How Illinois Plans to 'Stripe' the State Farm Center for No. 1 Tennessee

The Illini are enlisting fans to help stripe their arena orange and blue for Saturday's home game against the Vols

Nov 25, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Will Riley (7) gets a hand from fans as he takes the court before a game against the Little Rock Trojans during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

It may not have the reputation of Allen Fieldhouse, Cameron Indoor Stadium and Mackey Arena among the iconic homes in college basketball, but Champaign's State Farm Center has been very, very good to Illinois.

And the Illini are counting on their faithful to pitch in to make it just a bit more hospitable when No. 1-ranked Tennessee comes to town on Saturday (4:30 p.m. CT, on FOX), asking fans to transform their home into the "Stripe State Farm Center."

The Illini athletics department is requesting that fans with tickets in odd-numbered sections wear orange, fans in even-numbered sections wear blue and all U of I students wear orange in order to "stripe" the arena for Illinois' biggest game yet this season.

The color coding for State Farm Center seating in Saturday's "Stripe Game" against No. 1 Tennessee in Champaign, Illinois. / University of Illinois Athletics

Illinois has made the Stripe Game a (nearly) annual event, dating back to the 2019-2020 season. The Illini are 3-1 in Stripe Games, with wins over Indiana last January, Syracuse in November 2022 and the Hoosiers again in March 2020. The team's lone Stripe defeat: an 83-79 loss to No. 11 Arizona in December 2021.

Of course, even absent the color coordination, the Illini haven't been too shabby on their home hardwood. Illinois is undefeated at home so far in 2024-25, and the Illini are 75-13 there since the 2019-20 season, when the Stripe Game was inaugurated.

Since the opening of the State Farm Center in 1963 (then called Assembly Hall), Illinois has a record of 694-194. Again, pretty good stuff.

If the Illini can upend the Vols with a little extra orange-and-blue assistance, they may just ditch this annual event thing and make the Stripe Game standard operating procedure for every future home game at State Farm Center.

You heard him! See you Saturday, Illini!

Odd sections wear orange 🔸 Even sections wear blue 🔹#Illini | #HTTO | #EveryDayGuys pic.twitter.com/MdEHGN8gfM

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) December 11, 2024

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Illinois Basketball's Next Shot to Upset an NCAA No. 1 – Tennessee – Is Coming Soon

ESPN Prediction for Illinois Basketball vs. No. 1 Tennessee

Key Matchup: Illinois vs. Tennessee – the Battle of the Backcourts