The Illinois State University Redbirds will host the Northwestern Wildcats in a men's basketball exhibition nonconference contest at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18. The contest is the second coming of a home-and-home series between the in-state foes following last year’s game in Evanston.
The game also marks the first time that Northwestern head coach Chris Collins will coach on the court named after his father, Doug Collins.
Illinois State had three total games against Big Ten opponents last year, two of which came in the form of exhibition games against Illinois and Northwestern. The Redbirds fell in both contests and lost 100-65 against the Wildcats.
Northwestern bested Illinois State by simply outshooting them. The Redbirds went 4-for-27 from beyond the three point line, while the Wildcats converted 11 of their 22 attempts from beyond the arc.
This season the game could look a little different and not just because it will be held in Normal. In a college basketball world where the transfer portal is continuing to headline every offseason, both teams' rosters are restructured from last season’s matchup.
The Wildcats lost 55th overall NBA draft pick Nick Martinelli and the majority of their roster to the transfer portal, including four of their five highest scorers against Illinois State. Illinois State also lost some talent this offseason including Ty’Reek Coleman and Ty Pence to the portal, but retained two starting staples in Johnny Kinziger and Chase Walker.
Entering the contest, the squads are on opposite ends of program trajectory. Northwestern is coming off its first losing season since 2021-22 after finishing last season with a 15-19 record and 5-15 conference record, while Illinois State heads into 2026-27 after its best season in nearly a decade.
