Colorado Buffaloes Battle Illinois in NCAA Tournament

No. 10 seed Colorado takes on No. 7 seed Illinois in first round matchup

Mar. 21, 2026 at 11:36pm

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The Colorado Buffaloes, a No. 10 seed, are set to face the No. 7 seed Illinois Fighting Illini in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The game will be played at Vanderbilt's Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MT and national broadcast on ESPN2. Colorado is seeking its fifth March Madness win in the last four seasons, having reached the Sweet 16 in 2023 and 2024 before falling to Iowa both times.

Why it matters

Colorado enters the tournament without being ranked in the AP Top 25 at any point this season, but the Buffs have built a worthy resume by beating ranked foes like Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech, and Baylor. A win over Illinois would set up a second-round matchup with No. 2 seed Vanderbilt, who poses a significant challenge with star guard Mikayla Blakes leading the way.

The details

Colorado stumbled through the fall but found its footing in late January, winning eight of nine games and earning four straight road victories - a rarity even for the Buffs' recent tournament teams. The team will be without guards Kennedy Sanders (hip) and Claire O'Connor (foot) due to injuries. This is the seventh all-time meeting between Colorado and Illinois, with the Buffs holding a 4-2 advantage in the series.

  • The game is scheduled for Saturday, March 21, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. MT.
  • Colorado reached the Sweet 16 in 2023 and 2024 before falling to Iowa both times.

The players

JR Payne

The head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball team.

Mikayla Blakes

The star guard for the Vanderbilt Commodores, who is the nation's top scorer and a National Player of the Year finalist, averaging 27 points per game.

Aubrey Galvin

The freshman guard for the Vanderbilt Commodores, who averages 13.1 points and 5.9 assists per game.

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What they’re saying

“Where else would the Colorado Buffaloes rather dance than Music City?”

— JR Payne, Head Coach, Colorado Buffaloes

What’s next

If Colorado defeats Illinois, they will face the winner of the Vanderbilt-High Point game on Monday. Vanderbilt, a No. 2 seed ranked No. 6 in the latest AP poll, poses a significant challenge with star guard Mikayla Blakes leading the way.

The takeaway

Colorado's tournament run has been fueled by their ability to win on the road, including upsets of higher-seeded opponents. While the Buffs enter the tournament unranked, their resume of wins over ranked foes proves they have what it takes to make another deep March Madness run, starting with a tough first-round matchup against Illinois.