We've heard it many times before: The Big Ten is grueling. Tough. A grind. Head coaches throughout the league enjoy elevating the status of the environments and level of intensity around the conference to near-mythical status, but that doesn't mean it isn't largely true.
Whether it's the history, the players, the coaches or the fan bases – or likely some combination of all the above – the Big Ten is just different. Every game is a battle. But as coaches would say, some games are a war. And in 2026-27, Illinois is going to have a few of those. Here is a trio of Big Ten matchups for the Illini that stand out above the rest:
Three can't-miss Big Ten matchups for Illinois basketball in 2026-27
No. 3: at Indiana
Heading into Year 2 of the Darian DeVries era, Indiana has started over almost entirely from scratch from a personnel standpoint. (Sophomore Trent Sisley is the lone returning member of the 2025-26 rotation.) But DeVries struck gold in the transfer portal, bolstering his squad and infusing the level of talent necessary to compete in the Big Ten.
The Hoosiers, who have long been on the ever-revolving carousel of Illini rivals, should be strong enough – both literally and physically – to match Illinois in 2026-27. With a massive frontcourt pairing of Aiden Sherrell (Alabama transfer) and Samet Yigitoglu (SMU transfer), Indiana won't get tossed around on the glass by Brad Underwood's club.
And the Hoosiers have enough shooting across the roster to stretch the Illini defense – although they will surely struggle to defend Illinois' jumbo-sized guards and wings. Expect a high-scoring affair in Bloomington and, very likely, the revival of a historically competitive Big Ten matchup.
No. 2: at Michigan
After rattling off nine straight victories vs. the Wolverines, the Illini saw their streak snapped – and in brutal fashion. Ex-Illini Morez Johnson Jr. came home with his Michigan club and clubbed Illinois all over its home floor last season.
Next year, though, both Johnson and head coach Dusty May will be operating not out of Ann Arbor but rather NBA cities. So the fire between these two squads has been reduced from a boil to a simmer. Still, it continues to burn.
And Michigan, which built yet another loaded transfer group, a stellar high school class and returns standout guards Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney, is still going to be really good. This matchup – at UM – will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in crowning the Big Ten's regular season champ in 2026-27.
No. 1: vs. Michigan State
Tom Izzo and Jeremy Fears Jr. – a pair of Illini fan favorites! Who else would top the list? Fun fact of the day: Illinois has never beaten Michigan State in a game in which Fears has been active (he has three wins over the Illini).
The battle for the 2026-27 Big Ten title appears to be between the Spartans and the Illini heading into the season – although Michigan isn't far behind. That is, based on recent results, bad news for Illinois, which has played its worst basketball over the past few seasons against Michigan State.
The Spartans bring back nearly all of their production from a year ago, save for in their frontcourt, but they shouldn't miss a beat down low with sophomores Cam Ward and Jesse McCulloch, not to mention transfer Anton Bonke.
Per usual, expect a dogfight between these two clubs – both of which are led by rebound-crazed head men. Fears' ability to control the pace of a game makes every opponent vulnerable, but between Illinois' deeper arsenal of weapons, its experience and home-court advantage, the Illini may finally get the Spartan off their back and snap their four-game losing streak against Michigan State.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/illinois as 3 Big Ten Matchups That Could Decide Illinois Basketball's 2026-27 Title Chase.