Illinois Basketball: What Channel Is the Game On?

Where Illinois games air in 2026-27

Of Illinois's 32 scheduled 2026-27 games, 31 have a channel so far: 9 games air on broadcast TV, 2 are on the ESPN channels, 11 need a conference network and 9 stream only, never appearing in a channel guide at all. The other 1 game has no channel yet — college basketball windows are assigned by the conferences and networks through the season, and this page updates daily as they land.

The part that catches people out: 9 games on Peacock / B1G+ are not on television. No cable package and no channel number will find them — they are streamed only.

Illinois 2026-27 schedule & TV channels

All 32 games ESPN has scheduled so far — 16 home, 12 away, 4 at neutral sites. Channels are shown where a broadcast has been assigned as of 2026-11-12; the rest fill in through the season, and this table is rebuilt daily.

Date	Opponent	Channel
Nov 2	vs Fairleigh Dickinson Knights	Big Ten Network
Nov 5	vs Pennsylvania Quakers	FS1
Nov 10	at Texas Tech Red Raiders	Peacock
Nov 13	vs Sam Houston Bearkats	B1G+
Nov 17	at Duke Blue Devils	ESPN
Nov 20	vs Eastern Illinois Panthers	Big Ten Network
Nov 23	vs Winthrop Eagles	Big Ten Network
Nov 27	vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers	FS1
Dec 4	UConn Huskies (neutral site)	FOX
Dec 8	at Minnesota Golden Gophers	Peacock
Dec 12	vs Penn State Nittany Lions	FS1
Dec 20	Missouri Tigers (neutral site)	ESPN2
Dec 29	vs Seattle U Redhawks	B1G+
Jan 2	at Wisconsin Badgers	FOX
Jan 5	vs Purdue Boilermakers	Peacock
Jan 9	vs Ohio State Buckeyes	CBS
Jan 13	at Northwestern Wildcats	Big Ten Network
Jan 16	at Maryland Terrapins	Peacock
Jan 19	vs Nebraska Cornhuskers	Peacock
Jan 24	at Indiana Hoosiers	CBS
Jan 27	vs USC Trojans	Big Ten Network
Jan 30	North Carolina Tar Heels (neutral site)	TBD
Feb 2	vs UCLA Bruins	Peacock
Feb 5	Michigan State Spartans (neutral site)	FOX
Feb 9	at Michigan Wolverines	Peacock
Feb 12	at Purdue Boilermakers	FOX
Feb 16	vs Northwestern Wildcats	Big Ten Network
Feb 20	at Oregon Ducks	FOX
Feb 23	at Washington Huskies	FS1
Feb 28	vs Wisconsin Badgers	CBS
Mar 3	at Rutgers Scarlet Knights	Big Ten Network
Mar 6	vs Iowa Hawkeyes	FOX

How to watch Illinois basketball without cable

Illinois games air on Big Ten Network, FOX, FS1, CBS and others, all of which Fubo carries. The 9 games that stream on Peacock / B1G+ are not a TV channel at all.

Watch Illinois basketball on Fubo →

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Other Big Ten Conference teams

Illinois on TV — FAQ

What channel is the Illinois game on?

Of Illinois's 32 scheduled 2026-27 games, 31 have a channel so far: 9 games air on broadcast TV, 2 are on the ESPN channels, 11 need a conference network and 9 stream only, never appearing in a channel guide at all. The other 1 game has no channel yet — college basketball windows are assigned by the conferences and networks through the season, and this page updates daily as they land.

How can I watch Illinois Fighting Illini basketball without cable?

Illinois games air on Big Ten Network, FOX, FS1, CBS and others, all of which Fubo carries. The 9 games that stream on Peacock / B1G+ are not a TV channel at all.

Who does Illinois play in 2026-27?

ESPN currently lists 32 2026-27 games for Illinois Fighting Illini, opening at home against Fairleigh Dickinson Knights on Nov 2. 16 are at home, 12 on the road and 4 at neutral sites. The full schedule is on this page and is rebuilt daily as games are added.

Is the Illinois game on TNT, TBS or truTV?

Not so far. TNT Sports carries some regular-season college basketball and its share of March Madness alongside CBS, but none of Illinois's games with a channel assigned is on TNT, TBS or truTV yet. Fubo carries CBS and none of the three Turner channels, so a Fubo plan reaches about half the bracket; YouTube TV carries all three. This page names the channel for every game as soon as it is assigned.