TV Info, Preview of MSU Women's B1G Tourney Opener vs. Illinois

The postseason is now here.

No. 18 Michigan State is having one of its best seasons in some time. The Spartans just capped off a 22-7 regular season with an 11-7 record during Big Ten play. There is a pretty good chance that MSU will get a 4 seed in March Madness and host its games during the first weekend at the Breslin Center. The last time the Spartans were a top-4 seed was when they were also a 4 seed in the 2016 tourney under Suzy Merchant.

MSU guard Kennedy Blair (35) looks to get past Illinois forward Cearah Parchment (30) in Big 10 action Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026 at the Breslin Center. | Robert Killips/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Before it can worry about that, Michigan State still has its Big Ten Tournament run at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis ahead of itself. The Spartans ended up with the 7 seed in this year's tournament and will take on 10th-seeded Illinois on Thursday after the Fighting Illini beat No. 15 seed Wisconsin, 82-70, on Wednesday.

MSU has been one-and-done in the conference tournament in each of the two years of the otherwise successful era so far. Here is how you can watch the game, along with a quick look at Thursday's matchup that will determine which team faces the No. 2 seed, Iowa, on Friday in the quarterfinals.

TV Info

Michigan State's Jalyn Brown (23) dribbles the ball during a game against UCLA at the Breslin Center on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Tip-Off: 6:30 p.m. ET

Channel: Big Ten Network

Announcers: Sloane Martin (play-by-play); Christy Winters Scott (analyst)

Quick Preview

Michigan State's Grace VanSlooten, left, slaps hands with Marah Dykstra after a play against Maryland during the second quarter on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One of the perks of the Big Ten Tournament is that there is always a past matchup to look back on. These two teams met in East Lansing back on Jan. 4, where the Spartans won, 81-75, during what was their fourth conference game of the season.

MSU led nearly the entire time, going up by 15 at one point, but Illinois fought back to make it a two-point game with 11 seconds left before Michigan State executed and made its free throws to ensure victory.

The leader that day, as is often the case, was redshirt sophomore guard Kennedy Blair for the Spartans. She neared triple-double range, dropping 19 points, grabbing nine rebounds, and dishing out seven assists. Senior forward Grace VanSlooten and junior guard Rashunda Jones both had 15 points apiece.

As for Illinois, which was a projected 8 seed in the NCAA bracket entering the conference tournament by ESPN's Charlie Creme, the first player to know is sophomore forward Berry Wallace. She scored 22 in her game against the Spartans during the regular season, scored 22 against the Badgers, and now averages 18.9 points per game this season.

From a team-wide perspective, the Illini's three-point shooting can be lethal. They shot 10-for-23 (43.5%) against MSU in the regular season, and their season-wide percentage entering the Big Ten tourney of 37.5% ranked eighth in the country.

Michigan State's Rashunda Jones (1) looks to pass during a game against UCLA at the Breslin Center on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

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