DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. (WLS) — The success of the University of Illinois Fighting Illini so far in the March Madness NCAA men’s basketball tournament has provided a lot of excitement for people in the Chicago area, but especially for sports bars owned by Illinois alumni, like the Orange and Brew in Downers Grove.

The party was on Saturday night as Illinois fans watched their team secure a spot in the Final Four.

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“Saturday was bedlam,” Orange and Brew owner Eric Schmidt said. “We were absolutely jam-packed two hours before the game.”

The watch party was hosted by Orange and Brew in Downers Grove, owned by Eric and Carrie Schmidt, Illinois alumni who met in school and are now married. In fact, they attended the last time the Illini were in the Final Four in 2005.

They opened their bar eight years ago, catering to some of the more than 50,000 fellow Illini graduates in the Chicago area.

“Illinois has some thing that was very meaningful to my wife and me, and we wanted to make sure we created a space that was welcoming to other Illinois grads,” Schmidt said.

RELATED | Illini merch in demand at Chicago stores as fans prepare for Final Four match

The Chicago Illini Club Is hosting eight different watch parties in the Chicago area for the Final Four on Saturday, including half a dozen city locations as well as the suburbs.

Stefanie Boucher with the Chicago Illini Club graduated in 2007, and now has a daughter in the Marching Illini. She is hosting a watch party at Rep’s Place in Rolling Meadows.

“It has brought in a lot of new business people who didn’t know of Rep’s before the watch parties,” Boucher said.

She says Rep’s was also packed with fans last weekend, and the Final Four party should be even bigger. They expect the same at Orange and Brew.

“Just kind of a slice of Champaign if you will,” Schmidt said. “Someplace Illinois grads and fans can be comfortable.”

At Orange and Brew, they specialize in selling locally crafted beer, but the number one selling beer these days is the I-L-L IPA.

READ MORE | March Madness: Illinois to face UConn in first Final Four in 21 years after teams beat Iowa, Duke

Will two Big Ten teams face off with a national championship on the line? No. 3 seed Illinois and No. 1 Michigan are on opposite sides of the Final Four in 2026, and could guarantee the Big Ten the NCAA Tournament championship with wins in the national semifinals.

The Fighting Illini take on No. 2 Connecticut, while the Wolverines face fellow No. 1 seed Arizona, each on Saturday, April 4. The winners will move onto the national championship game on Monday, April 6, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

REQUIRED READING: Final Four predictions: Who will advance to national championship game?

The last Big Ten school to win a national championship was Michigan State in 2000, Tom Izzo’s fifth season at the helm. The Huskies, meanwhile, are looking for their third national championship in four seasons under Dan Hurley, who’s quickly rising the all-time coaching ranks.

The Wildcats have won one national championship in their history, which came in 1997. They last made the Final Four in 2001, and are looking to get back to college basketball’s mountaintop.

What does Artificial Intelligence think about the Final Four in 2026? Here’s how AI predicted the two matchups to go:

AI predicts Final Four games

No. 3 Illinois vs No. 2 UConn

Microsoft Copilot is impressed with Illinois’ offense, but also thinks UConn’s veteran presence and ability to win games late is important.

“Best offense left in the tournament,” Copilot said of Illinois. “Illinois brings elite scoring versatility, with multiple shooters and one of the nation’s best offensive rebound rates.”

The AI was also complementary of true freshman Keaton Wagler, one of the top remaining players in the NCAA Tournament.

“Since their November loss to UConn, Wagler has become a top‑10 NBA prospect and a dominant scorer — far more impactful than in the first meeting,” Copilot said.

On the other hand, Copilot acknowledges Tarris Reed Jr. could be a matchup problem for Illinois, and that UConn wears teams down defensively.

“He’s averaging dominant numbers inside and could force Illinois into foul trouble or defensive adjustments,” Copilot said of Reed. “They just survived Duke on a last‑second 3 and have shown resilience in multiple close games.”

Copilot actually predicts an upset, taking Illinois in a close one.

“Illinois’ offensive versatility, improved defense, and Wagler’s rise give them the edge in a matchup where UConn’s inconsistent perimeter shooting could finally catch up to them,” Copilot said.

• Score prediction: Illinois 76, UConn 71

No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 1 Michigan

Copilot noted both teams’ dominance in the Men’s NCAA Tournament as reasons to be excited for the Final Four matchup between Michigan and Arizona, noting Michigan outscored its opponents by 90 points in March Madness to Arizona’s 82 points.

Copilot also noted Michigan’s balance, acknowledging the Wolverines rank No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency and No. 5 in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom. It also is impressed by Yaxel Lendeborg, a first-team All-American who scored 27 points against Tennessee in the Elite Eight.

But Copilot likes Arizona’s balance and interior scoring a bit more than Michigan.

“Their starting lineup is the deepest and most balanced in the Final Four,” the AI said. “Analysts consistently note Arizona’s edge on the glass and at the rim will be key in a game this evenly matched.”

Ultimately, Copilot is going with Arizona to take down mighty Michigan for a spot in the national championship.

“This is the heavyweight fight everyone expected, but Arizona’s superior rim finishing, rebounding edge, and deeper scoring options give them a slight advantage,” Copilot predicts.

• Score prediction: Arizona 78, Michigan 74

ILLINOIS – The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that a Colorado law banning conversion therapy for minors may violate the First Amendment, a decision that could affect future legal challenges to similar laws in Illinois and across the country.

In an 8-1 decision, the court sided with a Colorado Springs counselor who argued the state cannot restrict what she says to clients during therapy sessions. The justices sent the case back to a lower court to decide if the law can hold up under a tougher legal test.

Why this matters in Illinois:

Illinois has banned conversion therapy for minors since 2015 under the Youth Mental Health Protection Act.

That law remains in place today.

What changes is how courts look at it. Judges now have to use a higher legal standard when reviewing laws like this, which could make them easier to challenge.

Scott Bertani, who works in LGBTQ health policy, said the ruling shifts how therapy is viewed under the law.

He said the decision blurs the line between medical care and speech.

“So by framing this law as a restriction on speech instead of what it really is is a regulation of professional conduct… the majority starts to collapse that line between what a licensed therapist practice and just ordinary expression is,” Bertani said.

Different views:

Some legal voices say the ruling could have broad implications.

Chicago attorney John Mauck, who previously challenged Illinois’ law as it applied to pastors, said the decision strengthens free speech protections for counselors.

“Today’s High Court decision effectively rules that the Illinois law banning counseling for licensed counselors is invalid as a violation of free speech rights,” Mauck said in a statement. “The state has no business telling counselors, ‘You can help people go gay, but you can’t help them go straight.’”

Mauck pointed to a 2017 federal case involving Illinois pastors, where a court found the state’s ban did not apply to clergy.

What the court said:

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote that the Colorado law may “censor speech based on viewpoint,” which raises concerns under the First Amendment.

The case centers on Kaley Chiles, a licensed counselor who said clients seek her out because of shared beliefs.

“I want what is best for my clients, and often they seek me out because we have a shared faith,” Chiles said in earlier filings.

Her attorney argued the law blocks certain conversations based on the direction of counseling.

“This law tells them that if they’re seeking help in one direction that licensed mental health professionals and counselors are not available to them,” the attorney said.

Health concerns and risks:

Conversion therapy refers to counseling practices aimed at changing a young person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

Major medical groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association, have said the practice is ineffective and linked to increased risks of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.

Bertani said those risks are central to how health experts view the issue.

“Because conversion therapy is not neutral talk. It’s discredited practice,” he said. “And every major medical and mental health body has said that it doesn’t work and that it’s tied to increased risks of depression, anxiety, and suicide, ideation among LGBTQ+ individuals.”

What’s next:

The case now returns to a lower court, which will decide whether Colorado’s law can meet that tougher legal test.

That decision could shape how similar laws are challenged and defended nationwide, including in Illinois, where lawmakers may need to revisit how the ban is written and upheld.