Basketball Museum Of Illinois

The Basketball Museum of Illinois is a comprehensive facility dedicated to recognizing the rich tradition and history of basketball in our state from the junior high level to the development of the professional game. Our mission is to honor Illinois basketball history, celebrate current achievements, and motivate future generations.

Our Goal

Our goal is to educate and entertain. The Basketball Museum of Illinois is an extension of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) and our goals are to showcase our great basketball history, celebrate current achievements, and to passionately serve our coaches, players, and fans.

Our Vision

Fifty years ago, the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association was created to help the coaches in our state and to make the game of basketball better in Illinois. The IBCA has always had a vision to build a basketball museum that would be a comprehensive facility dedicated to recognizing the rich traditions and history of basketball in Illinois. From the junior high level to our professional teams, we highlight the great stories, teams, coaches, players, officials, media, and "friends of basketball" in Illinois.

The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame

The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame was founded in 1973 to honor the best and most influential players, teams, coaches, media, officials, and friends of basketball in Illinois history. Since then, a new Hall of Fame class has been inducted every year.

Boys State Tournament

The Illinois High School Boys Basketball Tournament is a single elimination tournament held each year in March at the State Farm Center on the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign. The tournament was founded in 1908 and continues today. The term March Madness was used by the high school tournament in 1939, long before the NCAA adopted it.

Title IX

"The basketball stories of Illinois give a history of the people of Illinois. Major societal strides are reflected in the actions of basketball players, coaches, fans, and administrators as pertaining to Civil Rights and Title IX legislation. These stories need to be told as much to preserve the history of Illinois as to preserve the history of basketball." - Mark Kleemann

Illinois Basketball History

Illinois has a rich and storied history of basketball from the grade school levels all the way to the professional ranks. One of our major goals is to honor and preserve the great history of Illinois basketball through our digital archive and physical location at The Wintrust Sports Complex at Bedford Park.

Girls State Tournament

The Illinois High School Boys Basketball Tournament is organized the same way as the boys tournament but two weeks earlier. First state girls basketball tournament.