A guide to Illinois sporting events

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR CONOR BLOUNT cblount3@dailyillini.com

Whether you are fresh out of high school or are transferring away from another institution, chances are, the sports atmosphere in Champaign will be very di erent than what you are used to.

The student body loves men’s basketball, and if you are an incoming student, you either like men’s basketball or must be prepared to be surrounded by it for four years. If you are planning on getting student tickets, you better be ready to be just as committed to getting those tickets. Last year’s student tickets sold out in 36 minutes, even after the loss of 10 players from the 2021-22 roster. While an o cial time and date of the ticket drop has not been announced, it will be something to look out for in the early weeks of rst semester.

Arriving to Illinois sporting events early has its own bene ts, especially in the case of football and men’s basketball where student seating is almost entirely based on a rst-come, rst-served basis. On top of potentially getting a better seat, contributing to and soaking in the pregame atmosphere is something you can’t miss.

In recent memory, football has taken a back seat while Illinois has earned the label of a basketball school, but since last year, it is apparent that change is coming. Illinois participated in a bowl game for the rst time since 2019 and won the most of games since its 2008 Rose Bowl appearance, as second-year head coach Bret Bielema showed that complacency is not acceptable.

Illinois has already begun to churn out professional talents with Devon Witherspoon’s selection at fth overall in the 2023 NFL draft — the highest an Illini has taken in over 25 years. This year, with a regular season schedule that does not feature either Ohio State or Michigan, Illinois’ destiny is in its own hands.

In the same vein as football, Illinois has always had an impressive tailgating culture regardless of team success. With setup starting days in advance, expect the area surrounding Memorial Stadium to be packed to the brim with students, alumni and even fans from out of town. Whether hosting a tailgate yourself or crashing a friend’s, the hours before a football game are as good a time as any to bump shoulders with fellow supporters of the Illini.

While football and men’s basketball are the popular juggernauts at every school, Illinois happens to have a lot of talent in other sports as well.

Last year, women’s tennis saw its duo of junior Kate Duong and sophomore Megan Heuser crowned ITA Regional champions, defeating the best duo in the nation along the way.

Women’s golf earned its rst ever Big Ten championship, while men’s gymnastics placed third at the national championships.

All the while, rst-year head coach Shauna Green completely turned the women’s basketball program around and earned its rst NCAA tournament bid in 20 years.

Odds are that no matter the sport, Illinois will be ghting for something and needs its students to pack the stands.