Illinois women’s basketball unveils nonconference schedule

Sep. 9—CHAMPAIGN — The start of the season is less than two months away, and the full nonconference schedule for the Illinois women’s basketball team is out.

The Illini announced on Monday the 11 nonconference games they will have in November and December. A full schedule is not yet out as the Big Ten has not released the 18-game schedule each team will play.

Illinois hosts Lewis on Nov. 1 in an exhibition game to get ready for a Nov. 7 season opener against Florida State at State Farm Center.

The game against the Seminoles is the first of five straight home games to start the season, with Marquette visiting Champaign for a Nov. 10 game at State Farm Center. The following week, Illinois will host Eastern Illinois on Nov. 14 before welcoming in Le Moyne on Nov. 18 and Oregon State on Nov. 22.

Illinois will play two games the week of Thanksgiving in Nashville, Tenn., as part of the Music City Classic, taking on Maryland Eastern Shore on Nov. 26 and Kentucky on Nov. 27.

The lone nonconference road game happens on Dec. 2 at Canisius, the alma mater of Illinois coach Shauna Green.

The nonconference slate wraps with three home games at State Farm Center: Bradley on Dec. 12, Southern Indiana on Dec. 15 and Southern on Dec. 20.

Illinois went 6-4 in nonconference games last season, a season that ended with the Illini producing a 19-15 record and winning the WBIT title.

Of the 11 nonconference foes this upcoming season, Florida State, Marquette and Oregon State all made the NCAA tournament last season, with the Beavers advancing all the way to the Elite Eight, where Oregon State lost 70-58 to eventual national champion South Carolina. Florida State and Marquette, meanwhile, both lost in the first round.

In Big Ten play this season, the Illini will only play Northwestern twice, both in Champaign and Evanston. The rest of the slate for the new 18-team league will feature only single games against the rest of the conference.

Reigning national runner-up Iowa will visit State Farm Center, along with Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue and Washington. Along with its trip to play at Northwestern, Illinois will also hit the road to play Big Ten games at Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio State, Rutgers, Southern Cal, UCLA and Wisconsin.