How to Watch Illinois vs. Tennessee in Music City Bowl: TV, Kickoff Time, More

In so many senses of the phrase, Illinois football is preparing to enter uncharted territory.

On Tuesday in Nashville, the Illini (8-4) will play in the Music City Bowl for the first time, taking on a Tennessee program it has never faced on the field. Bret Bielema, who this season became the first Illinois coach to win eight-plus games in three seasons, will try to become the first in program history to win back-to-back bowl games. A victory over the Volunteers (8-4) would also give Illinois its first-ever back-to-back nine-win seasons.

Can't spell Nashville without ILL. pic.twitter.com/IcWy6gFuAJ
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) December 7, 2025

But aside from the various firsts the Illini will, and may yet, enjoy as they close out their 2025 season, there are other new summits that can be seen further off in the distance. Could a bowl win over a storied SEC school lift Illinois' recruiting yet another level? Lead to an eventual program-record 11-win season? Steer the Illini into Big Ten championship contention and a College Football Playoff appearance in the near future? It's hard not to consider the possibilities.

But first things first: Tennessee and a potent Volunteers offense (40.8 points per game) led by senior quarterback Joey Aguilar and head coach Josh Heupel, himself a former national championship-winning quarterback at Oklahoma. Can the Illini defense reinvent itself (as it did against South Carolina in last year's Citrus Bowl), or will the onus fall on quarterback Luke Altmyer and the Illinois offense to make up the difference?

Here's more information about the Illinois-Tennessee matchup in Tuesday's Music City Bowl:

How to watch Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Tennessee Volunteers

Frames from Nashville. pic.twitter.com/byUmdejzy1
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) December 27, 2025

Who: Illinois Fighting Illini (8-4) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (8-4)
What: Music City Bowl matchup
When: Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 4:30 p.m. CT
Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
TV/streaming: ESPN
TV announcers: Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (analyst) and Cole Cubelic (sideline)
Radio/audio: SiriusXM 84; Busey Bank Illini Sports Network (Champaign: WDWS 93.9 FM or 1400 AM; Chicago: WLS 890 AM); Fighting Illini Productions; Varsity Network App
Radio announcers: Brian Barnhart (play-by-play), Carey Davis (analyst), and Michael Martin (sideline)
Regular season: Illinois went undefeated against non-conference opponents and 5-4 in Big Ten play, most recently defeating Northwestern 20-13 on Nov. 29 in Champaign. Similarly, Tennessee went 4-0 against non-conference competition, then went 4-4 in SEC play. The Vols fell 45-24 to in-state rival and former little-brother program Vanderbilt in Knoxville on Nov. 29 in

their regular-season finale.

Series history: Illinois will be facing Tennessee for the first time in program history.

What to know about Tennessee

Most Illinois fans already know that linebacker Gabe Jacas and left tackle J.C. Davis (NFL preparations), as well as safety Matthew Bailey (injury), will sit out the Music City Bowl. But as difficult as they will be for the Illini to replace, Tennessee may be facing an even greater collective void: All-America receiver Chris Brazzell II, linebacker Arion Carter, defensive end Joshua Josephs and cornerback Colton Hood have all opted out of Tuesday's game, whether due to NFL Draft preparations or transfer portal considerations. Add star cornerback Jermod McCoy (injury) to the list of sidelined Volunteers, and suddenly the phrase "battle of attrition" doesn't sound like a cliche at all.

The Volunteers will be hoping for some addition by subtraction after bouncing former defensive coordinator Tim Banks for Jim Knowles, most recently the DC at Penn State. But Knowles will have had less than three weeks to get on the same page as his UT personnel and figure out how to deploy them against Illinois. Given that Bielema and his staff are plenty familiar with Knowles (who had been at Ohio State before PSU), that late coaching change would seem to favor the Illini.

Lots of variables, endless moving pieces and few certainties. Can the Illini protect Altmyer well enough to allow him to exploit the Vols' replacement cornerbacks? Will the Illinois D provide enough resistance against Aguilar to give Altmyer a chance to match him blow for blow? Will either, both or neither team be dialed in after relatively disappointing regular seasons? Bielema has been excellent with extra prep time. Nashville figures to be a home away from home for Rocky Top. Call it a coin flip. Kick back, enjoy and watch it play out.

Bowl prep wrapped. Eyes on game day. pic.twitter.com/luzqxccGBg
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) December 28, 2025