How to Watch Illinois vs UConn in the NCAA Tournament Final Four

The Illini (28-8) have evolved since last they met the Huskies (33-5), but Dan Hurley and his crew aren't about to roll over a game away from the natty

Mar 28, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) reacts in the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes during an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Three days and three games remain in the 2025-26 college basketball season, and that puts the prize tantalizingly close for an Illinois team that, only two weeks ago, appeared to be coming up short of national-champion-caliber.

But if the No. 3-seeded Illini (28-8) can make hay against No. 2 seed UConn (33-5) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday (5:09 p.m. CT, TBS/TruTV), they enter Monday's national title game against the winner of Michigan-Arizona with a chance to capture the program's first-ever NCAA championship.

Of course, the next step is a doozy. The Huskies are winners of two of the past three natties, and UConn coach Dan Hurley may very well be the best in the business at game-planning, moment-to-moment adjustments and deftly moving chess pieces on the board. Illinois has its work cut out for it, but it may just have the right mix – size, shooting, chemistry and a coach in Brad Underwood who is suddenly doing a damn fine Bobby Fischer impression – to meet the challenge.

Here’s more information about Saturday's Illinois-UConn Final Four matchup:

How to watch Illinois Fighting Illini vs. UConn Huskies

1-0 mindset.

🏆 NCAA Tournament Final Four
🆚 [2] UConn
⏰ 5:09 p.m. CT
📍 Indianapolis, IN
📺 TBS/TNT/TruTV pic.twitter.com/2pjisCRjJD

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) April 4, 2026

What's the event?

No. 3 seed Illinois (28-8) will face No. 2 seed UConn (35-5) in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.

Where and when are they playing?

Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, on Saturday at 5:09 p.m. CT.

How to watch

Illinois vs. UConn will be broadcast on TBS, TNT and TruTV. Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson will be on the call.

Illinois-UConn will also live stream on NCAA March Madness Live. You can download the NCAA March Madness app here.

The pregame party spot is confirmed!

Make sure to register to secure your place at the party: https://t.co/wCw47YlWO1 pic.twitter.com/fEwq1l9olR

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) April 2, 2026

How to listen

Local audio of the game can be heard on radio affiliates of the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network (Champaign: WDWS 93.9 FM or 1400 AM; Chicago: WLS 890 AM) and streamed at Fighting Illini Productions and the Varsity Network App.

A national broadcast can be followed on Westwood One (Kevin Kugler, Robbie Hummel, P.J. Carlesimo and Andy Katz will be on the call) or Sirius XM 209 or 202. You can download the SXM app here.

What happened when Illinois last played UConn?

On Black Friday in New York, Illinois faced UConn in a neutral-site matchup at Madison Square Garden, falling 74-61 in what would prove to be the team's second-worst loss of the season. Illini freshman guard Keaton Wagler scored three points in 14 minutes, the Illini chased Huskies shooters around the floor like they were chasing their tails, and Illinois' vaunted rebounding machine sputtered and was all but shut down as UConn won the battle of the boards (43-38).

What has changed since then?

Oh, you hadn't heard? In case you haven't been paying attention to the pages of Illinois on SI (or have just been trapped under a rock the past week), both teams have spent an awful lot of time instructing anyone who will listen to throw out that regular-season clash.

In this case, it's good advice. The Illini are almost unrecognizable from five months ago, with Wagler now running the show, the defense having coalesced into a basketball SEAL unit and Underwood, his staff and his players picking opponents clean, leaving no meat on the bone.

We were always a Final Four team. pic.twitter.com/HYturrx3z7

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) April 3, 2026

The change hasn't been as dramatic for UConn, but in the interim Tarris Reed Jr. has become the de facto lead dog for the Huskies and Hurley continues to adapt not only to opponents on a game-by-game basis but also tinker to optimize his own available resources. Guards Solo Ball (wrist) and Silas Demary Jr. (ankle) and forward Jaylin Stewart (knee) are all currently hobbled, but Reed and Elite Eight hero Braylon Mullins were coming off injuries when UConn toppled Illinois back in November, so the Huskies aren't likely ready to roll over.