The UIS Women's Basketball program is gearing up for an exciting 2026-27 season. With 15 home games, the Prairie Stars are set to bring plenty of basketball action to their fans at The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) in Springfield.

The season kicks off with two notable exhibition games against in-state Division I programs. The Prairie Stars will travel to Urbana-Champaign to take on the Fighting Illini on Oct. 30, followed by a matchup against SIUC in Carbondale on Nov. 3. These exhibitions provide a challenging start and a valuable opportunity for UIS to showcase their skills against top-tier competition.

The official season opener is scheduled for Nov. 9, when UIS will host Purdue Northwest at 5:30 p.m. This game is part of a home-opening doubleheader, with the Prairie Stars men's team facing Millikin University afterward. This marks the beginning of a series of home games that will see the Prairie Stars playing on familiar grounds more than ever before.

Highlighting the early part of the schedule is a Midwest regional crossover weekend on Nov. 13-14. UIS will host Tiffin on Friday evening and Hillsdale on Saturday afternoon. This crossover event brings regional excitement, providing a platform for intense competition as Purdue Northwest joins the fray to face Tiffin and Hillsdale as well.

Continuing its home stretch, UIS will welcome Ashland on Nov. 18. UIS goes on the road for the first time on Nov. 21, playing Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, Wis., before conference play starts at Lewis.

The Prairie Stars will play a 20-game GLVC schedule, with six conference opponents appearing twice on the slate. UIS will play home-and-away series against Indianapolis, Drury, Quincy, Upper Iowa, McKendree and Lewis. 

UIS will face eight additional GLVC opponents once during the regular season. The Prairie Stars will host Missouri S&T, Missouri-St. Louis, William Jewell and Maryville, and travel to Lincoln, Truman State, Southwest Baptist and Rockhurst. Overall, the conference schedule is evenly split, with 10 games at TRAC and 10 games on the road.

UIS will step away from conference action for three games in December. The Prairie Stars will travel to Roosevelt and Thomas More before returning home to host Concordia Chicago on Dec. 18.

Head coach Olivia Birt enters her third season leading the Prairie Stars, looking to build on a 2025-26 campaign in which UIS went 14-14 overall and 11-9 in GLVC play. Birt will be joined by returning assistant coach D'Angelo Hughes and new assistant coach Jaydon Pearson as the Prairie Stars look to take another step forward and earn a spot in the GLVC Tournament.

UIS returns much of its production from a year ago while adding eight newcomers to the roster, including five freshmen and three Division I transfers. The combination of returning experience and new talent gives the Prairie Stars a strong foundation as they enter the 2026-27 season.

To stay updated and view the full schedule, visit uisprairiestars.com.