Illinois fans have plenty of opportunities to hit the road. Here are the five Illini road games that stand out as the best weekend trips, combining the matchup, atmosphere and destination.
The Illinois basketball conference slate was announced Wednesday afternoon, and there are numerous great destinations for fans to travel to and see the Illini play. The first thing I do when the schedule drops is look at which games I would like to attend.
Home games are obviously easier to get to than road games, but I try to attend a few road games every year. I have ranked the top five Illini road games by travel-ability below. In other words, I ranked the games and destinations based on which ones would make for the best weekend trip to see the Illini play.
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect1. North Carolina in Nashville on January 30
This is considered a neutral-site matchup against North Carolina, but it is my top choice on this year's schedule. I already have my hotel booked and love any excuse to go to Nashville.
Broadway should be packed with orange, just like we saw for last year's game against Tennessee and the bowl game. Nashville is also drivable from central and southern Illinois, while fans in Chicago can take a short flight to get there.
2. At Indiana on January 24
The game in Bloomington is on a Sunday, but this still makes for a great weekend trip to see the Illini play. The Hoosiers have one of the most famous arenas in the Big Ten, and the game should be early enough for fans to drive home and be back for work on Monday.
Selfishly, Indiana is one of the few Big Ten arenas I have yet to visit, so this is a top priority for me.
3. At Purdue on February 12
Purdue is the only Friday night road game of the season, and it is an easy trip if you live anywhere in Illinois. Mackey Arena is one of the loudest environments in the country, and I highly recommend making the trip to see a game there.
The Boilermakers might take a step back from the last few years, but this matchup will still likely be one of the best games of the season.
4. At Oregon and/or Washington on February 20 and 23
The West Coast and Pacific Northwest are by far the farthest destinations on this list, but if you are looking for a long weekend vacation, this could be the one.
The Illini will travel to these two schools every other year and will hopefully come home with two wins, just like they did two years ago. The atmosphere might not be as good as the three road games mentioned above, but this could be a great vacation destination for fans looking to experience something different.
5. At Wisconsin on January 2
Last but not least is Wisconsin at the Kohl Center. Madison is a very easy trip from northern Illinois, so I expect numerous Illini fans to make the trip across the border.
The timing is a little tough with the game coming the day after New Year's Day, but it will kick off the Illini's 2027 schedule. Madison is also one of the best college campuses in the Big Ten, so I highly recommend fans check this one off the list.
The 20-game conference schedule will be a grind for Illinois, but the Illini have a chance to win their first outright league title of the Brad Underwood era. It is impossible for most fans to attend all of these road games, but there are a few great options to choose from.
