Wondering how to watch the college basketball tournament? Here are your best options:

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Most channelsSling TV Blue Plan$15 for the first month, then $40/month (save $25)

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Most affordableMax With Ads$9.99/month

The Iowa State and Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball teams are scheduled to meet in the tournament game at TD Garden in Boston on Thursday, March 28. The game is scheduled to start at 10:09 p.m. ET/9:09 p.m. CT. 

No. 3-seeded Illinois comes into the matchup 28-8 overall. Most recently, Illinois defeated Duquesne 89-63 on Saturday in the second round of the tournament. Terrence Shannon Jr. had 30 points, four rebounds and four assists for the Illini, and Marcus Domask added 22 points and seven assists. 

No. 2 seed Iowa State enters the matchup 28-7 overall. On Saturday, Iowa State beat Washington State 67-56 in the tournament’s second round. Tamin Lipsey led ISU with 15 points and five rebounds.

SEE ALSO:How to download the 2024 March Madness basketball bracket

Brad Underwood is the Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball head coach. T.J. Otzelberger is the Iowa State men’s basketball head coach. 

Illinois vs. Iowa State basketball game time and network

The Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Iowa State men’s basketball game is scheduled to be broadcast on TBS and truTV at 10:09 p.m. ET/9:09 p.m. CT on Thursday, March 28. TBS and truTV broadcasters for the game are scheduled to be Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Dan Bonner (analyst), Stan Van Gundy (analyst), and Andy Katz (reporter). 

The winner advances to play either UConn or San Diego State on Saturday, March 30 in Boston. 

If you don’t have cable or satellite TV, online live-streaming platforms like Sling TV and Max offer fans flexibility and accessibility that aligns with modern sports viewership.

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Best streaming services for the ISU vs. Illinois basketball game 

If you have cut the cord, don’t fear because Thursday's clash between the Iowa State and Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball teams is available to stream. There are several streaming platforms ready to give you access to the game. Here are your top options.

Most channels: Sling TV

Opens in a new windowCredit: SlingSling Blue Plan$15.00
$40.00 Save $25.00

If you want to watch the Iowa State vs. Illinois game on TBS via Sling TV, you’ll need either the Orange Plan or the Blue Plan. Both the Orange and Blue plans start at $15 for the first month and then increase to $40 per month subsequently, and they both also come with 50 hours of free DVR storage.  

TBS is one of 26 channels included on both the Orange and Blue plans. There are six channels exclusive to the Orange Plan, including ESPN and ESPN2. There are 14 channels exclusive to the Blue Plan, and those include FS1, NFL Network, and TruTV. Another difference between the Orange and Blue plans is that you can only stream on one device with the Orange Plan, and the Blue Plan allows streaming on three devices at once.

In higher-priced plans, Sling TV’s sports channel offerings include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NFL Network, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, TNT, and TruTV. 

Most affordable: Max

Opens in a new windowCredit: MaxMax With Ads

Max is broadcasting men’s college basketball this March. With a trio of options to choose from, Max is adding to each tier for free the B/R Sports Add-On. Part of the B/R Sports Add-On is live streaming sports from TBS, TNT and TruTV.

The cheapest package is Max With Ads, which is $9.99 per month. It allows streaming on two devices. You can save 42% by paying for one year upfront at $69.99. 

The second package is Max Ad-Free, and that is $15.99 per month. If you’re mainly getting Max for sports, there isn’t much difference between Max With Ads and Max Ad-Free since sports will still include ads. If you pay one year upfront, you save 45% on Max Ad-Free at $104.99. 

Max Ultimate Ad-Free is the third package, and it is $19.99 per month. It also upgrades to allow streaming on four devices at once. Plus, it has 4K Ultra HD capability. The one-year price for Max Ultimate Ad-Free is $139.99. 

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