What to know for the Mizzou-Illinois Braggin' Rights game and how to watch

It's almost time for another Braggin' Rights matchup between two cross-state college basketball rivals: The Missouri Tigers and Illinois Fighting Illini.

Dec 21, 2024 - 21:00
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What to know for the Mizzou-Illinois Braggin' Rights game and how to watch

ST. LOUIS - It's almost time for another Braggin' Rights matchup between two cross-state college basketball rivals: The Missouri Tigers and Illinois Fighting Illini.

The Braggin' Rights game is a pivotal annual showdown for Mizzou and Illinois, one with a storied legacy that has captivated St. Louis-area college basketball fans for decades. The head-to-head matchup was first coined as Braggin' Rights in 1980.

The earliest Braggin' Rights game was played at the formerly-standing St. Louis Arena, while the Enterprise Center has hosted almost every such matchup over the last 30 years.

Since the inception of the Braggin' Rights game, Illinois holds a 27-16 advantage over Mizzou. The Fighting Illini have won 15 of 23 matchups since the turn to the 21st century, though Mizzou has won four of the last six contests. Illinois took last year's showdown.

Heading into Sunday's game, there is a lot of hype around both teams, and rightfully so.

ILLINOIS

Illinois is 7-3 heading into Sunday, a respectable start after a fourth-straight NCAA March Madness bid last season. Two of those losses came against AP-ranked Top 10 teams. The Fighting Illini nearly overcame the No. 1 ranked Tennesse Volunteers in their most recent matchup last weekend, but fell 66-64.

Key players include Kasparas Jakucionis, Tomislav Ivisic and Will Riley.

This season is Illinois' eighth under head coach Brad Underwood.

MIZZOU

Mizzou is 10-1 heading into Sunday, seemingly rebounding from last season's tough campaign that ended without a conference win. Earlier this month, the Tigers delivered a thrilling 76-67 win over the Kansas Jayhawks on home grounds while Kansas was still the No. 1-ranked team.

Key players include Mark Mitchell, Tamar Bates and Anthony Robinson II.

This season is Mizzou's third under head coach Dennis Gates.

Time and location

Tip-off for Sunday's Braggin' Rights game is set for noon CT at the Enterprise Center in Downtown St. Louis.

How to watch

ESPN will carry the live game broadcast for cable subscribers. The game can also be streamed on ESPN+ or FuboTV.

The Tiger Radio Network and its affiliates will also carry the radio broadcast.

Are tickets still available?

Some tickets are still available on Ticketmaster.com, starting at $98 before fees.

Prices and availability may vary for other third-party ticket vendors like SeatGeek, StubHub and TickPick.

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