Illinois Fighting Illini Football TV Schedule, Channels, Times
How to watch live stream Illinois Fighting Illini football game today, tonight, or tomorrow? What channel & time?
Illinois enters the 2026 season with another demanding Big Ten schedule and several nationally televised matchups. The Fighting Illini open the year on Big Ten Network against UAB before hosting Duke on FS1 and Southern Illinois on Peacock. The conference schedule is part of the Big Ten's media partnership with FOX, CBS, NBC, and BTN, meaning kickoff windows for many games will be announced closer to each week. Two Friday night contests already stand out: Nebraska visits Memorial Stadium on FOX, while Illinois travels west to face UCLA in another FOX national broadcast. Road trips to Ohio State, Michigan State, Maryland, and Northwestern will also be distributed across the conference's television partners. Fans should remember that all kickoff times below are listed in Eastern Time. Bret Bielema's team plays seven home games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, including marquee matchups against Oregon, Nebraska, and Iowa on Senior Day.
| Illinois Fighting Illini TV Schedule 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Game | Time ET | TV |
| Week 1 (Thu, Sept. 3) | vs UAB (Season Opener) | 9:00 PM | BTN |
| Week 2 (Sat, Sept. 12) | vs Duke (Home Opener) | 3:30 PM | FS1 |
| Week 3 (Sat, Sept. 19) | vs Southern Illinois | 2:00 PM | Peacock |
| Week 4 (Sat, Sept. 26) | @ Ohio State * | TBD | TBD |
| Week 5 (Sat, Oct. 3) | vs Purdue * (Homecoming) | TBD | TBD |
| Week 6 (Sat, Oct. 10) | @ Michigan State * | TBD | TBD |
| Week 7 (Sat, Oct. 17) | BYE WEEK | — | — |
| Week 8 (Sat, Oct. 24) | vs Oregon * | TBD | TBD |
| Week 9 (Sat, Oct. 31) | @ Maryland * | TBD | TBD |
| Week 10 (Fri, Nov. 6) | vs Nebraska * | 8:00 PM | FOX |
| Week 11 (Fri, Nov. 13) | @ UCLA * | 9:00 PM | FOX |
| Week 12 (Sat, Nov. 21) | vs Iowa * (Senior Day) | TBD | TBD |
| Week 13 (Sat, Nov. 28) | @ Northwestern * | TBD | TBD |
* Big Ten Conference game. Home games are played at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.
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Which Illinois Fighting Illini games are worth watching in 2026?
Illinois faces one of its toughest tests of the season on September 26 when the Fighting Illini travel to Columbus to meet Ohio State in their Big Ten opener. Another headline matchup arrives on October 24 as Oregon visits Memorial Stadium, bringing one of the conference's newest heavyweights to Champaign. That stretch following the bye week could have major implications in the Big Ten standings.
National television also shines on Illinois during consecutive Friday nights in November. Nebraska comes to Champaign on November 6 for a FOX primetime showcase before the Illini head to California to face UCLA in another FOX broadcast. The regular season concludes with two rivalry-style games: Iowa visits Memorial Stadium for Senior Day before Illinois closes the campaign on the road against Northwestern, giving Bret Bielema's team every opportunity to strengthen its postseason résumé down the stretch.
