Getty Jackson State and Illinois clash in the season opener.
The No. 11 ranked Illinois Fighting Illini will host the Jackson State Tigers at the State Farm Center in the season opener for both teams on November 9.
The game (8 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on Big Ten Network. But if you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch a live stream of Jackson State vs Illinois online:
Note: Heavy may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up via a link on this page
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of Big Ten Network, the BTN alternate channels (overflow channels for when multiple games on BTN overlap) and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch Jackson State vs Illinois live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
You can also watch live via FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your FuboTV credentials to log in and watch.
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of Big Ten Network and 90+ other TV channels on Vidgo. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but you can get your first month for just $10:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch Jackson State vs Illinois live on the Vidgo app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Vidgo website.
You can also watch live via FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Vidgo credentials to log in and watch.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of Big Ten Network and 50-plus other live TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Blue + Sports Extra” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with BTN, and you can get your first month for just $21:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch Jackson State vs Illinois live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
You can also watch live via FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Sling credentials to log in and watch.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of Big Ten Network and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch Jackson State vs Illinois live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
You can also watch live via FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Hulu credentials to log in and watch.
Jackson State vs Illinois Preview
The Illini will be without their big man to start the season, as Kofi Cockburn, preseason Player of the Year in the Big Ten Conference, is serving the first of a three-game suspension for selling team-issued items this summer.
“We are disappointed with the three-game suspension, because there were unprecedented factors and altered timelines related to his decision to ultimately withdraw from the NBA draft,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said, via USA Today.
“Once Kofi had a full understanding of where he stood regarding the draft, he made an educated decision to return to school, work toward his degree and continue improving his game,” Underwood added. “We can’t wait to have him rejoin us on the court.”
With Cockburn out, expect Trent Frazier and Andre Curbelo to lead the way for Illinois.
On the other side, Jackson State fell just short of making the NCAA Tournament last year, and after finishing 12-6 overall while also going an impressive 11-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, they’re looking to build off that momentum this season.
Jayveous McKinnis will lead the way for the Tigers this year. Last season, he averaged a double-double, scoring 12.5 points and hauling in 13.2 rebounds and he added 2.1 blocks on top of that. The preseason SWAC Defensive Player of the Year heading into the season, McKinnis accounted for a third of the team’s 36.8 rebounds per game last year, and he has been a leader on both sides of the court.
“He is a warrior on the floor who competes every possession, plays the game with a high motor and an attitude that we want all our guys to have,” Tigers coach Wayne Brent said.
McKinnis will be joined by Jonas James III and Isaiah Williams, along with Tulane transfer Gabe Watson, giving the team plenty of size. Malachi Wideman, a 6-foot-5 Tennessee transfer, is another new player in the mix for Jackson State. Incoming freshmen Joseph Dupree and Coltie Young are also going to be new additions to the team this year.
“We have several 6-6, 6-7, 6-8 guys and they all tough guys,” Brent added. “So I will say the strength of our team would be the toughness of our back line.”
The last time these two teams played was in November of 2008. Illinois won, 78-64, and leads the all-time series, 4-0.