‘Cats Open 2026-27 Preseason with Exhibition at Illinois State

NORMAL, Ill. — Northwestern opens its 2026-27 men’s basketball season with a road exhibition against Illinois State on Sunday, Oct. 18, at 4 p.m. CT inside CEFCU Arena. The game will air exclusively on WGN Radio 720 (online only) with Dave Eanet (play-by-play) and Billy McKinney (analyst) calling the action. There are deep ties between Northwestern and Illinois State. Sullivan-Ubben Head Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Collins’ father, Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Doug Collins, holds the Redbirds’ all-time scoring record. He amassed 2,240 points (29.1 points per game) from 1970-73, and his No. 20 is retired from the Redbirds men’s…