NCAA® Men's Elite 8® Preview: What to Watch With Sling TV
Two teams will cut down the nets following the Elite 8® games on Saturday. Here's a preview along with the schedule on Sling.
The NCAA® Men’s College Basketball Tournament has reached the Elite 8®. For the #1 seeded Arizona Wildcats and the #2 Purdue Boilermakers, that “elite” title had been bestowed well before the tournament; the Wildcats emerged as top dog in the highly competitive Big 12, while the Boilermakers are led by a veteran core that reached the national title game two years ago.
#3 Illinois and #9 Iowa are bigger surprises. The Big Ten rivals – who played their first game against each other all the way back in 1908 – took different paths to the Elite 8. Illinois boasts the nation's No. 1 ranked offensive rating (126.4) and recently proved their defensive mettle by holding Houston to just 55 points in front of the Cougars’ home town fans. Iowa, meanwhile, is this year’s tournament darling, having upset the top-seeded Florida Gators and punched their Elite 8 ticket with a comeback win over Nebraska.
All four teams will be in action on Saturday, March 28 with the chance to cut down the nets as regional champs and earn a trip to the Final Four® in Indianapolis. Here’s a preview of both games, and details on how to watch them with Sling.
2026 NCAA® Men's March Madness®, plus NIT Games on ESPN
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How to Watch the 2026 NCAA Men’s Elite 8 with Sling
With the Elite broadcasts split between TBS and CBS, Sling will carry two of the four games (watch CBS games on Sunday, March 29 via the NCAA website or March Madness app, or subscribe to Paramount+ to stream the games). Here’s a look at the 2026 Sweet 16 games available on Sling. Use the link below to subscribe to a 1 Day Pass with men’s games on TBS and women’s Sweet 16 games on ESPN.
NCAA Games on Saturday, March 28, 2026
https://youtu.be/OdyGTbqZxyA?si=gKapDZQbgB10T6xp
#3 Illinois vs. #9 Iowa - 6:09pm ET, TBS
The Elite 8 brings a high-stakes Big Ten rubber match to the South Region as the No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini face the No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes. Illinois reaches the second week of the tournament following a signature 65–55 defensive masterclass against No. 2 seed Houston and a dominant 21-point win over VCU. Meanwhile, Iowa has emerged as the tournament's premier "Cinderella" team under first-year head coach Ben McCollum, having shocked No. 1 seed Florida (73–72) and outlasted No. 4 seed Nebraska in a gritty 77–71 Sweet 16 battle.
The Illini and Hawkeyes met once during the regular season on January 11, with Illinois securing a 75–69 road victory at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. A key matchup to watch is Iowa’s star senior guard Bennett Stirtz, an ironman who has played nearly every minute of the postseason and averages 20.1 points per game, against Illinois’ freshman standout Keaton Wagler. Wagler led the Illini with 19 points in their previous meeting and recently stunned Houston by hauling in 12 rebounds from the point guard position. Statistically, the game pits Illinois’ elite rebounding (ranked 10th nationally) and top-ranked offensive rating against Iowa’s hyper-efficient offense, which ranks 21st in field goal percentage (49.1%). However, Iowa’s struggle on the glass (329th nationally in rebounds) could be their undoing if Illinois’ frontcourt duo of David Mirkovic and Tomislav Ivisic controls the paint as they did in January.
Best Bet: Illinois -6.5, as their massive rebounding advantage and superior depth should eventually wear down an Iowa team that relies heavily on its starters for nearly 40 minutes per game.
#1 Arizona vs. #2 Purdue - 8:49pm ET, TBS
https://youtu.be/YpWMxv7p8Wo?si=62Qiecs8d5T1L9qJ
Saturday’s second Elite 8 game features a high-stakes heavyweight bout in the West Region final as the No. 1 Arizona Wildcats face the No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers. Arizona reaches the round following a breathtaking 109–88 offensive explosion against No. 4 seed Arkansas and riding a dominant 12-game winning streak. Meanwhile, Purdue displayed championship-level poise in a gritty 79–77 victory against No. 11 seed Texas, secured by a Trey Kaufman-Renn tip-in at the buzzer. Both programs spent significant time at the top of the AP Poll this season, making this a true battle for national supremacy.
The Wildcats and Boilermakers last met in December 2023, with Purdue securing an 82–84 victory, but this neutral-site rematch features entirely new stakes. A key matchup to watch is Purdue’s legendary senior guard Braden Smith, the NCAA’s all-time assist leader who averages 9.1 assists per game, against Arizona’s freshman standout Brayden Burries. Burries led the Wildcats with 23 points in their Sweet 16 win and excels at the perimeter shot-making that has made Arizona a tournament favorite. Statistically, the game pits Purdue’s top-ranked offensive efficiency against Arizona’s elite defensive efficiency, which ranks 1st nationally according to adjusted metrics. However, Purdue’s struggle to contain elite athleticism could be their undoing if Arizona’s frontcourt duo of Tobe Awaka and Motiejus Krivas controls the glass, where the Wildcats hold a significant +7.4 rebounding advantage per game.
Best Bet: Arizona -5.5, as their relentless depth and superior defensive versatility should eventually overwhelm a Purdue team that has relied on narrow margins to survive the earlier rounds.