Week 1 officially begins Thursday night with a Big Ten Conference triple-header. In the later window, Illinois welcomes FCS contender Eastern Illinois into Champaign for the first time since 2008. Illinois leads the all-time series 2-0, winning the last matchup 47-21.
The Illini are coming off a 5-7 season, during which they were eliminated from bowl contention in the season's final week against in-state rival Northwestern. Bret Bielema, who enters his fourth season as coach, will attempt to steer the ship forward and blend veteran talent with incoming first-years and transfers.
What remains consistent is the quarterback position. Luke Altmyer was named the starting quarterback Friday as he enters his second season at Illinois after a brief stint at Ole Miss in 2022. Altmyer was respectable, although he was sidelined with a head injury that kept him inactive for a portion of November. He was eventually replaced by John Paddock, who led Illinois to wins against Minnesota (in a relief role) and started against Indiana to keep its then-bowl hopes alive.
Illinois also returns several key pieces, including wide receiver Pat Bryant and running back Kaden Feagin. Defensively, the Illini will see linebacker Seth Coleman return for his sixth season. The Illini return eight All-Big-Ten players from last season and will host their first three games before beginning conference play against Nebraska in Lincoln Sept. 20.
Similarly to Illinois' upward trajectory, Eastern Illinois is coming off an 8-3 season. It also returns a lot of help, including the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year in Pierce Holly under center.
WATCH: Illinois vs. Eastern Illinois live on Fubo (free trial)
TSN has all the details ahead of the season opener, including TV and streaming options for the game.
What channel is Illinois vs. Eastern Illinois on tonight?
- TV channel: Big Ten Network
- Live stream: Fubo
Illinois vs. Eastern Illinois will air on Big Ten Network and will be called by Mark Followill (play-by-play) and J. Leman (color analyst). Fans without cable or satellite can access a free trial with Fubo, which offers access to every major college football game across ESPN, ABC, Big Ten Network and others.