The Daily Illini Sports

02/11/2024

Buckle up, because the Illini are back in action. The No. 24 Ole Miss Rebels match up with Illinois on Sunday. The affair marks Illinois fans’ first taste of the 2024-25 team.

Illinois plays exhibition match, gets first look at 2024 - 2025 team.

Buckle up, because the Illini are back in action. The No. 24 Ole Miss Rebels match up with Illinois on Sunday. The affair marks Illinois fans’ first taste of the 2024-25 team. Know the foe You can’t discuss Ole Miss basketball without referencing Chris Beard. The two-time Big 12 coach of the yea...

28/10/2024

"The Illini could not get the ball to fall into the net."

To kick off the first game of the 2024-2025 season, the Illini's charity exhibition game at Old Miss did not go as planned.

https://buff.ly/3AhtPaq

21/10/2024

“Our first key to victory was play fast and physical."

To follow the 100 year anniversary of Memorial Stadium, the Fighting Illini continues to hold their winning streak after beating the Wolverines.

The Illini, dressed in old-school uniforms and hand-painted helmets, ran out from the tunnel, ready for a challenge. The Wolverines stormed onto the field with a mass of booing from the Illini student section, prepared to return to action. Both teams had something to prove today, but the Illini want...

16/10/2024

There’s something in the air this Illini football season, and it’s not just a 5-1 record to begin the year. This week, Illinois commemorates 100 years of Memorial Stadium’s dedication for the 2024-25 season in Champaign.

The upcoming days illustrate Illinois’ involvement in the community and hope for athletic success. While there’s Illini pride all year long, this week, there will be even more opportunities for community members to embrace the celebration of Memorial Stadium’s centennial.

📲 Click the link to read more: https://buff.ly/3Yo7YHz

✍️ Written by Tess Eken & Laura Mendes
📸 Photo by Matt Stepp (.photos)

26/09/2024

Illinois hockey defeated Michigan State 3-1 despite committing nine penalties on Saturday. After shutting out the Spartans 4-0 Friday, the weekend marks their first sweep since mid-February, when they outscored Alabama by a total of eight goals.

Senior goaltender Nolan Woodring played the hero for the Illini this weekend, stopping all but one of the shots he faced; no small feat against a Michigan State team featuring two returning 20-goal scorers.

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✍️ Written by Brendan Gallian
📸 From The Daily Illini Photo Archives

19/09/2024

The Bears (1-1) dropped their first game of the season 19-13 in their week two matchup against the Houston Texans (2-0). They now fly back to Chicago to fix what seemed like a lack of offense in both games. Although it was a close game, Bears fans now have more questions and concerns rather than answers and hope.

One good thing to see was that the defense is still their biggest weapon. The defense came into play, disrupting the Texan’s game plan and holding them to under 20 points. This unit won them in week one and kept them in the game in week two.

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✍️ Written by Jessie Wang
📸 Courtesy of John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/TNS

19/09/2024

Massive conference realignments occurred this summer that rumbled through the sports world. The SEC and Big Ten established themselves as the top two conferences and the Power 5 became the Power 4. So, four weeks into the year, here’s an update on the never-ending drama surrounding collegiate conferences.

The Big Ten probably endured the biggest upgrades over the summer, as it brought in four Power 5 programs. Each school received a football ranking at one point in 2023 as the conference tried to catch the dominant SEC.

Through three weeks of football, the additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington have done just that. Seven Big Ten programs received rankings in week four, and four made the top 11. The powerhouse No. 9 Ducks and No. 11 Trojans have picked up right where they left off, combining for a 5-0 record.

📲 Click the link to read more: https://buff.ly/3XOdS4q

✍️ Written by Ben Fader
📸 Photo by Matt Stepp

17/09/2024

After starting 3-0 for the first time in 13 years, the Illini are No. 24 in the latest AP poll. It’s their first appearance since 2022.

After beating Eastern Illinois and then No. 19 Kansas 23-17, the Illini received 101 votes, placing them in the 26th spot. After defeating Central Michigan by three touchdowns, the Illini fought their way into the rankings.

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✍️ Written by Laura Mendes
📸 Photo by Matt Stepp ( .pix )

28/08/2024

Illini football is back with new, yet old, and improved helmets. This past Sunday, University of Illinois Athletics revealed the six different helmets that will be worn at Memorial Stadium for the seven home games the team will play.

Illinois takes to the field this Thursday, Aug. 29, for its first game of the season against an in-state opponent just 43 miles south of Champaign — Eastern Illinois. For this game, the helmet that will be worn is a more familiar one to Illini fans.

The “Block I” helmet contains a massive, bold blue “I” on its orange surface. It has been the primary helmet since head coach Bret Bielema’s arrival to the program in 2021, according to the Fighting Illini site. This is also the helmet that will be worn for the team’s last home game on Nov. 16 against Michigan State.

📲 Click the link in our bio to read more

✍️ Written by Tess Eken
📸 Courtesy of Illini Athletics

20/08/2024

The 2024-25 Illinois men’s basketball non-conference schedule was released on social media earlier today, with Brad Underwood lining up a very strong string of matchups — featuring Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee and Duke — for the new-look Illini in addition to their usual slate of games against low-major schools.

The team will kick off the year at home on November 4 against Eastern Illinois, a team Illinois blew out 80-52 in last season’s opener. The Illini will then play two more games at the State Farm Center against SIU-Edwardsville and Oakland before squaring up with the Alabama Crimson Tide on November 20 in Birmingham.

📲 Click the link in our bio to read more

✍️ Written by Sahil Mittal
📸 Photo by Angel Saldivar ( .angel )

28/05/2022

Baylor guard/forward Matthew Mayer has officially picked Illinois as his choice after removing his name from the NBA Draft.

After announcing his top four, which included UNC, Memphis and Texas Tech, chose to join Brad Underwood as the seasoned veteran on an Illini team that is currently very underclassman heavy.

Read more about the newest at daily illini.com.

📸: Photo Courtesy of Matthew Mayer Instagram