CHAMPAIGN — Illinois will return to the United Center in Chicago for the first time in the regular season in seven years with a Nov. 19 date set against Alabama. It's the return game from the Illini's trip to Birmingham, Ala., last season.

Alabama won last season's matchup between top 25 teams 100-87. The Crimson Tide ultimately advanced to the Elite Eight, while Illinois' season ended in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

The Illini played at least one regular season game at the United Center every season between 1994 and 2018. That was in addition to multiple Big Ten tournament appearances in the state's largest city, the last of which came in 2023.

Illinois has a 38-18 record in 56 games at the United Center. That includes a 19-9 mark in regular season games and an 18-8 record against nonconference opponents.

While next season's matchup with Alabama is Illinois' first since the 2018-19 season, it's the first nonconference game since 2017-18. The former was a 77-67 loss to Ohio State in Big Ten play, while the latter was a 74-69 loss to New Mexico State in the Lou Henson Classic. The Illini also lost in their last trip to the United Center in a 79-76 loss to Penn State in the Big Ten tournament.

Scott Richey covers college basketball for The News-Gazette. His email is , and you can follow him on Twitter ( @srrichey ).