Illinois State Redbirds

The Illinois State Redbirds bring Central Illinois a steady Missouri Valley Conference program that plays its home games at CEFCU Arena in Normal. Red and white basketball has been part of campus life since the late 1800s, giving the Redbirds one of the longer traditions in the Valley. Illinois State's identity centers on consistency: multiple regular-season and tournament titles across different eras of the program. The Redbirds have also found a home in postseason tournaments beyond March Madness. Normal's college basketball scene is built around the Redbirds.

Illinois State basketball dates to 1898 and became a Division I Missouri Valley Conference program in 1981-82. The Redbirds have won five Missouri Valley regular-season titles and four tournament championships, in 1983, 1997, 1998, and 2017, with six NCAA Tournament appearances overall. In 2025, Illinois State capped a historic postseason run by winning the College Basketball Invitational championship, the program's first postseason title outside the Valley Tournament.