PEORIA, Ill. - For the first time since 1985, and just the fourth time in the history of the rivalry, Interstate 74 rivals Bradley and Illinois State will meet in the regular-season finale when the Redbirds visit Carver Arena for a men's basketball clash Feb. 25.  The rivalry finale is one of 18 Missouri Valley Conference games announced today, completing Bradley's 31-game regular-season schedule.

The Braves will start the league race by hosting three of its four Valley games at Carver Arena, beginning Dec. 28 versus defending NIT champion Wichita State.  Bradley will visit defending State Farm MVC Tournament champion Indiana State Dec. 31, before returning home to face in-state rival Southern Illinois Jan. 4 and CBI runner-up Creighton Jan. 7.

Following the home-heavy start, Bradley will play six of its next nine games on the road, including the return games versus Wichita State (Jan. 13), Southern Illinois (Jan. 24) and Creighton (Jan. 28) and concluding with the first game in the I-74 Rivalry at Illinois State (Feb. 4).

The rush of road games in the middle of the season means the Braves will have a heavy dose of home games down the stretch.  Bradley will play four of its final six games at home:  Feb. 8 versus Indiana State, Feb. 15 against Drake, Feb. 18-19 in the annual BracketBusters event and Feb. 25 against the Redbirds.

The only previous time Illinois State visited Carver Arena for the regular-season finale, Bradley cruised to an 82-69 win March 2, 1985.  Bradley also won the two previous regular-season finales as Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rivals in 1912 (39-16) and 1928 (42-26).

Local, regional and national television appearances will be announced later this fall.