Chambana Sun

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A Thanksgiving Day men's college basketball game will see Illinois face Arkansas in Kansas City. The match is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 28, at the T-Mobile Center and will be broadcast live at 3 p.m. CT on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.

Illinois has revamped its team under Head Coach Brad Underwood after reaching the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight last season and securing a No. 6 ranking in the final AP poll. The Fighting Illini have added five players from the transfer portal: Kylan Boswell (Arizona), Ben Humrichous (Evansville), Tre White (Louisville), Carey Booth (Notre Dame), and Jake Davis (Mercer). They also welcome a freshman class featuring top-30 players Will Riley and Morez Johnson Jr., along with Lithuanian guard Kasparas Jakucionis. Additionally, Tomislav Ivisic joins the team, who is the brother of Arkansas' Zvonimir Ivisic.

"We are thrilled for this opportunity," Underwood stated. "Playing in Kansas City – a tremendous basketball city that is near and dear to me – and taking on a great opponent in Arkansas, led by a Hall of Fame Coach in Coach Calipari, is a big test for our team." He added, "It is an honor for Illinois Basketball to play on CBS on Thanksgiving Day; we know the sports world will be watching."

Arkansas begins the new season with high expectations as John Calipari takes over as head coach in Fayetteville. Calipari holds the title of men's college basketball's winningest active head coach with 855 victories. He has signed three top-50 players in the incoming freshmen class and secured one of the nation's top transfer classes led by Johnell Davis, who guided Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2023, alongside former Kentucky standout players D.J. Wagner, Adou Thiero, and Zvonimir Ivišic.

"What a great opportunity CBS is giving Arkansas and Illinois," Calipari commented. "Thanksgiving is a day that gets all of America – whether you are a sports fan or not – watching sports on TV." He further noted that playing during this time slot would provide significant exposure for both programs.

Illinois leads their all-time series against Arkansas with five wins out of six meetings. Their last encounter was during the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament when Arkansas won 73-63.

I FUND members and Men's Basketball season ticket holders will receive instructions via email from the Illinois Ticket Office regarding ticket orders within designated sections for Illinois fans.

Tickets will be available to the public starting Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. CT through AXS.com and on the AXS app.

For complete event details, visit thanksgivinghoopsshowcase.com or follow @bdGlobalSports on social media.