Emanuel Sharp’s Houston Cougars have a bit of an advantage in the Sweet 16 tonight.
Although March Madness sites are “neutral,” the South region’s No. 2-ranked club is meeting Andrej Stojaković’s No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini at their hometown Toyota Center.
Still, Kelvin Sampson’s club isn’t focusing on that fortunate break.
“Our focus is on beyond playing Cougar basketball, no [matter] where we’re at,” the 70-year-old head coach said.
Over the course of the team’s history, they’ve only played four games at the Rockets’ arena. They currently hold a 3-1 record there, with their most recent win being an 82-67 victory over Florida State in December 2025.
Houston vs. Illinois: what to know
- When: March 26, 10:05 p.m. ET
- Where: Toyota Center (Houston, TX)
- Channel: TBS/TruTV
- Streaming: Sling TV
Oddsmakers favor the Cougars by a 2.5 to 3.5-point margin.
The winner faces whoever comes out on top between No. 4 Nebraska and No. 9 Iowa in the South Region.
Houston vs. Illinois start time
Today’s (March 26) Houston vs. Illinois March Madness game is scheduled to tip off at 10:05 p.m. ET.
How to watch Houston vs. Illinois
You’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the Houston vs. Illinois game for free if you don’t have cable.
If you aren’t ready to commit to a full-on subscription and just want to tune into today’s game, you can try a Sling TV Orange day pass. Priced at $4.99, you’ll get 24 hours of access to all Sling TV Orange has to offer. Sling also offers 3-day and week-long passes for its Orange plan.
You can also stream todays game with a DIRECTV free trial. The Choice plan, which has all of the March Madness channels you’ll need, is currently $35 off your first month.
NCAA Tournament 2026 key dates
- Sweet 16: March 26-27
- Elite 8: March 28-29
- Final 4: April 4
- National Championship: April 6
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
