Illinois State Basketball: What Channel Is the Game On?

Where Illinois State games air in 2026-27

Of Illinois State's 32 scheduled 2026-27 games, 13 have a channel so far: 1 is on the ESPN channels, 2 need a conference network, 8 stream only, never appearing in a channel guide at all and 2 are on another carrier. The other 19 games have 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: 8 games on ESPN+ are not on television. No cable package and no channel number will find them — they are streamed only.

Illinois State 2026-27 schedule & TV channels

All 32 games ESPN has scheduled so far — 15 home, 15 away, 2 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	at Saint Mary's Gaels	ESPN+
Nov 5	vs Central State Marauders	ESPN+
Nov 9	at Purdue Boilermakers	FS1
Nov 13	at North Dakota State Bison	Summit League Network, WDAY, Midco Sports Plus
Nov 17	vs Bellarmine Knights	ESPN+
Nov 19	vs Eureka Red Devils	ESPN+
Nov 23	Santa Clara Broncos (neutral site)	FloSports
Nov 24	Tulsa Golden Hurricane (neutral site)	CBS Sports Network
Dec 2	at Eastern Illinois Panthers	ESPN+
Dec 5	at Chicago State Cougars	TBD
Dec 10	vs Long Beach State Beach	ESPN+
Dec 13	vs North Dakota State Bison	ESPN+
Dec 17	at Murray State Racers	ESPN2
Dec 21	vs Belmont Bruins	ESPN+
Dec 29	at Evansville Purple Aces	TBD
Jan 2	vs Indiana State Sycamores	TBD
Jan 8	at Belmont Bruins	TBD
Jan 12	at Northern Iowa Panthers	TBD
Jan 16	vs Valparaiso Beacons	TBD
Jan 18	vs Drake Bulldogs	TBD
Jan 24	at Bradley Braves	TBD
Jan 27	vs Southern Illinois Salukis	TBD
Jan 30	at UIC Flames	TBD
Feb 3	vs Northern Iowa Panthers	TBD
Feb 6	at Indiana State Sycamores	TBD
Feb 9	at Valparaiso Beacons	TBD
Feb 12	vs Murray State Racers	TBD
Feb 15	vs UIC Flames	TBD
Feb 18	at Southern Illinois Salukis	TBD
Feb 21	vs Evansville Purple Aces	TBD
Feb 24	at Drake Bulldogs	TBD
Feb 28	vs Bradley Braves	TBD

How to watch Illinois State basketball without cable

Illinois State games air on FS1, CBS Sports Network, ESPN2, all of which Fubo carries. The 8 games that stream on ESPN+ are not a TV channel at all — Fubo's plans include ESPN Unlimited, which covers the ESPN+ side of that.

Not on Fubo, or varies by market: Summit League Network (1 game), WDAY (1 game), Midco Sports Plus (1 game), FloSports (1 game). We won't tell you a plan covers a channel when it doesn't, and local broadcast availability depends on your ZIP, which Fubo confirms at signup.

Watch Illinois State basketball on Fubo →

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Other Missouri Valley Conference teams

Illinois State on TV — FAQ

What channel is the Illinois State game on?

Of Illinois State's 32 scheduled 2026-27 games, 13 have a channel so far: 1 is on the ESPN channels, 2 need a conference network, 8 stream only, never appearing in a channel guide at all and 2 are on another carrier. The other 19 games have 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 State Redbirds basketball without cable?

Illinois State games air on FS1, CBS Sports Network, ESPN2, all of which Fubo carries. The 8 games that stream on ESPN+ are not a TV channel at all — Fubo's plans include ESPN Unlimited, which covers the ESPN+ side of that.

Who does Illinois State play in 2026-27?

ESPN currently lists 32 2026-27 games for Illinois State Redbirds, opening away at Saint Mary's Gaels on Nov 2. 15 are at home, 15 on the road and 2 at neutral sites. The full schedule is on this page and is rebuilt daily as games are added.

Is the Illinois State 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 State'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.