Here’s the Final Four schedule as Illinois basketball advances – NBC Chicago

For the first time in 21 years, the Illinois Fighting Illini will be taking the court in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament Final Four.

The Illini won the South Region on Saturday when they defeated Big Ten rival Iowa in Houston, punching their ticket to the Final Four for the first time since 2005.

The appearance is the sixth in program history, and the first since they reached the national title game in 2005, losing to the North Carolina Tar Heels.

While we don’t know what time Illinois will play their next game, we do know what date it will be played on, and the two teams that will battle it out Sunday to determine the Illini’s next opponent.

Here’s the scoop on the next stages of the tournament.

Who is Illinois’ next opponent?

The Fighting Illini will play the winner of the East Region, and that team will be UConn, who erased a 19-point deficit and stunned Duke 73-72 on Sunday.

The Illini have only beaten them once, and that game was played all the way back in 1938. They have one all-time meeting against the Huskies in the NCAA tournament, a blowout loss in the Elite Eight in 2024.

The two teams played each other earlier this season, with UConn scoring a 74-61 victory at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

When will Illinois play next?

The Illini will take the floor at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, April 4.

The NCAA has announced they will play the opening game of the doubleheader at 5:09 p.m. Central time, with the second game between Arizona and Michigan set for 7:39 p.m. Central.

Both games will air on TBS, and both will be available for streaming on HBO Max.

Which other teams are in the Final Four?

In addition to Illinois, Arizona punched their ticket to Indianapolis on Saturday, using a second half comeback to defeat Purdue in the West Region final in San Jose.

Michigan blew out Tennessee in the Midwest Region final in Chicago to set up their showdown with the Wildcats, with two No. 1 seeds reaching the Final Four this season.

How has Illinois done in the Final Four?

This year will mark the sixth time Illinois has reached the Final Four. According to the NCAA, they have the second-most appearances in the Final Four without winning a national title, trailing only Houston’s seven.

In four of those Final Fours, including in 1989 against Michigan, Illinois lost the national semifinal game. They advanced to the title game in 2005, but lost to North Carolina to end their remarkable season with a 37-2 record.