UCLA is set to enter its third season in the Big Ten, following a sophomore campaign in which the program captured three NCAA championships – the most of any Big Ten school. The conference as a whole earned 10 different national titles in the most recent cycle. Daily Bruin Sports has broken down the top programs of UCLA’s Big Ten rivals.

Football

2025 record: 9-4, 5-4 Big Ten

Coach: Bret Bielema

Player to watch: Katin Houser

Quarterback Luke Altmyer ran Illinois’ offense for the past three seasons.

But his departure to the NFL left a gap in the Fighting Illini.

But if transfer Katin Houser adjusts to Big Ten speed of play, he could be the missing piece.

Houser boasts four years of collegiate experience prior to this season, spending two apiece at Michigan State, then East Carolina. Last season, Houser posted 269 completions to only six interceptions.

The Fighting Illini retain their three leading rushers from 2025 in running backs Ca’Lil Valentine and Aidan Laughery and tight end Kaden Feagin. The trio combined for 1,503 of the team’s 1,795 net rushing yards last season.

Other key returners include defensive backs Matthew Bailey, a two-time All-Big Ten honoree, and Juice Clarke, an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention last season. Bailey led the Fighting Illini in tackles last season with 76. Clarke led the squad in breakups, recording seven in just seven games.

The Fighting Illini closed 2025 on a high note.

Coach Bret Bielema, who is entering his sixth season as the head honcho, led his squad to nine wins, including a Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl victory over Tennessee to end its campaign.

Two of the squad’s four losses in 2025 were to then-No. 1 Ohio State and to the eventual national champions, Indiana. On the other hand, Illinois defeated two ranked opponents, USC and Tennessee.

The biggest challenges are likely Ohio State and Oregon. In November, the Bruins will face up against the Fighting Illini three games before the regular season concludes.

Running the offense through someone other than Altmyer may initially seem a challenge for the squad, but if Houser is able to play his style of football in the Big Ten, Illinois could experience success in 2026.

Men’s basketball

2025 record: 28-9, 15-5 Big Ten

Coach: Brad Underwood

Player to watch: David Mirković

The system of a program changes dramatically when a key piece leaves.

For the Fighting Illini, that key piece was Keaton Wagler.

Wagler, the squad’s 2025-26 leading scorer with 17.9 points per game on a 39.7 percent clip from deep, was selected fifth overall in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Clippers, leaving the squad without its offensive engine.

But coach Brad Underwood’s team still boasts a formidable squad after its 2026 Final Four run.

David Mirković led the team in rebounds and sat third for points per game, averaging 8 and 13.3, respectively. The 6-foot-9 forward showed his ability to space the floor, tying for second on the team in 3-pointers made.

Mirković is backed by guard Andrej Stojaković, who is entering his second season with the Fighting Illini after transferring from California. Stojaković averaged 13.5 points per game, second on the team, on 50 percent shooting from the field last season.

Illinois also added seven players to its roster this offseason – six recruits and one transfer.

The incoming recruiting class boasts premier talent, with guards Quentin Coleman and Lucas Morillo being ranked 23rd and 53rd in the class of 2026, respectively. Coleman represented Team USA on the U18 squad, giving him high-stakes experience to help him adjust to NCAA competition.

The Fighting Illini added transfer guard Stefan Vaaks, who posted 15.8 points per game on 35 percent shooting from the field during his freshman season at Providence. Vaaks ended his campaign with the Friars on the Big East All-Freshman Team and could provide the consistency from deep that left along with Wagler.

The Bruins were able to take down the Fighting Illini in overtime Feb. 21 before a nine-point loss to UConn in the Final Four ended the latter’s season. And with Wagler being drafted, Illinois is going to have to make some adjustments.

But a strong recruiting class backed by veteran strength makes the squad one of the strongest in the Big Ten once more.

Women’s basketball

2025 record: 22-12, 9-9 Big Ten

Coach: Shauna Green

Player to watch: Berry Wallace

A young core that stays together can be deadly.

And the Fighting Illini have just that.

The five leading scorers from the 2025-26 season on coach Shauna Green’s squad are all returning for the head honcho’s fifth year at the helm.

Despite barely hitting .500 in conference, Illinois boasted multiple wins over ranked opponents and managed to sneak into the top 25 for one week. It was also one of three Big Ten opponents to lose to the Bruins by less than 20 points during the latter’s championship season.

And the squad will return looking even more deadly.

Although Green was not able to land any ranked players in this year’s recruiting class, the return of her core five provides her team with more experience and maturity than a year prior.

Forward Berry Wallace led the Fighting Illini in scoring, averaging 18.4 points per game on 47.2 percent shooting from the field. Illinois shot a collective 45.1 percent from the field and 35 percent from behind the arc, a clip that sat sixth in the Big Ten.

The second key returner is forward Cearah Parchment, who averaged 13.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, marks that placed her second and first, respectively, on the team.

Parchment, who was on the Big Ten All-Freshman team and broke the single-season scoring record for freshmen at Illinois in the 2025-26 season, was invited to the Canadian national team’s training camp over the summer. The experience may further enhance her development and ability to contribute next season.

Also returning are guards Gretchen Dolan, Maddie Webber and Destiny Jackson, all of whom averaged 9.9-plus points per game last season.

Beyond scoring, Illinois may continue its defensive ascent next season.

The squad collected 246 steals in the 2025-26 campaign, a jump from 171 a year prior. Parchment and Jackson led the charge, recording 57 and 54 steals, respectively.

With the core of the roster remaining identical and amassing more experience together, the Fighting Illini could prove a competitive opponent for the Bruins next season.