Following a win over No. 9 seed Iowa in last Saturday’s regional finals, No. 3 seed Illinois advanced to the national semifinals for the first time since the 2004-05 season.
Now, the Fighting Illini will take on No. 2 seed UConn on Saturday, as the Huskies scored a last-second basket to upset No. 1 seed Duke in their regional final matchup. For Saturday's 6:09 p.m. ET tip-off on TBS, truTV, and HBO Max, PrizePicks Team Picks lists Illinois as a 2.5-point favorite for the point spread.
With the Fighting Illini on the cusp of the national championship game, let's take a closer look at Illinois' NCAA Tournament history. Has Illinois ever won a college basketball national championship in its 121-season history?
{{nba_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Has Illinois Won a National Championship?
Illinois has yet to win a coveted national championship. However, the Fighting Illini were retroactively named national champions in the 1914-15 season by the Helms Athletic Foundation and the Premo-Porretta Power Poll with a 16-0 campaign.
Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, Illinois has advanced to the national semifinals three times, including 1989, 2005, and its current 2026 run. The Illini made regional final appearances in 1984, 2001, and 2024, falling short of the national semifinals.
The 2004-05 season stands out as perhaps the Fighting Illini's most successful campaign. Illinois had a 37-2 (15-1 Big Ten) season, earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and reached the national championship game for the only time in program history. The Illini are still chasing a national championship, though, as they lost 75-70 in the 2005 title game vs. No. 1 seed North Carolina.
Let's take a deeper dive into Illinois' NCAA Tournament history, focusing on its memorable 2005 march to the national championship game.
NCAA Tournament History: Illinois 2005 National Semifinal Run
The Big Ten program began the 2004-05 season 29-0, and its lone regular-season loss didn’t come until March 6 vs. Ohio State. That ended up being their only defeat of the regular season, and the Fighting Illini secured both the regular season and Big Ten Tournament titles. G Luther Head (15.9 PPG & 4.0 RPG), G Dee Brown (13.3 PPG & 4.5 APG), and G Deron Williams (12.5 PPG & 6.8 APG) led an extremely talented Illinois backcourt.
Head coach Bruce Weber's squad was the No. 1 overall seed in the 2005 NCAA Tournament and cruised past No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson, No. 9 seed Nevada, and No. 12 seed Milwaukee. They were tested for the first time in the Round of 8 when No. 3 seed Arizona gave the Fighting Illini all that they could handle. Williams paced Illinois with 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting and a game-high 10 assists, leading his team to a 90-89 overtime win.
In the national semifinals, the Illini recorded their largest margin of victory of the NCAA Tournament with a 72-57 win vs. No. 4 seed Louisville.
The Fighting Illini faced off against North Carolina in the national championship game in a battle of No. 1 seeds. North Carolina F Sean May's dominant post play became the major storyline, ending with a game-high 26 points on 10-of-11 shooting while recording 10 rebounds.
Thanks to foul trouble in attempts to defend May, Illinois F James Augustine was limited to just 9 minutes and fouled out of the game. As a result, F/C Jack Ingram was forced into a larger role and scored 11 points.
Illinois battled back from a 40-27 halftime deficit, despite struggling to convert 3-pointers. The Fighting Illini tied the game at 70-70 but were held scoreless over the final 2 minutes in a 75-70 loss.
North Carolina’s defense proved to give Illinois fits, as the Tar Heels held the Fighting Illini to just 30.0% shooting from beyond the arc on a season-high 40 attempts. Luther Head led Illinois in scoring with 21 points on 8-of-21 shooting, while Deron Williams added 17 points and 7 assists.
The Fighting Illini's 2026 run to the national semifinals is already one of the best seasons in program history, but will they redeem 2005's heartbreaking national title finish?
{{nba_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
2026 Men's College Basketball Champion: Favorites, Payouts
PrizePicks Team Picks features payouts for the 2026 men's college basketball champion.
Payouts indicate real-money earnings if a college basketball champion pick is correct; for example, 2x on a $100 entry would pay out $200 on PrizePicks Team Picks. “Yes” payouts represent the team winning the college basketball national championship; “No” payouts indicate teams that will not win the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
- Michigan Wolverines – Yes 2.7x | No 1.47x
- Arizona Wildcats – Yes 2.77x | No 1.44x
- Illinois Fighting Illini – Yes 5x | No 1.17x
- UConn Huskies – Yes 6.25x | No 1.12x
Illinois may have an uphill battle ahead to grab its first national championship. Michigan (2.7x) and Arizona (2.77x) stand out with the lowest payouts for "Yes" to win the college basketball national championship, but the two will face off on Saturday with Michigan favored by 1.5 points for the spread, per PrizePicks Team Picks.
As mentioned, the Fighting Illini are favored to defeat UConn in the national semifinals on Saturday. If Illinois advances, it will likely be an underdog against the winner of Michigan vs. Arizona.
CBB futures payouts are live as of writing but are subject to change.
Make 2026 NCAA Tournament Picks on PrizePicks
Illinois is attempting to clinch a return trip to the national championship game for the first time since the 2004-05 season. For a chance to win its first national title on Monday, Illinois will need to defeat UConn on Saturday evening.
You can make your 2026 NCAA Tournament futures picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money, including on teams to win the national championship.
On PrizePicks, you can also pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
Keep tabs on the Playbook for continued college basketball predictions, picks, and news.
