Illinois basketball adds NCAA Tournament rematch with Penn to loaded 2026-27 non-conference schedule

Illinois basketball has added another familiar face to its 2026-27 non-conference schedule.

According to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, the Illini will host Penn on Nov. 5th at State Farm Center, giving Brad Underwood’s team an early-season rematch against the Quakers after the two programs met in last season’s NCAA Tournament.

Illinois had little trouble in that Round of 64 matchup, rolling to a 105-70 victory behind a dominant performance from David Mirković, who poured in 29 points. The win sent the Illini into the second round while continuing Underwood’s success against Penn head coach Fran McCaffery.

McCaffery is no stranger to Illinois fans after spending 15 seasons at Iowa from 2010-25. Although he guided the Hawkeyes to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, Underwood consistently had the upper hand late in McCaffery’s tenure. Illinois won nine of the final 10 meetings between the two coaches before Iowa moved on following a 17-16 campaign. McCaffery resurfaced at Penn, leading the Quakers back to the NCAA Tournament in his first season, but once again ran into an Underwood-led Illinois team in March.

Previewing the matchup

Penn will look much different this time around. The Quakers lost leading scorer Ethan Roberts to the transfer portal, where he landed at Notre Dame, but return standout guard TJ Power after he averaged 16 points per game last season. McCaffery also added former Notre Dame guard Sir Mohammed through the portal and brought in Dorian Glogovac, who averaged 23 points per game as a freshman at Division III Caltech, giving Penn an intriguing mix of proven production and new talent.

The Nov. 5th matchup continues to strengthen what is shaping up to be one of the nation’s toughest non-conference schedules. Illinois is already slated to travel to Duke, face UConn in Chicago and renew its annual Braggin’ Rights rivalry against Missouri.

While the familiarity between the two programs adds another layer of intrigue, the game also gives Illinois another quality early-season test against a disciplined, postseason-caliber opponent as the Illini prepare for another run at the top of the Big Ten and beyond.

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