University of North Carolina Athletics
Sophomore Neo Avdalas
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Tickets On Sale This Week For Nashville Hoops Showdown
October 14, 2026 | Men's Basketball
NASHVILLE – Tickets for the Nashville Hoops Showdown, a men's college basketball contest featuring North Carolina and Illinois, will go on sale this week at www.nashvillehoopsshowdown.com/tickets.
The full public ticket sale will take place starting at 10 a.m. on Thursday.
Travel packages for the Nashville Hoops Showdown also remain on sale. Packages can be secured by visiting www.nashvillehoopsshowdown.com/travel and includes game tickets in the respective team fan blocks, exclusive hospitality inside Bridgestone Arena on gameday and hotel accommodations at one of the official team and fan hotels of the event – the JW Marriott Nashville (North Carolina) and The Westin Nashville (Illinois). Fan travel packages allow fans exclusive early access to secure their seats for the event ahead of the launch of presale and public ticket sales later this week.
This will be Carolina's first game in Nashville since a road contest against Vanderbilt in 1987 and first in the state of Tennessee since 2018. The Illini are making a return trip to the Music City after earning a hard-fought win over Tennessee a season ago.
Voted one of the Best U.S. Cities to Visit in 2026 by U.S. News & World Report and the No. 1 Most Favorably Viewed Large City in America by YouGov, Nashville is a vibrant global destination where world class live music with over 250 live music venues, unmatched southern hospitality and premier sporting events converge to create a unique cultural experience.
January's contest will be the ninth all-time meeting between the programs, and first since 2010. Each team has won four games in the series. UNC and Illinois first met in 1951 before completing a home-and-home in 1986 and 1987. They faced each other five times in an eight-year span from 2002-10, including a showdown for the 2005 national championship that was won by the Tar Heels.
For more information on the event and to receive email alerts regarding future event news, log on to the event's website at nashvillehoopsshowdown.com and follow Intersport Basketball on Twitter (X) and Instagram at @IntersportHoops.
The full public ticket sale will take place starting at 10 a.m. on Thursday.
Travel packages for the Nashville Hoops Showdown also remain on sale. Packages can be secured by visiting www.nashvillehoopsshowdown.com/travel and includes game tickets in the respective team fan blocks, exclusive hospitality inside Bridgestone Arena on gameday and hotel accommodations at one of the official team and fan hotels of the event – the JW Marriott Nashville (North Carolina) and The Westin Nashville (Illinois). Fan travel packages allow fans exclusive early access to secure their seats for the event ahead of the launch of presale and public ticket sales later this week.
This will be Carolina's first game in Nashville since a road contest against Vanderbilt in 1987 and first in the state of Tennessee since 2018. The Illini are making a return trip to the Music City after earning a hard-fought win over Tennessee a season ago.
Voted one of the Best U.S. Cities to Visit in 2026 by U.S. News & World Report and the No. 1 Most Favorably Viewed Large City in America by YouGov, Nashville is a vibrant global destination where world class live music with over 250 live music venues, unmatched southern hospitality and premier sporting events converge to create a unique cultural experience.
January's contest will be the ninth all-time meeting between the programs, and first since 2010. Each team has won four games in the series. UNC and Illinois first met in 1951 before completing a home-and-home in 1986 and 1987. They faced each other five times in an eight-year span from 2002-10, including a showdown for the 2005 national championship that was won by the Tar Heels.
For more information on the event and to receive email alerts regarding future event news, log on to the event's website at nashvillehoopsshowdown.com and follow Intersport Basketball on Twitter (X) and Instagram at @IntersportHoops.
Tuesday, October 13
Tuesday, October 13
Monday, October 12
Monday, October 12