Bret Bielema's Snarky Social Media Post on Illinois Basketball's AP Ranking

The Illini football coach – an unabashed fan of other Illinois programs – took issue with AP voters' placement of the men's hoops squad

Jul 23, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Illinois men's basketball found itself back among the ranks of the ranked on Monday, dipping a toe back into the AP poll at No. 24.

That wasn't enough for some – including Illini football coach Bret Bielema, an unabashed fan of other Illinois athletics programs as well as an extremely online human.

At issue was the placement of Illinois (20-11, 12-8 Big Ten) immediately behind No. 21 Missouri, No. 22 Michigan and No. 23 Oregon – opponents whom the Illini, respectively, edged in a December rivalry game, hammered on its home floor and obliterated in record-breaking fashion its own building.

Drafting off a tweet from the X social media account of IlliniBoard.com publisher Robert Rosenthal that reacted to Monday's poll update, Bielema brought his usual level of biting snark and dry wit to the proceedings.

Asking for a friend…. Are the AP voters for basketball and football the same? #ILL 🟧🟦🏈🟦🟧 #INI https://t.co/TACem4373u

— Bret Bielema (@BretBielema) March 10, 2025

It was, in many ways, the perfect Illinois athletics tweet. In a 14-word post, Bielema sent backup to the Pizza Hut parking lot for the Illini hoopers and (again) shouted out the lack of respect for his own squad, as AP voters everywhere caught strays.

Was he wrong? Illinois has more losses and fewer wins than all three teams immediately ahead of them in the AP Top 25. But among those teams, only Michigan has more Quad 1 wins (nine) than Illinois' eight, and the Illini have a stronger NET Ranking (No. 15) than each. Oh, and there is that little matter of head-to-head competition.

And to be fair, Bielema wasn't alone in noticing the situation:

Illinois back in the AP Poll and placed immediately behind two teams it beat by a combined 52 points on their home courts. Oh, and a team it beat at a neutral site. Love polls.

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) March 10, 2025

In the end, the opinions of pundits and football coaches have no more value than those of AP voters. All that matters in March is surviving. Beat whoever is in front of you and keep it moving. Illinois will get back to the business at hand in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday in Indianapolis (5:30 p.m., on Big Ten Network) against the winner of Ohio State-Iowa.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Illinois Basketball's Kasparas Jakucionis Earns Multiple Big Ten Honors

Illinois Basketball's Will Riley Named Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year

Illinois Basketball's Morez Johnson Jr. Cleared for Big Ten Tournament