Illinois to enter the Jimmy V Classic, ACC/Big Ten Challenge and annual Braggin’ Rights game
After the Thanksgiving holiday, the Fighting Illini will compete in the Jimmy V Classic, a national marquee event. That game will be on December 2 against the second-ranked Baylor Bears. Baylor is entering the new season following a 26-4 2019-20 campaign, finishing second in the Big 12 at 15-3. The team, with coach Scott Drew at the helm, would end the season ranking fifth in the AP poll. The three home games and Baylor contest join road games in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge at No. 9 Duke (Dec. 8) and Braggin’ Rights at Missouri (Dec. 12) in the current Illini schedule. One remaining non-conference game, as well as the full Big Ten slate, will be announced when finalized.Games to take place without a crowd
Illini Athletics will be enforcing the same protocols under use at Memorial Stadium; this means that there will be no public ticket sales for basketball games at State Farm Center. Season-ticket holders and those holding premium seating licenses will have prior payments rolled over. As a result, they will become a credit eligible for application toward 2021-22 season tickets. Additionally, patrons can opt to have prior payments applied as a donation to the I Fund or even a full refund. All season-ticket holders will be able to renew their seating locations for the 2021-22 season in spring 2021. Additional news on Fighting Illini basketball, as well as scheduling updates and additions, can be viewed on their website.For more sports news, follow Jake Leonard @JakeLeonardWPMD, and Heartland Newsfeed @HLNF_Bulletin on Twitter. Additionally, you can follow Heartland Newsfeed on Facebook and Reddit among other platforms. You can now follow our news updates on Telegram, Flote and MeWe.
Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.