Green Street Playing mid-major team on road

Aug. 14—The first piece of the Illinois women's basketball team's nonconference schedule for the upcoming 2026-27 season is now set in place. And it's a matchup Illini fifth-year coach hinted about a month ago when she was asked about the status of her team's non-Big Ten slate. Green dropped the hint Illinois will "start a home-and-home on the road against a mid-major team" this coming season. The Illini coach then added: "People are probably like why would you do that? But I want to try and get good, solid NET games, and if we have to go and start a home-and-home (on the road), then we'll do that." That road game against a mid-major opponent will see Illinois face Ball State on at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 18 in Muncie, Ind. The Cardinals announced their full nonconference schedule a week ago, and the Illini were on it. Ball State is coming off a 26-7 season in 2025-26, which ended up with the Cardinals getting eliminated in the semifinals of the MAC tournament. That 69-65 loss to Toledo dashed any hopes Ball State had at making the NCAA tournament. The Cardinals have made two NCAA tournament appearances in their program history in 2009 and 2025. Ball State coach now enters his 15th season as coach with the Cardinals posting a 290-162 record during his tenure. Ball State returns four of its top-five scorers from last season's team, although leading scorer — guard — exhausted her eligibility.