Tennessee and Illinois will continue their basketball rivalry with a neutral-site game on December 6, 2025, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, as announced Wednesday. The teams will meet again in Chicago during the 2027-28 season.
“We’re excited for this matchup with Illinois,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. “We respect Brad Underwood and the Illini, and this game will prepare us for SEC play. Playing in Nashville with passionate Vol fans packing Bridgestone Arena is always special.”
Recent History and Series Record
Tennessee swept the last two games against Illinois, winning 86-79 at home in December 2023 and 66-64 at Illinois in January 2025, sealed by Jordan Gainey’s buzzer-beating layup. Gainey led with 23 points off the bench and Chaz Lanier added 17 in the road win, while Igor Milicic Jr. grabbed 14 rebounds. In the 2023 home victory, Dalton Knecht scored 21, with Jonas Aidoo (14), Santiago Vescovi (12), Zakai Zeigler (11), and Josiah-Jordan James (11) all in double figures.
Tennessee holds a 4-1 series edge, with wins in Knoxville in 1967 and 1985, a loss at Illinois in 1988, and the recent victories.
Barnes’ Non-Conference Scheduling
High-profile non-conference games are a hallmark of the Rick Barnes era. Since 2015-16, Tennessee has faced North Carolina, Gonzaga, Arizona, Wisconsin, Louisville, Miami, Texas Tech, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Colorado, Cincinnati, and Memphis, plus charity exhibitions at Michigan State, Indiana, and Clemson.
2025-26 Season Outlook
Tennessee’s 2025-26 schedule includes a season opener against Mercer on November 3 at Food City Center, as reported by Jon Rothstein. The Vols will compete in the Players Era Tournament in Las Vegas in late November, facing Rutgers and Houston, with a field including Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Creighton, Duke, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, San Diego State, South Carolina, Saint Joseph’s, St. John’s, Syracuse, and UNLV.
The Vols will also play at Syracuse on December 2 for the ACC-SEC Challenge and host Louisville on December 6, following a 77-55 road win last November. The SEC schedule is pending, but Tennessee will host Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M, travel to Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, Missouri, and South Carolina, and play home-and-homes with Alabama, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt.