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…
CHAMPAIGN – Champaign County health officials are urging caution ahead of the upcoming NCAA tournament, where the University of Illinois men’s basketball team will compete for the first time in eight years. With fans fired up from a series of recent wins, officials are worried that packed sports bars and watch parties could contribute to…
INDIANAPOLIS — It took Brad Underwood 26 years to become an NCAA Division I head basketball coach. But he said he never doubted the time would come. On Sunday, after Illinois men’s basketball earned the Big Ten tournament title with a 91-88 win in overtime against Ohio State, Underwood reflected on his journey. “I had…
INDIANAPOLIS — Giorgi Bezhanishvili and Kofi Cockburn were at a loss for words as they observed the spectacle of a Big Ten Tournament Championship Sunday in Indianapolis. “I was trying to collect the whole moment within me,” said Bezhanishvili. “All these people who I’ve been with every single day, working, and see them, so so…