Illinois Athletics

August 22, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois will face Ole Miss in a tune-up prior to the 2024-25 season, traveling to Oxford, Mississippi for a charity exhibition game on Sunday, October 27 at 1 p.m. CT.

Tickets are $20 for general admission seating, with the exception of floor seats. All proceeds from sales will benefit CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of North Mississippi, which helps advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children involved in proceedings through youth courts. To purchase tickets for this event, click here.

Illinois played in a charity exhibition game last year as well, defeating No. 1 Kansas in Champaign prior to the regular season. That game raised approximately $825,000 for the Maui Strong Fund aiding wildfire relief efforts. 

The addition of the Ole Miss game precedes a challenging non-conference schedule for the Fighting Illini, as the Rebels become the fifth SEC opponent Illinois will face.

Ole Miss heads into its second season under head coach Chris Beard. The Rebels return six players from last year, including three starters, adding six transfers and four first-year student-athletes.

Illinois is the Big Ten's winningest team in conference play over the last five years, with Head Coach Brad Underwood directing the program to a 69-31 record. Illinois has won Big Ten titles in three of the last four seasons, hoisting the tournament trophy in 2021 and 2024 and regular season crown in 2022.

The Fighting Illini are coming off the third-most victories in school history, a 29-9 season that saw the Orange and Blue win the Big Ten Tournament, advance to the NCAA Elite Eight, and end the year ranked No. 6 in the final AP poll.

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