Current Programs & Conferences
2026 FBS football and 2026–27 NCAA Division I basketball. Historical title affiliations appear with the sourced program history below.
| Program | Current Affiliation | Sources & References |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s Basketball · Division I | Big Ten Conference | |
| Women’s Basketball · Division I | Big Ten Conference |
The Bigger Picture · Women’s basketball
Where Illinois Finished
Final AP rankings. Poll timing varies by season; the full table identifies whether the poll came before or after the NCAA tournament. Coverage: 1989–90 through 2025–26.
Women’s basketball · Conference Titles
1 Big Ten Conference regular-season championship
- 1996–97*
* Shared conference title
Sources & References
The 1996–97 regular-season title was shared with Michigan State and Purdue. Illinois’s 2024 WBIT title and early state/regional tournament results are separate from conference championships.
- Top 25 Finishes
- 2 / 37 seasons
- Top 10 Finishes
- 0 / 37 seasons
- Best Final Ranking
- #16
- Last Ranked Finish
- #16 in 1997–98
Summary covers 1989–90 through 2025–26.
Higher bars mean a higher finish. NR = Not Ranked in the final Top 25, including teams receiving votes. Gold marks a school-recognized national championship; an AP No. 1 finish alone is not treated as a championship.
- NR
- NR
- NR
- NR
- NR
- NR
- NR
- NR
- NR
- NR
View Every Final Ranking (1989–90–2025–26)
| Year | Final AP Result | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | Not Ranked (NR)After NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2024–25 | Not Ranked (NR)After NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2023–24 | Not Ranked (NR)After NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2022–23 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2021–22 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2020–21 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2019–20 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2018–19 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2017–18 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2016–17 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2015–16 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2014–15 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2013–14 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2012–13 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2011–12 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2010–11 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2009–10 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2008–09 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2007–08 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2006–07 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2005–06 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2004–05 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2003–04 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2002–03 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2001–02 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 2000–01 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 1999–00 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 1998–99 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 1997–98 | #16Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 1996–97 | #16Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 1995–96 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 1994–95 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 1993–94 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 1992–93 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 1991–92 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 1990–91 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
| 1989–90 | Not Ranked (NR)Before NCAA tournament | Source ↗ |
Sources & References
- NCAA 2026 Women’s Division I Records · Complete final AP tables, native PDF pp. 64–67 ↗
- Associated Press · Post-tournament final polls begin with the 2023–24 season ↗
- Florida 2004–05 Women’s Basketball Season Review · Complete AP Top 25 dated March 14, 2005, PDF p. 5; corroborated by UConn NCAA guide p. 6 ↗
- Texas · Complete Associated Press women’s Top 25 dated March 14, 2016; corroborated by Texas NCAA notes p. 6 and Big Ten March 29 postseason release p. 2 ↗
- Indiana · Complete Associated Press women’s Top 25 dated March 12, 2018, WNIT notes PDF p. 7; corroborated by Baylor March 23 and October 26 notes ↗
- illinois · Official women’s programme illinois-wbb-2025-26-native-book-pdf ↗
- illinois · Official women’s programme illinois-wbb-2026-final-notes-wrapper-pdf ↗
- illinois · Own historical Division I conference alignment, NCAA native p. 22 ↗
Beyond the Ballot
Meet the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a public land-grant university spanning the neighboring cities of Urbana and Champaign. Founded in 1867, it is home to the Fighting Illini.
- Location
- Urbana and Champaign, Illinois
- University Type
- Public · Land-grant
- Founded
- 1867
- Undergraduate Enrollment
- 38,572Fall 2025 · CDS undergraduate headcount
- Nickname
- Illinois Fighting Illini
- Women’s basketball Big Ten Conference regular-season championship
- 11996–97
Sources & References
- Illinois · University history and facts ↗
- Illinois · Team and current conference ↗
- NCAA · Complete Division I women’s championship history through 2025 ↗
- UCLA · 2026 NCAA women’s national championship, April 5, 2026 ↗
- NCAA · CIAW, DGWS and all AIAW championship tiers through 1982 ↗
- NCAA · Complete Division II women’s national championship history through 2026 ↗
- NCAA · Complete Division III women’s national championship history through 2026 ↗
- NAIA · Complete women’s national champions, 1981–1991, PDF p. 67 / printed p. 63 ↗
- NCAA · Complete Big Ten regular-season and tournament winners through 2024–25 ↗
- UCLA · Sole 2025–26 Big Ten regular-season and tournament champions, March 20, 2026 ↗
- illinois · Official women’s programme illinois-wbb-2025-26-native-book-pdf ↗
- illinois · Own historical Division I conference alignment, NCAA native p. 22 ↗
- michigan-state · Official women’s programme msu-wbb-2025-26-native-guide-pdf ↗
- Illinois · Fall 2025 · CDS undergraduate headcount ↗
Men’s Basketball Titles
Championship history has not been added for this program. No title total is inferred from the current membership record.
Available AP Poll Analysis
These dated views describe specific poll editions and seasons; they are separate from school facts and championship history.
- Men’s Basketball · 2025–26 Final Poll AnalysisSaved on this device. No account needed.
- Women’s Basketball · 2025–26 Final Poll AnalysisSaved on this device. No account needed.