CHAMPAIGN — University of Illinois football coach Bret Bielema has tested positive for COVID-19, the program announced on Tuesday. Bielema will miss this Saturday’s game at Iowa, where he played football in college, per team COVID protocols to help limit spread of the virus. In a statement, Bielema says he developed “mild symptoms” on Monday…
MILWAUKEE — The Illini men’s basketball team faltered during crunch time Monday night in Milwaukee. Marquette’s defense denied Illinois a field goal for the final seven minutes of play, overcoming a 12 point deficit to nip the 10th-ranked Illini 67-66. Illinois head coach Brad Underwood was aghast at his team’s failure to close out the…
CHAMPAIGN — The Illinois women’s basketball team raced to an 18-point halftime lead, then held on for a 72-65 win over Miami (OH) on Sunday at State Farm Center. The Illini got 31 points off the bench to improve to 2-0 on the season, led by 14 points from freshman guard Jayla Oden. Sara Anastasieska…
CHAMPAIGN — The Illini men’s basketball team opened the season with a 71-47 win over Jackson State Tuesday night in Champaign. Illinois was without starters Trent Frazier, Andre Curbelo and Kofi Cockburn. The latter is serving a three-game, NCAA-imposed suspension because he sold some personal Illini gear before deciding to return to the team for…
CHAMPAIGN — The Fighting Illini women’s basketball team tips off the season against North Carolina Central at 11 am on Tuesday. Illinois is looking to improve on a 5-18 record from last season, and Illinois head coach Nancy Fahey wants her program to turn the corner after posting just a 35-78 record in her four…
BOSTON — For University of Illinois wheelchair athletes Tatyana McFadden and Daniel Romanchuk, it was quite the whirlwind. Less than 24 hours after winning the Chicago Marathon wheelchair women’s and men’s wheelchair divisions, respectively, the two standouts both claimed second in the Boston Marathon on Monday. McFadden placed second behind Manuela Char, clocking a time…
CHAMPAIGN – Hundreds of runners and walkers turned out for the inaugural Run To Remember on Saturday morning in Champaign-Urbana. The 8K run and walk started off in front of the University of Illinois Memorial Stadium, 20-years after the September 11, 2001 attacks. And while it was not specifically created for that day, the race…
An estimated 40,000 football fans, most unmasked, packed Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois Saturday for the first full-capacity game since the start of the pandemic. Spectators didn’t need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to watch the Illini go head-to-head with the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers, said Kent Brown, Illinois’ associate director of athletics….
CHAMPAIGN – University of Illinois football player Tailon Leitzsey and more than two dozen of his Illini teammates are holding a free camp for kids ages 6-13 on July 17 at Zahnd Field in Champaign. Leitzsey, a senior from Laurel, Md., graduated with a degree in Kinesiology in Dec. 2020 and was put on scholarship…
CHAMPAIGN – Governor J.B. Pritzker was in Champaign Tuesday to sign a bill allowing Illinois college athletes to profit off of their name, image and likeness. Now, NCAA athletes throughout the state of Illinois can sign endorsement deals with businesses and brands. Speaking at the University of Illinois’ State Farm Center, Governor Pritzker said he…
URBANA – On Saturday afternoon, Illinois alum Alex Diab was selected as an alternate to represent Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Diab, a Glen Ellyn native, posted scores of 14.500 and 14.900 (29.400) and placed first on still rings, an event where he was a two-time National Champion (2018, 2019) and the program’s…
URBANA – On Friday, the University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics announced that all venues will open up to 100% capacity for the 2021-22 season. The decision came in conjunction with the state moving into Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois plan. When Illinois women’s golf tees off its season on Aug. 23, the…
CHAMPAIGN — Illini Rowing crew members are used to 4 a.m. alarms, daily practices, extra workouts and weekend races. At first, the team was not sure if they would have a season due to COVID-19, but after gaining clearance from the University, they have been able to continue rowing. Listen to this story here. Six…
URBANA – University of Illinois standout basketball player Ayo Dosunmu is headed for the NBA Draft. The junior made the announcement on ESPN today. This spring, Dosunmu lead the Illini to the Big Ten Conference tournament title and number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. The NBA draft will take place July 29.
INDIANAPOLIS — The dream is over for the Illinois men’s basketball team. A stifling, switching defense from Loyola-Chicago forced 17 Illinois turnovers, including 12 steals. Loyola guards double and triple-teamed Illini center Kofi Cockburn in the paint, and swarmed All-American guard Ayo Dosunmu at the point. Dosununmu was held to just nine points on 4-10 shooting…