Getty Michigan State's Tom Izzo
Two historically great programs meet in an unfamiliar spot as the UCLA Bruins and Michigan State Spartans face off in a First Four matchup on Thursday.
The game starts at 9:57 p.m. ET and will be televised on TBS. But if you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch a live stream of UCLA vs Michigan State online:
(Note that with all of the following options, you’ll also be able to watch other NCAA tournament games, which are on TBS, TNT, TruTV or CBS)
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AT&T TV
AT&T TV has four different channel packages: “Entertainment”, “Choice”, “Ultimate” and “Premier.” TBS, TNT, TruTV and CBS are all included in every package, but it’s worth noting for basketball fans that NBA League Pass is currently being offered at no extra cost in the “Choice” and above bundles, and you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free 14-day trial.
Note that the free trial isn’t advertised as such, but your “due today” amount will be $0 when signing up. If you watch on your computer, phone or tablet, you won’t be charged for 14 days. If you watch on a streaming device on your TV (Roku, Firestick, Apple TV, etc.), you will be charged for the first month, but you can get still get a full refund if you cancel before 14 days:
Once signed up for AT&T TV, you can watch UCLA vs Michigan State live on the AT&T TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the AT&T TV website.
You can also watch the game via NCAA.com or the March Madness Live app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your AT&T TV credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, AT&T TV also comes with 20 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours).
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of TBS, TNT and TruTV (CBS not included on Sling) and 45-plus other TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Blue” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest streaming service with these channels, plus you can get $10 off your first month, and get Showtime, Starz, and Epix included for free:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch UCLA vs Michigan State live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, 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 the game via NCAA.com or the March Madness Live app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Sling credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 50 hours of cloud DVR.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of TBS, TNT, TruTV, CBS and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which you can try out for free with a seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch UCLA vs Michigan State live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
You can also watch the game via NCAA.com or the March Madness Live app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Hulu credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
UCLA vs Michigan State Preview
UCLA is looking to turn things around as it enters tournament play against Michigan State, having lost four in a row and exiting early from the Pac-12 Tournament with an overtime loss to Oregon State.
The Bruins get a Michigan State squad that is very dangerous, despite their 15-12 record. The Spartans have wins against Ohio State, Michigan and Ilinois — all top two seeds in the tournament.
“He’s got a different kind of team this year because he’s played many, many different lineups — they can change at the drop of a hat and go with different guys, so there’s a lot of personnel for our guys to digest becuase they play so many guys,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “Some of that is him searching, and some of it’s strategy to match up with his opponent.”
Cronin is looking forward to having his team focused with fewer distractions.
“Usually there’s fans everywhere, cheerleaders, distractions, but that’s not the case this year,” Cronin said. “It’s quarantine, bubble stuff. It’s a ghost town here with security at the front door. Maybe that helps.”
The Spartans used the big wins to bolster their tournament resume and feel confident because of the conference they play in.
“You know and I know that three weeks ago nobody gave us a chance, including probably most of you and probably even me,” Izzo said. “We fought our way through, and that took some courage and guts, and I’m proud of them for that.
“I’m not worried about facing anybody in this tournament,” Izzo added. “I don’t feel comfortable with UCLA and BYU or Texas, but I don’t feel afraid of UCLA, BYU or Texas or anybody else because we truly, truly have played the best teams in the country on a night-in and night-out basis, and especially in the last two to three weeks.”
The matchup between the Bruins and Spartans is one that tournament officials were salivating over to get things ramped up in a hurry. The two programs that have combined for 13 tournament titles — 11 for UCLA and two for Michigan State.
“We go through the process of seeding,” NCAA selection committee chair and Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart told CBS. “We scrubbed it multiple times and we get to a spot. Where it is is where it lands, and two teams that we’re thrilled to have in the field. We thought it would be a heck of a way to start the tournament off.
“I say that facetiously. We’re excited to get started. Two great teams and great programs with lots of national championships. It ought to be a lot of fun.”
Michigan State is a two-point favorite for the matchup, with the total set at 157 points.