How To Watch Illinois Fighting Illini Men’s Basketball in 2025
✦ Edited and fact-checked by Junior Sports Writer Alex Vejar, our junior sports writer with over 10 years of covering sports.
A look at the 2025–2026 Fighting Illini season
This season in Champaign feels like a classic boom-or-bust scenario.
After a solid but ultimately underwhelming 2024–2025 campaign that ended in the NCAA Tournament’s second round, head coach Brad Underwood, who recently signed a six-year extension, has hit the reset button. He lost Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley to the NBA Draft and Morez Johnson Jr. in the transfer portal. But his reload strategy has been one of the most fascinating stories of the offseason.
Instead of a traditional rebuild, Underwood assembled a roster defined by its massive international flavor, anchored by returning Croatian junior Tomislav Ivisic and his 7-foot twin brother, Zvonimir Ivisic, who transferred from Arkansas. They’re joined by Cal transfer Andrej Stojakovic (son of NBA legend Peja) and highly-touted Montenegrin freshman David Mirkovic.
The big question is how quickly this immense and unique talent pool, led by returning senior guard Kylan Boswell, can possibly mesh. Underwood’s grueling non-conference schedule against powerhouses like Alabama, UConn, and Tennessee won’t give them long to figure it out.
With the Big Ten now a sprawling 18-team conference, the viewing schedule is just as complex as its geography. Games will be spread across the Big Ten Network (BTN), FS1, FOX, and ESPN. But the biggest change for fans is that a significant number of must-see conference games are now exclusively on Peacock. I’ve sorted through all the broadcast deals to create the definitive guide on how to watch Illinois basketball this season.
2025–2026 Illinois men’s basketball TV schedule
The Illini tip off the new season on Monday, November 3, at home against Jackson State on the Big Ten Network. From there, the schedule is a gauntlet. The non-conference slate is loaded with neutral-site tests against Texas Tech (Nov. 11), Alabama (Nov. 19 in Chicago), UConn (Nov. 28 at MSG), and Tennessee (Dec. 6 in Nashville). The annual Braggin’ Rights rivalry game against Missouri is set for December 22 in St. Louis.
Big Ten play gets a rolling start on December 9 with a critical road test against Ohio State—a game you can only see on Peacock. After the New Year, the conference slate kicks in for good, with key home rivalry games against Northwestern (Feb. 4) and Indiana (Feb. 15). The regular season wraps on March 8 with a road game against Maryland.
| Opponent | Day | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson State Tigers | Monday, Nov. 3 | 8:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network |
| Florida Gulf Coast Eagles | Friday, Nov. 7 | 8:30 p.m. | Peacock Premium |
| Texas Tech (#10) | Tuesday, Nov. 11 | 8:30 p.m. | FS1 |
| Colgate Raiders | Friday, Nov. 14 | 9:00 p.m. | B1G+ |
| Alabama (#15) | Wednesday, Nov. 19 | 9:00 p.m. | TBA |
| Long Island University Sharks | Saturday, Nov. 22 | TBD | TBA |
| UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros | Monday, Nov. 24 | 8:00 p.m. | TBA |
| UConn (#4) | Friday, Nov. 28 | 12:30 p.m. | TBA |
| At Tennessee (#18) | Saturday, Dec. 6 | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| At Ohio State Buckeyes | Tuesday, Dec. 9 | 7:30 p.m. | TBA |
| Nebraska Cornhuskers | Saturday, Dec. 13 | 4:00 p.m. | Peacock Premium |
| Missouri Tigers | Monday, Dec. 22 | 8:00 p.m. | TBA |
| Southern Jaguars | Monday, Dec. 29 | 3:00 p.m. | TBA |
| At Penn State Nittany Lions | Saturday, Jan. 3 | 7:00 p.m. | Big Ten Network |
| Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Thursday, Jan. 8 | 8:30 p.m. | TBA |
| At Iowa Hawkeyes | Sunday, Jan. 11 | TBD | TBA |
| At Northwestern Wildcats | Wednesday, Jan. 14 | 8:30 p.m. | TBA |
| Minnesota Golden Gophers | Saturday, Jan. 17 | 12:00 p.m. | TBA |
| Maryland Terrapins | Wednesday, Jan. 21 | 7:00 p.m. | Big Ten Network |
| At Purdue (#1) | Saturday, Jan. 24 | 3:00 p.m. | TBA |
| Washington Huskies | Thursday, Jan. 29 | 9:00 p.m. | TBA |
| At Nebraska Cornhuskers | Sunday, Feb. 1 | 4:00 p.m. | FS1 |
| Northwestern Wildcats | Wednesday, Feb. 4 | 9:00 p.m. | TBA |
| At Michigan State Spartans (#22) | Saturday, Feb. 7 | 8:00 p.m. | TBA |
| Wisconsin (#24) | Tuesday, Feb. 10 | 8:00 p.m. | TBA |
| Indiana | Sunday, Feb. 15 | 1:00 p.m. | TBA |
| At USC Trojans | Wednesday, Feb. 18 | 10:00 p.m. | TBA |
| At UCLA (#12) | Saturday, Feb. 21 | 8:00 p.m. | TBA |
| Michigan (#7) | Friday, Feb. 27 | 8:00 p.m. | TBA |
| Oregon Ducks | Tuesday, March 3 | 9:00 p.m. | TBA |
| At Maryland Terrapins | Sunday, March 8 | 3:00 p.m. | TBA |
Data effective as of post date.
Best TV plans for watching Illinois men’s basketball
To catch every minute of Illini action, you’ll need a specific combination of channels. The nationally televised games will be on your local FOX affiliate, FS1, and ESPN. The majority of conference games will air on the Big Ten Network (BTN). Finally, a handful of early non-conference games will stream on B1G+ (BTN’s digital-only platform).
Here’s the new reality for Big Ten fans: you must have a subscription to Peacock Premium. NBCUniversal has locked up the rights to over 75 exclusive Big Ten regular-season games, plus the first two days of the Big Ten Tournament (March 10–11). As you can see from the schedule, this includes Illinois’ conference opener and their final regular-season home game. This is no longer an optional add-on; it’s an essential part of the viewing package.
My top recommendation for a foundational TV service is YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV. Both of these live TV streaming services carry your local FOX station, ESPN, FS1, and the Big Ten Network in their base packages, which covers the vast majority of televised games. Fubo is another strong choice with a similar channel lineup. You’ll want to pair one of those services with a separate subscription to Peacock Premium to achieve 100% game coverage.
How to watch Illinois men’s basketball FAQ
Where can I watch Illinois men's basketball for free?
Truly free options are rare. Games airing on FOX (like the UConn matchup) are available for free with a simple over-the-air (OTA) antenna. You can also take advantage of free trials for live TV streaming services like YouTube TV or Fubo to watch games on Big Ten Network, FS1, and ESPN for a limited time.
How can I stream Illinois basketball without cable?
The best cord-cutting setup is a two-part solution. First, subscribe to a live TV streaming service like YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, or Fubo to get the core channels: BTN, FS1, and ESPN. Second, you must purchase a standalone subscription to Peacock Premium to watch all the exclusive Big Ten basketball games.
Can I watch Illinois basketball on Peacock?
Yes, and it's mandatory for complete coverage this season. Peacock will exclusively stream over 75 Big Ten men's basketball games this season. This includes several key Illinois games, such as the conference opener at Ohio State (Dec. 9) and the final home game of the regular season vs. Oregon (March 3).
How can I listen to the Illinois basketball game on the radio?
You can hear the live radio call on the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network. In the Champaign-Urbana area, the flagship station is WDWS 93.9 FM/1400 AM. Fans can also stream the audio feed for free via the Fighting Illini mobile app or on the team's official website.
Why you should trust us
Our CableTV.com editorial team cross-referenced the official Illinois men’s basketball schedule with the channel lineups of every major TV provider. Using those details, we selected our viewing recommendations based on channel availability, pricing, and ease of use.
This guide is updated regularly throughout the season to ensure our information is accurate. To learn more about our methods, check out our How We Rank page.
