We've made it. College basketball returns on Friday with the start of the 2015-16 regular season, and the Illinois Fighting Illini are prepping for their opener against the North Florida Ospreys. The last time we saw Illinois play an actual game, the team was trounced out of their second-straight NIT appearance by the Alabama Crimson Tide. North Florida, on the other hand, made history last year by winning the Atlantic Sun regular season and tournament titles while advancing to their first-ever NCAA Tournament.
Due to the ongoing renovations at the State Farm Center, this Illinois 'home game' will be played at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield, IL; the Illini will be playing a total of four regular season games at this venue before returning to Champaign on December 2nd to battle Notre Dame in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.