And then there were four…
The Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Tournament begins tonight with a matchup between No. 3 Illinois and No. 2 UConn.
Illinois advanced to its first Final Four in 20 years with a 71-59 victory over No. 9 Iowa, while UConn will continue its quest to win three national titles in four years following Braylon Mullins’ 40-foot game-winner with 0.3 seconds left over Duke in the Elite Eight.
Today is not the first time these teams are meeting this season; back in November, UConn defeated Illinois 74-61 in a game where they never trailed.
Illinois vs. UConn: what to know
- When: April 4, 6:09 p.m. ET
- Where: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, Indiana)
- Channel: CBS
- Streaming: DIRECTV
The winner of tonight’s game will advance to the National Championship game and face either Arizona or Michigan.
Illinois vs. UConn start time
Tonight’s (April 4) Illinois vs. UConn game is scheduled to tip off at 6:09 p.m. ET.
How to watch Illinois vs. UConn for free
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the game for free.
DIRECTV is our top pick for watching college basketball live for free — its five-day free trial includes TBS, where the Final Four is airing. When the trial is over, you’ll pay as low as $59.99/month and gain access to over 90 live channels.
If you aren’t ready to commit to a full-on subscription, you can try a Sling Orange Day Pass. Priced at $4.99, you’ll get 24 hours of access to all Sling TV Orange has to offer, including TBS. Sling also offers weekend and week-long passes for its Orange plan, which offer between three and seven days of access.
The Post has you covered with a printable NCAA bracket featuring the full 68-team March Madness 2026 field.
NCAA Tournament 2026 key dates
- Final 4: April 4
- National Championship: April 6
Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
