How the Duke vs. Illinois game at Madison Square Garden came together for Saturday’s nonconference showdown

On Saturday night, college basketball will be treated to something that was commonplace for decades but has become the exception to the rule over the past 15-or-so years: a marquee February nonconference game between two high-major programs.

It’s No. 3 Duke vs. Illinois at Madison Square Garden and it’s a great bonus to a sensational weekend of college hoops.

These kinds of big games outside the rhythm of the heart of conference season used to be a consistent feature of men’s college basketball as the sport rose in prominence from the late 1960s into the early 2000s. They became an endangered species over the past generation because of conference expansion and the constraints around scheduling because of television contracts. 

Thankfully, Duke and Illinois are proving — just like Gonzaga and Kentucky did a year ago, when they managed to do the same and met in mid-February — there can be a way. 

Why is it happening? More like: Why not? Duke has been hunting for a notable program to play a big-time game after the football season when more eyeballs would be looking to watch college hoops. It didn’t take long to find an eager partner in Illinois.

“I had talked a lot last year about how cool it was Gonzaga and Kentucky played late in the season, and said and if we can take the opportunity we should look at doing that,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood told CBS Sports. 

The opportunity presented itself late last summer. Duke coach Jon Scheyer has been consistent about trying to schedule notable nonconference matchups for Duke in a way that can further bolster Duke’s preparation for the NCAA Tournament. Both coaches wanted the matchup and wanted it in the midst of conference season. The programs worked for more than a month with the ACC and Big Ten to make sure a weekend was freed up for each to make it happen.

“The Garden has said they expect it to be one of best crowds they’ve ever had for a college game,” Scheyer told CBS Sports. “Said the interest has been off the charts.”

Earlier on Thursday, during local media availability, Scheyer added: “Madison Square Garden is as special of a place that you can play in in the world. … It feels a little bit different, I’d be lying to you, the fact that we’re in February and you’re prepping for somebody that you haven’t been watching the same way like you would a conference opponent. I think that’s what is exciting. It simulates an NCAA Tournament game.” 

Organizers with Madison Square Garden were eager to make it happen as well. Illinois always draws well in New York City, while Duke fans call MSG “Cameron North” any time the Blue Devils get a game at the World’s Most Famous Arena. 

“I would play every year there,” Underwood said. “I always look at it as an NCAA Tournament vibe, away from monotony of league play, different attitude, different opponent. We’re never going to shy away from playing really good people.”

This is no one-off for either program. Underwood and Scheyer both said they will be looking to do this in the future, even if it’s not against each other. 

“We need these games throughout the year,” Underwood said of high-majors finding ways to play big regular season non-con games beyond just November and December.

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Previously ranked, Illinois has been off as of late, and that’s due in some part to a brutal virus that has gone through the program. Underwood told CBS Sports the cadence of the sickness for most in the program has been about four days, with some at Illinois still not completely healthy. Nevertheless, the Fighting Illini are clearly a tournament-level team, which means the game comes at a much-desired time for Duke. The Blue Devils are far and away the best team in the ACC and could use another Quad 1 opponent to improve its chances to getting a No. 1 seed. 

It’s a bittersweet coincided for Scheyer’s program that they’re getting a good game at a time when the ACC has never been worse. 

“I think it was really smart on our part,” Scheyer said. “Now we just need to win.”

Scheyer already has an undisclosed opponent in mind for February of 2026. Those details will likely get finalized in the spring. 

“The environment, the opponent, those things have to be right, but we’re working on to make that happen for next year,” he said.

The scene on Saturday night should be terrific, and hopefully the game will be too. The more attention and the better the competition for these types of games, the more likely other coaches will want to follow suit.