The Big Ten Conference announced on May 4 the home and away designations for the University of Illinois Fighting Illini Women’s Volleyball team’s 2026 regular season.
The announcement matters as it outlines the matchups that will determine the team’s path in a season with a new structure, following changes to accommodate the inaugural Big Ten Volleyball Tournament. The team will play nine home matches and eight away matches during the conference’s newly adjusted 17-match schedule.
Illinois is set to host six teams that advanced to the 2025 NCAA Tournament, including Wisconsin, which reached the Final Four. On the road, Illinois will face three teams from last year’s tournament: Indiana (Sweet 16), Nebraska, and Purdue (both Elite Eight). According to the official website, these games are significant challenges for Illinois.
The full list of home opponents includes Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, UCLA, USC, and Wisconsin. Road opponents are Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, Oregon, Purdue, Rutgers, and Washington. The conference said this schedule is set to be reversed in 2027 when Illinois will have eight home matches and nine away contests.
The Fighting Illini mascot represents University of Illinois athletics programs such as women’s volleyball according to their official website. The team competes in NCAA Division I within the Big Ten Conference according to their official website and operates out of Champaign according to their official website.
