Illinois was left out of the first two College Football Playoffs' official rankings the first two weeks, but coach Bret Bielema says his team should be in the discussion moving forward. The Illini host Maryland Saturday afternoon.

Things might look a bit different in 2026, with quarterback Luke Altmyer exhausting his eligibility. Regardless, it was announced that Illinois will start its season next year with a non-conference game against the UAB Blazers, who will be undergoing their own changes this offseason.

We're at Week 10 of the college football season, and here are Illinois' updated bowl game projections — and most experts really can't agree.

The Illinois football team will host UAB in a nonconference matchup to open its 2026 season, the program announced Thursday. The season-opening game is scheduled for Sept.

With this announcement, Illinois’s 2026 non-conference schedule is officially finalized. All three of these games will be at Gies Memorial Stadium. In their second non-conference game, the Illini will wrap up a home-and-home series against the Duke Blue Devils, a team that they beat 45-19 in Week Two of 2025.

Check out the best moments and plays in this ranked matchup between the No. 11 Texas Tech Red Raiders and the No. 14 Illinois Fighting Illini.

The Illini cruised past the Eagles, knocking off the visitors by a score of 113-70. Here are three observations from the outing.