Illinois women’s basketball released its non-conference schedule on Friday afternoon, with the Illini starting their season on Nov. 9 at State Farm Center.

After a tough 2020-21 season that saw Illinois go 5-18 and win two conference games all season, the Illini look to turn things around in head coach Nancy Fahey’s fifth season in Champaign.

The Illini open their 2021-2022 campaign with a home matchup against North Carolina Central on Nov. 9. The Eagles of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference also struggled last year, going 4-12 overall and 2-6 in conference play.

Illinois then welcome Miami (Ohio) on Nov. 14, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Nov. 18 and the University of California, Riverside on Nov. 2 to State Farm Center before heading to Florida for the Daytona Invitational over Thanksgiving weekend. The Illini will take on Dayton on Nov. 26 and Middle Tennessee on Nov. 27, with the Flyers winning the regular-season Atlantic 10 title and earning a berth in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. The Blue Raiders won the Conference USA tournament title last season, which secured them a berth as a 14-seed in the NCAA tournament.

After returning from Florida, Illinois will take on Florida State in the Big Ten/Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Challenge on Dec. 2. The Seminoles went 10-9 last season and advanced to the NCAA tournament as a 9-seed.

Fahey and the Illini will then face Eastern Kentucky on Dec. 5 and Butler on Dec. 12 at State Farm Center before heading south to Carbondale to take on the Southern Illinois Salukis on Dec. 19. Illinois will round out its non-conference slate with a Bargain’ Rights showdown against Missouri in Champaign on Dec. 22.

The team’s conference schedule has yet to be released, though the Big Ten announced Illinois will play home games against Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, Rutgers and Wisconsin, while the Illini will face Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin on the road.

Illinois saw significant roster turnover following last season, with big contributors in Jeanae Terry (transferred to Purdue) and Kennedi Myles (transferred to Marquette), though the Illini brings in a talented freshmen class and transfers Sara Anastasieska (Duke), De’Myla Brown (Chipola College) and Kendall Bostic (Michigan State).

The Illini also brought in new assistant coaches in Corry Irvin, who spent the past two seasons as the head coach at Saint Xavier University, and Hernando Planells, who most recently served as the head coach at NAIA William Jessup University in California.

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