Season prediction: Will the Illini pick up where they left off?
2022 was an impressive year for the Illini, as head coach Bret Bielema led the program to their first bowl game in three years, and into the AP poll for the first time since 2011. The Illini returned...
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Illinois football hosts Toledo for 2023 season, home opener
Illinois (0-0) finally kicks off its 2023 season on Saturday, with the reigning Mid-American Conference champions heading to Memorial Stadium at 6:30 p.m. for an evening matinee. The Toledo Rockets...
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Illinois football travels to Kansas for first time in over 50 years
The Illini (1-0) showed last week that they have the grit and grind attitude that teams need to win tight games. However ugly the performance was, the hosts pulled out a win over the reigning...
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Illinois falls to Kansas 34-23 in first matchup since 1968
Illini (1-1) football traveled to Lawrence, Kansas for their first matchup with the Kansas Jayhawks (2-0) in over half a century. Both programs are coming off a season where they earned a bowl game,...
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Illini offense sputters in Penn State drubbing
The Illini (1-2, 0-1) hosted the Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0, 1-0) in the first meeting between the programs since an iconic and historical 2021 meeting where the Illini pulled off a 20-18 upset in...
View ArticleIllinois menʼs golf coach Mike Small earns major 6-year extension
Mike Small enters his 24th season leading the Illini menʼs golf program as its head coach, and his historic success was rewarded by the Board of Trustees at a Friday meeting which saw a couple of other...
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Illinois narrowly escapes FAU in final nonconference game of 2023
Illinois (2-2, 0-1) entered week four of the 2023 season with a revitalized defense but questionable offense after a putrid loss to No. 7 Penn State a week prior. The bright side? The Illini schedule...
View ArticleIllinois heads to West Lafayette for rivalry game with familiar foe
Illinois football’s (2-2, 0-1) season has not been pretty so far, but it still holds the keys to its season, which is far from over. The Illini’s first road game of the Big Ten season is against a...
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Former Illinois linebacker, Chicago Bears icon Dick Butkus dies at 80
Dick Butkus, a prominent former Chicago Bears and Illini football player, died this afternoon at the age of 80. The Bears confirmed the news to ABC7 Chicago. The former Illini linebacker was born in...
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Illinois stunned by Nebraska in cold, windy battle
For the second time in 2023, Illinois football played on Friday evening instead of the usual Saturday, hosting the Nebraska Cornhuskers and first-year head coach Matt Rhule. A day earlier, the high was...
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Illini bounce back in College Park showdown against Terrapins
Illinois (3-4, 1-3) made its way to College Park for its fourth Big Ten matchup of the season, with the Maryland Terrapins (5-2, 2-2) on deck. The second of their road games thus far, the Illini have...
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Illinois DT Jer’Zhan Newton named to AP midseason All-America first-team
Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton was named to the 2023 Associated Press midseason All-America first-team, according to a statement from Illini Athletics released on Wednesday. The pick comes...
View ArticleIllinois heads north for critical matchup against Minnesota
Illinois’ (3-5, 1-4) bowl game hopes are on life support as the final stretch of the season begins following the bye week. On Saturday, the Illini travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota for a critical game...
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Illinois gets back to .500 with win over Indiana
Illinois (5-5, 3-4) returned to Memorial Stadium with revenge on its mind against the Indiana Hoosiers (3-7, 1-6) on Saturday. The last time the two teams faced each other was in week two last year...
View ArticleIllinois blows late lead to Iowa, falls 15-13
Illinois (5-6, 3-6) traveled to Iowa City for a date with the top dogs in the West, the Iowa Hawkeyes (9-2, 6-2). The Hawkeyes have notably struggled on offense but possess a defense that’s as elite as...
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Wildcats axe Illini bowl game hopes in 45-43 nailbiter
The Illini (5-6, 3-5) hosted their Evanston rivals, the Northwestern Wildcats (6-5, 4-4), on Saturday for a fall break scrimmage. The final regular-season game for the Illini also served as the team’s...
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Jer’Zhan Newton named 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year
Illinois football went through a lot of ups and downs throughout a 5-7 season, but recognition for its best player was in order from the Big Ten. Junior defensive tackle Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton was...
View ArticleColumn | NIL has done wonders for college sports, athletes
Name, image and likeness has become the largest talking point in collegiate athletics ever since student-athletes signed endorsement deals in July 2021. However controversial NIL may be, it makes the...
View ArticleColumn | Sporting events are quintessential to the college experience —...
Sports aren’t for everybody; that’s obvious, it’s nothing new. I live in a household where half of the people don’t care or know much about sports at all, and that’s fine. But — the lack of attendance...
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Column | The transfer portal is good, regardless of its chaotic nature
Aside from the NIL discussion, the hottest topic around college sports is without a doubt the transfer portal, especially as it opens up for football and women’s volleyball. In December, a judge ruled...
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