Jan 17, 2014; New York, NY, USA; A general view outside Madison Square Garden prior to the start of the game between the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
As far as basketball schools go, there aren't many that travel better than Illinois. Students load up buses, fans come out in droves for big games and families plan vacations around a night of orange and blue.
And with the Illini having recently announced their non-conference schedule for the upcoming 2025-26, now is the time to start thinking about autumn and winter travel plans, and the specific destination for an Illini-themed getaway. If you're an Illinois superfan, chances are you've already done the Big Ten thing â€" Madison, Ann Arbor, Minneapolis. Maybe you've even hit Los Angeles or one of the other cities that a newish conference school calls home. (New Brunswick, New Jersey, is surprisingly lovely in the fall!)
But this year Illinois plays only four non-con games away from home â€" all of them neutral-site (sort of) matchups in major American cities worth a visit. Maybe you've been to all of them, maybe none. Don't care about food options? Love music? Is weather a concern? The options this year are exciting â€" but there's a lot to wrap your head around. How should you prioritize?
Note: I have lived â€" boots on the ground, inside the city proper â€" in three of the four cities on this list. (None of this Chicago-but-really-Naperville stuff.) I don't know much, but I know of what I speak below. Stick with me here â€" I won't steer you wrong. Here's how Illinois on SI ranks the best non-Big Ten locales to visit for an Illini hoops game in 2025-26:
Formerly a ghost town for out-of-town revelers and young adults looking for the good kind of trouble around a game, St. Louis is slowly on the come-up. But if you know where to look, there has always some fun to be had. Near the Enterprise Center, where the Illini will face Missouri in the annual Braggin' Rights game, within walking distance, are the Stifel Theatre, a gorgeous venue that puts on good shows; Eternal Flame Park; and lush plazas lining Market Street. Got kids? Be sure to hit the Union Station aquarium, which will keep them busy for hours and won't be forgotten.
For partiers, Laclede's Landing isn't what it used to be, and Ballpark Village around the St. Louis Cardinals' stadium is a little cookie-cutter (and may be slow in the offseason). Instead, head to Soulard, featuring wonderfully funky night spots for blues and jazz, plus the Anheuser-Busch Brewery and the oldest farmers market west of the Mississippi River.
St. Louis is a bit scattered, though, so you'll need a car to hit Ted Drewes Frozen Custard and grab some toasted ravioli from The Hill â€" both of which you should do. And if you have the ability to get around, also consider ice skating in Forest Park, Winterfest at Kiener Plaza and any number of holiday pop-up bars. (Google 'em when you get there.)
Trust us, even if you're a Central Illinois farmer, Chicago is your kinda town. It's big but still blue-collar, and there is as much variety of activities and things to see as in any city on this list (or any other U.S. city) outside New York. The Bean, the Art Institute of Chicago, Buckingham Fountain and Navy Pier are all worth a whirl if you're hanging downtown â€" and especially for family-friendly fare.
But it's a hike to United Center, where Illinois will play Alabama on Nov. 19 (also, by the way, maybe the least interesting of the non-con matchups for which the Illini will travel to play). Even more so than St. Louis, the Windy City is scattered. A rental car may be needed to take in everything on an extended visit, though could be worth it. Example: If pizza is your thing â€" and why wouldn't it be? â€" skip Giordano's and Lou Malnati's. Get yourself to Pequod's. Only trouble: It's a 20-minute car trip north of the stadium.
That'll be the case for everything, though, in terms of its proximity to the UC. Travel hack: You'll probably be staying downtown, so just take a rideshare to the game and then take another afterwards to enjoy food and drink in the West Loop and Fulton Market (a $10 Uber ride back in the direction you want to go). One exception: For a little Chicago history, some "Saturday Night Live"/Second City nostalgia and a "cheezborger," take a short three-block walking detour from the stadium to hunker down at the Billy Goat Tavern. Just dress warm â€" even in mid-November, Chicago can be brisk.
Let's cut right to the New York City negatives: It's expensive. It can be tough to get around town. It'll be a bit unnerving to those who aren't big on crowds. But everyone should take a bite of the Big Apple at least once in their lives. Whether viewed as a breathtaking whole or taken in separately â€" endless pockets of the city, so many bursting with distinct culture, art and amazing food â€" New York is truly unlike any other place in the world.
Near MSG, the Empire State Building, Macy's on 34th and the Church of St. Francis of Asissi â€" a real gem â€" are walking distance. So, too, are Feile Bar and Walter's Bar, great spots for a pint and pub grub. Expanding your horizons in Manhattan? Head west to check out the Chrysler Building and Freedom Plaza. Go north, and before you even get uptown to Central Park, you hit Times Square, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center and the Museum of Modern Art. (And if you're a boxing fan, be sure to duck into Jimmy's Corner.) For a little bit of everything, point south â€" browse the bougie Meatpacking District, take in a set at the Comedy Cellar or get some culture at the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, the Banksy Museum or, of course, Ghostbusters Headquarters.
The Illini play UConn in NYC, so it'll be fun channeling your inner New Yorker and mercilessly heckling Huskies coach Dan Hurley. Just be sure you know where you're headed before and after the game. You won't get far on foot, and taxis and rideshares are a fortune. (Drive? Don't even think about it.) The subway is most convenient for sight-seeing, but it can be a little overwhelming for some of us cow-towners.
Let's go to the checklist:
Is Nashville near Champaign? Check. It's a five-and-a-half-hour drive â€" only Chicago is closer.
Is it cheap? Check. Well, let's call it cheap-ish. Again, if we're comparing it to other cities on this list (and, frankly, most other major metro areas), Nashville doesn't go too hard on your pocketbook.
Easy to get around? Check. It's the easiest, especially if you're sticking around downtown. There are some spots you may want to hit that require a drive â€" the Grand Ole Opry and the Parthenon spring to mind â€" but you can spend a long weekend in Nashville without leaving downtown and still not see everything there is to see.
Fun? Boy howdy, check. Broadway (and the surrounding area) is jam-packed with impossibly talented musicians in an array of watering holes that don't require a cover. (Be sure to tip not just your bartenders, though, but also the band.) And if you want in on the revelry but don't partake, there are plenty of options. The bars are friendly to all, but if you want a different scene or are feeling nostalgic, walk to the Ryman Auditorium â€" take the tour; it's worth it â€" the National Museum of African American Music and the Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline museums.
Grab a Lyft or rent a scooter for a short jaunt to Music Row, where so many of the Nashville studios â€" old and new â€" line just a few square blocks. And don't think Nashville doesn't have something for you if country music isn't your thing. Check out RCA Studio B (where Elvis recorded) or Third Man Records (Jack White's label) and line up tours for the ones that really grab you.
Just be sure to get back to Bridgestone in time for the game. Tennessee is the most interesting matchup on Illinois' non-conference schedule â€" the Volunteers, at No. 5, are currently the highest-ranked opponent the Illini are slated to face â€" and Brad Underwood and his boys still owe the Vols one after they were nipped at the buzzer in Champaign last year.