Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois Fighting Illini NCAA Tournament History

Big Ten
All-Time Record
46-36
Appearances
35
Final Fours
2
Titles
0
First
1942
Most Recent
2025

Year by Year

Illinois Fighting Illini has made 35 NCAA Tournament appearances between 1942 and 2025.

1942
L Regional Semifinal (Sweet 16) Kentucky 44-46
L Third Place Game Penn State 34-41
1949
L Regional Final (Elite 8) Kentucky 47-76
W Regional Semifinal (Sweet 16) Yale 71-67
W Third Place Game Oregon State 57-53
1951
L Regional Final (Elite 8) Kentucky 74-76
W Regional Semifinal (Sweet 16) North Carolina State 84-70
W Second Round Columbia 79-71
W Third Place Game Oklahoma State 61-46
1952
L Regional Final (Elite 8) St. John's 59-61
W Regional Semifinal (Sweet 16) Duquesne 74-68
W Second Round Dayton 80-61
W Third Place Game Santa Clara 67-64
1963
L Regional Final (Elite 8) Loyola (IL) 64-79
W Regional Semifinal (Sweet 16) Bowling Green 70-67
1981
L Regional Semifinal (Sweet 16) Kansas State 52-57
W Second Round Wyoming 67-65
1983
L First Round Utah 49-52
1984
L Regional Final (Elite 8) Kentucky 51-54
W Regional Semifinal (Sweet 16) Maryland 72-70
W Second Round Villanova 64-56
1985
W First Round Northeastern 76-57
L Regional Semifinal (Sweet 16) Georgia Tech 53-61
W Second Round Georgia 74-58
1986
W First Round Fairfield 75-51
L Second Round Alabama 56-58
1987
L First Round Austin Peay 67-68
1988
W First Round Texas-San Antonio 81-72
L Second Round Villanova 63-66
1989
W First Round McNeese State 77-71
L National Semifinal (Final Four) Michigan 81-83
W Regional Final (Elite 8) Syracuse 89-86
W Regional Semifinal (Sweet 16) Louisville 83-69
W Second Round Ball State 72-60
1990
L First Round Dayton 86-88
1993
W First Round Long Beach State 75-72
L Second Round Vanderbilt 68-85
1994
L First Round Georgetown 77-84
1995
L First Round Tulsa 62-68
1997
W First Round USC 90-77
L Second Round Chattanooga 63-75
1998
W First Round South Alabama 64-51
L Second Round Maryland 61-67
2000
W First Round Pennsylvania 68-58
L Second Round Florida 76-93
2001
W First Round Northwestern State 96-54
L Regional Final (Elite 8) Arizona 81-87
W Regional Semifinal (Sweet 16) Kansas 80-64
W Second Round Charlotte 79-61
2002
W First Round San Diego State 93-64
L Regional Semifinal (Sweet 16) Kansas 69-73
W Second Round Creighton 72-60
2003
W First Round Western Kentucky 65-60
L Second Round Notre Dame 60-68
2004
W First Round Murray State 72-53
L Regional Semifinal (Sweet 16) Duke 62-72
W Second Round Cincinnati 92-68
2005
W First Round Fairleigh Dickinson 67-55
L National Championship North Carolina 70-75
W National Semifinal (Final Four) Louisville 72-57
W Regional Final (Elite 8) Arizona 90-89
W Regional Semifinal (Sweet 16) Wisconsin-Milwaukee 77-63
W Second Round Nevada 71-59
2006
W First Round Air Force 78-69
L Second Round Washington 64-67
2007
L First Round Virginia Tech 52-54
2009
L First Round Western Kentucky 72-76
2011 No. 9 seed
W First Round #8 UNLV 73-62
L Second Round #1 Kansas 59-73
2013 No. 7 seed
W First Round #10 Colorado 57-49
L Second Round #2 Miami (FL) 59-63
2021 No. 1 seed
W First Round #16 Drexel 78-49
L Second Round #8 Loyola Chicago 58-71
2022 No. 4 seed
W First Round #13 Chattanooga 54-53
L Second Round #5 Houston 53-68
2023 No. 9 seed
L First Round #8 Arkansas 63-73
2024 No. 3 seed
W First Round #14 Morehead State 85-69
L Regional Final (Elite 8) #1 UConn 52-77
W Regional Semifinal (Sweet 16) #2 Iowa State 72-69
W Second Round #11 Duquesne 89-63
2025 No. 6 seed
W First Round #11 Xavier 86-73
L Second Round #3 Kentucky 75-84