# Fighting Illini vs Varsity Network

The clearest difference is rating: Fighting Illini at 4.1 against Varsity Network's 3.0. Fighting Illini also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Varsity Network's advantage is ratings volume (547 vs 124). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Fighting Illini holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 124 and 547 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 21% of Fighting Illini's written reviews are positive against 24% of Varsity Network's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fighting Illini | Varsity Network |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (124 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fighting-illini/id1011820369/reviews)** | [3.0 (547 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/varsity-network/id1574519982/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 124 | **547** |
| Positive reviews | 21.1% of reviews | **23.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 270 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SIDEARM Sports](https://appshunter.io/developer/329195539) | [Learfield Communications, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/551780794) |

## What reviewers say

### Fighting Illini

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fighting-illini/id1011820369)

Stay connected with your favorite university sports teams. Access live game audio, exclusive video content, and real-time scores and stats. Engage with social media feeds and receive custom alerts for important team news and athlete updates.

**Highlights:** Live game audio, Exclusive video content, Social media stream, Scores and stats, Custom notifications, Student athlete updates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Varsity Network

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/varsity-network/id1574519982)

Access live and on-demand audio broadcasts for college sports teams. Enjoy official team channels, exclusive content, and real-time streaming for games and podcasts. Experience the excitement of college sports audio anywhere.

**Highlights:** Vast audio library of live broadcasts, shows, and podcasts, Official team audio channels, Live audio streaming, On-demand listening for past content, Exclusive original content, NCAA Postseason event coverage

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for college sports fans
- 🔥 Unlimited college sports broadcasts
- 🎉 Free service with no subscription fee
- 🔊 High-quality audio production
- 📡 Ability to listen to local radio broadcasts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🚫 Inability to get past advertisement screen
- 🔍 Difficulty finding and accessing favorite teams
- 🔁 Issues with audio skipping and repeating
- 📵 App not working when screen is locked

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing on launch
- Freezing on advertisement screen
- Audio issues like skipping, repeating, and distortion
- Inconsistent behavior across different devices and OS versions
- Notifications not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add favorites/bookmarks to easily access preferred teams
- Improve stability and reliability of the app
- Provide more control over audio playback (pause, rewind, etc.)
- Optimize performance and reduce issues with advertisements
- Add support for background audio playback


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fighting Illini free?

Fighting Illini is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Varsity Network free?

Varsity Network is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Fighting Illini or Varsity Network?

Fighting Illini is rated higher. Fighting Illini averages 4.1 out of 5 from 124 ratings, while Varsity Network averages 3.0 from 547 ratings.

### Do Fighting Illini or Varsity Network have ads?

Varsity Network shows ads; Fighting Illini does not.

### Which is updated more often, Fighting Illini or Varsity Network?

Fighting Illini ships an update every 2 months, and Varsity Network every 2 months. Most recently, Fighting Illini was updated on October 16, 2026 and Varsity Network on October 20, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*