Both Illinois and Baylor remain undefeated after one exhibition game apiece (for whatever that’s worth). The Bears’ win is undoubtedly more impressive, though. 

They went into enemy territory (of sorts) – the game was staged in Jacksonville – and knocked off preseason No. 1 Florida. Baylor rode an impressive 31-point, eight-rebound, four-assist performance from standout sophomore guard Kayden Mingo – a player Illinois is quite familiar with – to an 82-76 overtime victory.

On the flip side, the Illini also went on the road, but they ventured all the way into the lion’s den. Playing Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Illinois came away with a 105-96 victory. Andrej Stojakovic may have been the star of the night, though a handful of Illini put on a show. At the same time, the Illini also let a few Bearcats go off.

Can Illinois score at a similar rate while also getting some stops on Friday night? That will be one area to monitor – especially since the Bears aren’t short on high-level guards, which has proved to be the Illini’s kryptonite.

Here’s more information about Friday's Illinois-Baylor exhibition matchup:

How to watch Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Baylor Bears

Back home.

📅 Oct. 23
🆚 Baylor (Exh.)
⏰ 7 pm CT
📍State Farm Center
📺 B1G+ pic.twitter.com/QK5u00zqoG

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) October 22, 2026

What's the event?

No. 3 Illinois will face Baylor for an exhibition matchup.

Where and when are Illinois and Baylor playing?

State Farm Center in Champaign, on Friday at 7:00 p.m. CT.

How to watch Illinois vs. Baylor

Illinois vs. Baylor will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.

Did we just find the opening act for the exhibition game tomorrow? pic.twitter.com/3CqsijtJz3

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) October 22, 2026

How to listen to Illinois vs. Baylor

Local audio of the game can be heard on radio affiliates of the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network (Champaign: WDWS 93.9 FM or 1400 AM; Chicago: WLS 890 AM) and streamed at Fighting Illini Productions and the Varsity Network App.

What happened when Illinois last played Baylor?

The last time Illinois met Baylor was back in December of 2020 in Indianapolis. The Illini, who were facing a one-point deficit at half, fell 82-69 after struggling in the second half.

That Baylor team, which was led by Jared Butler and Davion Mitchell, went on to win the 2021 national championship. That was the same NCAA Tournament in which Illinois was a No. 1 seed (and ultimately was upset by Loyola-Chicago in the second round).

That season marked Illinois' only loss in program history against Baylor. Otherwise, the Illini are 3-0 against the Bears, with their first victory coming back in 1986 and their most recent in 2014. This one, of course, won't go into the official record books.