The annual spring and summer sports lull is about to end! Yes, the "we have no revenue college sports going on at the moment" dead zone of the calendar concludes...now. The Illinois football team will begin their training camp on Friday at Memorial Stadium, with Illinois football coach Bret Bielema holding a press conference tomorrow to preview fall practice. He'll be joined by … [Read more...] about Illinois Football Begins Training Camp With Highest Expectations in a Generation
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Illini Football: Front Seven, Led by Gabe Jacas, Key to 2025 Success
Last year saw the Illinois Fighting Illini football team have their best season since the 10-2 Big Ten title, Champaign campaign of 2001. And a big part of that was due to the defensive front seven. While yes, it was an overall team effort, across the board, the defensive line and linebackers position group was critical. With the Illini returning a very high percentage of their … [Read more...] about Illini Football: Front Seven, Led by Gabe Jacas, Key to 2025 Success
Luke Altmyer, Bret Bielema Sing Stretch at Wrigley, Coach Trolls Brewers Fans
Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer, widely considered to be among the best in the Big Ten this upcoming season, had a very exciting Tuesday night. He got to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," alongside his head coach Bret Bielema, at Wrigley Field tonight during the Chicago Cubs 5-3 win over the arch-rival Milwaukee Brewers. … [Read more...] about Luke Altmyer, Bret Bielema Sing Stretch at Wrigley, Coach Trolls Brewers Fans
Kaden Feagin Has Highest 2026 NFL Draft Stock of Any Illini
With the 2025 NFL Draft now behind us, it's already time to start looking ahead to the 2026 class. And given that the Illinois Fighting Illini will be a preseason top 15, maybe even top 12, kind of team, future NFL talent abounds. It's very early, and obviously a lot is going to change, but right now, tailback Kaden Feagin leads the way when it comes to Illini with NFL Draft … [Read more...] about Kaden Feagin Has Highest 2026 NFL Draft Stock of Any Illini
Flashback: Illinois Football Has Five National Championships
Since we're talking about Illinois football playoff possibilities this upcoming season, and thus, dreaming of bigger things, let's do a Flashback Friday to the program's five national titles. Yes, Illinois football has five, count 'em five national titles on their program CV. Of course, these were all in the days long before the polls, like the Harris interactive, UPI, BCS … [Read more...] about Flashback: Illinois Football Has Five National Championships
Jaguars, Illini Legend Kevin Hardy on NFL Draft Past and Present
Editor's Note: Flashback to 2020, and our interview with Kevin Hardy, the #2 overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft. NFL Draft Day is here, and with it, we conversed with a man who knows it well- Kevin Hardy. The man who was rated the #15 best Jacksonville Jaguars player of all time by the club website, discussed the NFL Draft- how it's grown, what his experience was like, and … [Read more...] about Jaguars, Illini Legend Kevin Hardy on NFL Draft Past and Present
Illini Football News and Notes: Josh McCray, Recruiting Rankings
It has been a very eventful off-season for the Illini football program. In 2025, they'll return 18/22 starters from a team that went 10-3, won the Citrus Bowl and finished #16 (one spot ahead of Alabama) in the final AP poll. Obviously, the outlook for this team is very positive, as it should be, as spring football nears its conclusion. Lots of Illini football news and notes … [Read more...] about Illini Football News and Notes: Josh McCray, Recruiting Rankings
Bret Bielema Has an $88,000 Super Bowl Ring
As Super Bowl 59 approaches this Sunday, it's a good time to be reminded of the bodacious bling possessed by Illini Coach Bret Bielema. In addition to the Rose Bowl ring that he earned during his playing days (1990 Iowa Hawkeyes, Big Ten Co-Champions, who lost to Washington 46-34), he also has a ring Super Bowl ring. It's from Super Bowl LIII, when he served as the defensive … [Read more...] about Bret Bielema Has an $88,000 Super Bowl Ring
Illini Return 18/22 Starters, Look Very Strong in 2025
Is 2025 going to be the year that the Illinois Fighting Illini football program finally starts stacking winning seasons? It certainly looks that way on paper. And while there was obvious cause for optimism in 2000, 2002, 2008 and 2023 (four seasons that followed major program breakthroughs), it just didn't work out that way, and all four of those years were mere five-in … [Read more...] about Illini Return 18/22 Starters, Look Very Strong in 2025
Hank Beatty Could Become the Illini WR1 Next Season
One of the biggest benefits of bowl games is that they provide a glimpse into what is to come the next season. With every bowl game opt-out, a new opportunity is presented for someone else to step in and fill that void. And most of the time it's somebody who will then take on a greater role within the team during the next season. Illinois wide receiver Hank Beatty is a … [Read more...] about Hank Beatty Could Become the Illini WR1 Next Season
