NASHVILLE, TN (Chambana Today) – Music City is set to host some mid-December madness this winter.
The Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball team will be traveling to Nashville on December 6 this year to take on the Tennessee Volunteers in the first of two neutral site games. A tip-off time will be announced at a later date, but the game is set to be broadcast on ESPN networks.
Illinois wrapped up a home-and-home agreement with Tennessee last season, which saw the visiting Volunteers seal a 66-64 last-second victory at the State Farm Center.
“Coming off an extremely competitive home-and-home series with Tennessee, we are excited to continue that partnership and meet in Nashville on Dec. 6, along with a game in Chicago in 2027,” Underwood said via a press release. “Playing the SEC will prepare us well for the Big Ten race, and you know when you’re facing the Rick Barnes-led Vols that you are going up against as tough and talented a team as there is in college basketball. We’re excited to make our program’s first-ever visit to Bridgestone Arena and know the Illini FamILLy will travel to Nashville as well.”
Tennessee, led by head coach Rick Barnes, wrapped up back-to-back Elite Eight appearances this past season, and looks to return to those heights after rebuilding its roster with familiar foe Ja’Kobi Gillespie, transferring in from Maryland, and top-five recruit Nate Ament, from Manassas, Virginia.
“Our program is really looking forward to this matchup with Illinois,” Barnes said. “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 game in Nashville will mark the sixth meeting between the two programs, a series in which Tennessee owns a 4-1 advantage. The second leg of the agreement is due to be played in Chicago during the 2027-28 season.