Report: Northwestern, Illini talking United Center doubleheader

Share

Both Land of Lincoln Big Ten basketball teams in the same Chicago arena on the same day? Sounds like a good idea.

According to a report from the Tribune's Teddy Greenstein, Illinois and Northwestern are close to a deal that would set up a doubleheader at the United Center next December.

According to Greenstein, Northwestern would play Dayton and Illinois would play BYU at the home of the Bulls and Blackhawks.

The full day of Big Ten hoops at the UC makes total sense after attendance was unimpressive at the Illini's game there last weekend, with an announced crowd of a little more than 5,000 watching Illinois take on one-win UIC.

[SHOP BIG TEN: Get your Fighting Illini gear right here]

Illinois plays at the UC regularly, though the opponents haven't been as big of draws as they once were. The Illini have hosted the likes of Arizona, UCLA, Duke and Kansas on the West Side in the past, though the last seven regular-season games there for Illinois have come against the likes of UIC, UNLV, Georgia, Auburn and Oregon.

Northwestern hasn't played a regular-season game at the United Center since playing Illinois there in 2003.

BYU and Dayton aren't exactly Duke and Kansas — two teams that along with Michigan State and Kentucky play at the United Center every other season as part of the Champions Classic — but the Cougars are a perennial NCAA tournament team, making the Big Dance in eight of the last nine seasons, and Dayton has made back-to-back tourney appearances with 53 combined wins in the past two seasons.

Contact Us