made it better. We are gonna play 11 tough ones in B1G play. I agree though this isnt gonna be much of a challenge. We surely dont want to lose any of these. Win them all and go 13-5 in B1G and get a top 4 seed. I hope.
Fan Since '70
- OBS, Florida
You have to play the best to be the best. Beating up on creampuffs will not make you ready to beat the top 15 teams in women's basketball.
UConns Big East schedule=NOBODY
Illini B1G Ten opponents
USC 3
MICH 5
Iowa 9
Nebr 11
Minn 12
Wash 15
Md 13
MSU 20
Ore 21
OSU 14
UCLA 25
Overall schedules are somewhat similar.
The goal for us is to get a top 4 seed and get home court. Im sure Shauna scheduled with that in mind. If Vandy was on the original schedule (as rumored) it would look much different.
Is Missouri an easy win? I plan to go to that game. I think it will be a good game
blackdog
- Champaign
I remeber seeing comments in the past that a lot of teams turned them down. Don't remeber if that was this year or last.
Teams are afraid… and they should be very afraid.
I understood the cupcake schedule last year, but with essentially the entire team coming back, this will cost them in the long run. Playing almost no one for the first 2 months of the season is not going to get you ready for conference play. If they get beaten by any of these weaker teams, it will affect their tournament seeding.
It will be competitive but should be a win.
When you have the best talent it's easier to have "no fear."
ptgrd23
- orange county CA
Playing 10 cupcakes is not the way to prepare for tough B10 schedule. Team needs to be challenged in at least 1/2 the non conf games.
At least play P4 schools
Which ranking service do these numbers come from? Is Illinois listed there?
I dont disagree. Playing cupcakes does nothing for you. I really doubt that Shauna wanted this easy of a schedule. I think circumstances were such that this is how it ended up. That's just my thinking. I have no proof of that. We definitely had somebody (Vanderbilt?) cancel out on us late in the process. That certainly didn't help.
ptgrd23
- orange county CA
We are no longer desperately seeking wins to get to .500. We are confident we will make the NCAAs so we are just trying to improve our seeding till we can host a regional (4 seed).
Playing 10 cupcakes is no longer necessary. Kids want to go to top 20 (or better) program. We have arrived. Lets play glamor games in preseason as well.
Shauna is pulling excellent 4/5 star recruits - Gretchen, Destiny, Berry, Cearah and getting 4/5 stars in transfer portal Aaliyah and Divine. We have the talent to compete.
Playing 10 cupcakes is no longer necessary. Kids want to go to top 20 (or better) program. We have arrived. Lets play glamor games in preseason as well.
Shauna is pulling excellent 4/5 star recruits - Gretchen, Destiny, Berry, Cearah and getting 4/5 stars in transfer portal Aaliyah and Divine. We have the talent to compete.
Remember we were 2-9 against the good teams in the B1G last year and we were the youngest team in the NCAA tourney.