WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 29: Braylon Mullins #24 of the UConn Huskies celebrates after shooting a three point basket during the second half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

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Ben Verbrugge

By Ben Verbrugge

Contributing Sports Network

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The UConn Huskies face off against the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium, and you can catch all the action with DIRECTV.

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 29: Braylon Mullins #24 of the UConn Huskies celebrates after shooting a three point basket during the second half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

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How to Watch UConn vs Illinois

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The Huskies enter this matchup fresh off one of the most dramatic comeback wins in NCAA Tournament history, which was capped off by a Braylon Mullins buzzer-beating heave from nearly half court. UConn was able to take down top-seeded Duke 73-72 to advance to the Final Four in what could go down as one of the biggest wins in program history.

Led by Tarris Reed Jr., Alex Karaban, and Solo Ball, UConn has become an extremely formidable opponent during its March Madness run, capable of beating teams in a number of ways, with five players averaging double figures this season. One more win and they will punch their ticket to a seventh NCAA National Championship game, where they are a perfect 6-0.

Live Stream the Final Four for Free

On the other side is a red-hot Illinois team that has yet to be truly challenged so far during the NCAA tournament. The Fighting Illini have won all of their matchups by double-digit margins, and are the lowest seed still remaining in the dance after knocking out Houston and Iowa in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8.

Keaton Wagler paces the offense, averaging nearly 18 points per game, and is coming off a 25-point performance in their 71-59 win over Iowa. If the freshman guard can stay hot, Illinois should have no problem keeping up in this game, but it will be up to the others to also step up if they want to take down one of the "blue blood' programs in college basketball.

This is a great college basketball matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.

Live stream UConn vs Illinois with DIRECTV: Start your free trial now!

Fans can catch every moment of the NCAA Tournament through DIRECTV.

The tournament is broadcast across CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV, and DIRECTV packages include access to all four networks so viewers can stream every round live, from the First Four through the Final Four and national championship.

Fans looking to follow every upset and buzzer-beater can tune in across those channels or log in through streaming apps to watch the action live throughout March Madness.

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