League: NCAAM Sport: College Sports Country: United States Category: Scores & Results

Brad Underwood addresses scheduling challenges for Illinois basketball

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 29, 2026, 2:53 PM

Last updated Aug 29, 2026

College Sports

Summary

Brad Underwood spoke at the 25th annual Illini Rebounders/Lou Henson Golf Outing on Aug. 29, addressing the Illinois men's basketball team's nonconference schedule for the upcoming season. The schedule includes 12 games but lacks power-conference teams visiting Champaign, as Underwood mentioned that few teams desired to play at State Farm Center. Illinois aims for a strong season with key returning players and promising newcomers, facing teams such as Texas Tech and Duke on the road. Upcoming exhibition games include Baylor on Oct. 23, Cincinnati on Oct. 17, and Illinois-Chicago on Oct. 28, set to help acclimate new players to the competition environment.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

By the Numbers

•Underwood discussed scheduling difficulties for the 2026-27 season
•Illinois will play power-conference teams only on the road
•Home games will include teams from various smaller conferences
•Exhibitions include Baylor, Cincinnati, and Illinois-Chicago in October
•Key returning players and new recruits are expected to make an impact

Latest Updates

2:53 PMYahoo Sports — Scheduling challenges: 'Nobody wanted to come to Champaign and play us'

What they're saying

"
Aug. 29—CHAMPAIGN — Brad Underwood's address to the crowd at Atkins Golf Club ahead of the 25th annual Illini Rebounders/Lou Henson Golf Outing included a mea culpa. The Illinois men's basketball coach brought up the sting of this past April's Final Four loss to Connecticut and his insistence the Illini would get back to that stage during his 31/2 minute speech. He also thanked the fans in ...
— Yahoo Sports

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