Illinois Basketball announced on May 13 that it has scheduled a two-year home-and-home series with Duke University. The first game will take place at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham on Tuesday, Nov. 17, while the return match is set for Saturday, Dec. 4, 2027, at State Farm Center in Champaign.
The agreement brings together two programs with recent strong performances. Duke finished last season with a record of 35-3 and reached the NCAA Elite Eight, also claiming both Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and tournament titles. Illinois recently appeared in the Final Four and posted a 28-9 record—the fourth-most wins in school history—while finishing as Big Ten runner-up.
Duke currently leads the all-time series against Illinois six games to three, including a win during their most recent meeting at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 22, 2025. However, Illinois has won both previous games played at Cameron Indoor Stadium, most recently securing an 83-68 victory on Dec. 8, 2020.
This new arrangement marks Illinois’ fourth home-and-home series against a power conference opponent during Brad Underwood’s tenure as head coach. Previous agreements have included Arizona, Tennessee, and Texas Tech.
Looking ahead to the upcoming season’s non-conference schedule, Illinois will play road games at Duke and Texas Tech; face UConn for a rematch from the Final Four at United Center in Chicago; and continue its annual McBride Homes Braggin’ Rights game versus Missouri at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
According to the official website, the University of Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball team plays its home games in Champaign as part of NCAA Division I athletics within the Big Ten Conference under the nickname “Fighting Illini.” The program has earned multiple Big Ten titles over its history and reached several NCAA Final Fours.
