Fighting Illini Fans:

Saturday was a great day for Illini Nation!

Thank you so much for the amazing atmosphere you created at the Assembly Hall. You started the day by creating one of the loudest and most energized scenes in the history of ESPN College GameDay. Digger Phelps and Rece Davis both singled out the Orange Krush for creating an electric environment for the national television audience. Our students, band, cheerleaders and Illinettes deserve special recognition for making Illinois look outstanding during the broadcast. I can’t thank you enough.

We followed it up with an incredible packed house in the big win over Michigan State. That was the loudest I remember hearing the Assembly Hall in years. There is no doubt that the home court advantage played a huge role in our win.

We have three very important home games remaining on our schedule in Ohio State, Minnesota and Wisconsin. I hope you can continue to make The Hall the best home court advantage in the Big Ten as we head down the stretch.

Go Illini!

Bruce Weber

Congratulations to the Fighting Illini Men’s Basketball team on their recent win against Michigan State!

We decided to whip out this classic for your enjoyment:

“Edit all you want, you’re still runnin’!”

Welcome to the first day of class. Did you have a good break? Are you excited about the upcoming semester? Are you ready for this semester?

Here are some resources that you may want to check out during this first week of class:

Textbook Buying Guide

2010 Spring Course Catalog

How to Find Your Classroom

UIUC General Calendar

And what better way to start the semester than with an Illini Men’s Basketball game! Tonight at 8PM at Assembly Hall. The Illini will take on Purdue, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Illinois vs. Purdue // Jan. 19 // 8pm

• Live Audio | GameTracker | TV: ESPN
• BUY TICKETS TO THIS GAME | Fan Guide

Go Illini!

Tonight is the first regular season game for the Fighting Illini Men’s Basketball Team. They battle Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville at 7:00pm at Assembly Hall. It’s time to rise up…

Go Illini!

It’s finally Friday, and the beginning of Dad’s Weekend 2009!

Check out the calendar of events to see what’s going on this weekend for you and your father to enjoy. Here are a few of the big events:

Friday

Dads Association Annual Reception & Banquet
Nov. 13, 2009 | 5 p.m. Reception and Banquet at 5:30 p.m.
Reservations required. Keynote Speaker: Tony Clements, comedian and retired director of Campus Recreation
Illini Union South Lounge and Illini Rooms A, B & C

UIUC Habitat for Humanity – Benefit Comedy Show
Nov. 13, 2009 | 8 p.m.
Featuring Potted Meat and Spicy Clamato
Natural History Building, Room 228
Tickets $3 in advance (at Illini Union) or $5 at the door.
All proceeds will go to help support Habitat for Humanity.

Illini Hockey
Nov. 13, 2009 | 7:30 p.m.
Ice Arena, General admission $6 for students, $8 non-student/adult

Men’s Basketball vs SIU-Edwardsville
Nov. 13, 2009 | 7 p.m.
Assembly Hall
Check the Fighting Illini Sports Schedule for prices

Saturday

Men’s Football vs. Northwestern
Nov. 14, 2009 | TBA
Memorial Stadium

The Illini Union Board presents Fall Musical “Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella ”
Nov. 14, 2008 | 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Ticket Information available through the Illini Union Board
Foellinger Auditorium

Welcome Dad’s!

The Illini Volleyball Team is looking to set an NCAA record for attendance at their game vs. Minnesota on Friday. The game will be held in Assembly Hall in conjunction with this year’s Illini Madness. Illini Madness marks the start of the 2009-2010 basketball season and will also take place on Friday at Assembly Hall.

Illinois basketball coach Bruce Weber and volleyball coach Kevin Hambly are combining forces for what promises to be an historic event – “Spike the Record at Illini Madness.” Both coaches have been extremely supportive of each other’s programs through their times at Illinois. Each year Weber plays a visible role during the Illini’s Annual “Stuff Huff” event, for example.

Illinois volleyball will be making its second appearance at Assembly Hall. The Illini and Gophers, both ranking in the top 10, will square off at 6:30 pm. Under the direction of former Olympic Assistant Coach Hambly, Illinois returns six starters from the 2008 NCAA Sweet 16 team, including second-team All-American Laura DeBruler. The Gophers, under former Illini and legendary coach Mike Hebert, join Illinois as potential contenders to dethrone two-time NCAA titlist Penn State as Big Ten champions.

Current Regular Season Attendance Record:
13,412–Nebraska (3) vs. LSU (0), Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, Nebraska, September 12, 2008.

TV: Friday’s match will be shown tape delayed on the Big Ten Network Sunday at 5 p.m. CDT with Randy Rhinehart (play-by-play) and Jim Stone (analysis) providing the call.

Radio: The match will be heard live on fightingillini.com and WDWS (AM 1400) with Dave Loane (play-by-play) and Mike Trame (analysis) providing the call.

Tickets for the event are free, and doors open at 5:30pm. Admission will be denied once the building is full. The volleyball game will begin at 6:30pm.  

Go Illini!

Head to Huff Hall tonight to watch the Woman’s Volleyball Team battle Cincinnati. Tonight is a special event with FREE BBQ to the first 1,000 students starting at 5:30pm outside the hall. There will also be a special appearance by Bruce Weber and the Men’s Basketball Team.

This is the Illini’s first home match of the season, so come out and support the team. The game starts at 7pm.

Stuff Huff, wear orange, and Go Illini! 

No. 14 Illini host ‘Stuff Huff’ Friday – FightingIllini.com

Jeff Jordan has recently elected not to continue with the Fighting Illini basketball team. Jordan has been a reserve point guard for the last two years. He intends to stay at Illinois and focus on his academics.

“I loved playing for the Fighting Illini and appreciate the support I was given by my teammates, coaches and the great fans here,” Jordan said. “But I have come to the point where I’m ready to focus on life after basketball. I will concentrate on earning my degree from the University of Illinois and the opportunities that await upon graduating.”

He appeared in 59 career games, totaling 58 points, 42 assists and 24 rebounds. Jordan averaged 8.4 minutes as a sophomore after playing 5.3 minutes per game as a true freshman. He scored a career-high five points vs. Detroit (Dec. 20, 2008) and at Purdue (Jan. 19, 2008), and had a career-high six assists vs. Chicago State (Dec. 10, 2008).

“Jeff was an invaluable member of our team the past two seasons and I thank him for his contribution to our program,” coach Bruce Weber said. “He brought great work ethic to the gym and pushed himself, as well as his teammates, each and every day to improve. We will miss him, but we fully support the decision he has made. When the game of basketball has been a top priority throughout your life, it is very difficult to transition away from playing. I know Jeff has given this much thought. He is an outstanding, mature young man who will be successful in whatever areas he pursues in the future.”

Good luck Jeff, and maybe I’ll take you on at the ARC sometime!

Jordan Leaves Illinois Basketball Team – FightingIllini.com

Illinois Men’s Basketball Coach Bruce Weber will coach in the Hersey’s College All Star Game on Friday. The game is scheduled for 3:30pm CT at Ford Field in Detroit and will be televised on CBS College Sports.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) has selected rosters for the game, featuring some of the top seniors in the nation. Weber will coach the Reese’s All-Stars, along with Purdue’s Matt Painter. Players on the Reese’s roster are Tyrese Rice (Boston College), Orlando Mendez-Valdez (Western Kentucky), Josh Akognon (Cal State Fullerton), Alex Ruoff (West Virginia), Josh Bostic (Findlay), B.J. Raymond (Xavier), Alfred Aboya (UCLA), Marcus Landry (Wisconsin), John Bryant (Santa Clara) and Josh Heytvelt (Gonzaga).

Good luck Bruce!

Weber to Coach in Hershey’s College All-Star Game – FightingIllini.com

So you want to watch every game of the NCAA tournament, but you have class during the day, or your roommate is watching American Idol; well do I have the solution for you!

This year, NCAA.com is offering every game, yes EVERY game, online and live, for free. They are even offering the video in high definition. They are also offering a number of additional services, like the ability to embed the video into your website, desktop widgets, a Facebook status updater, and on the go capabilities for your mobile device.

The games start today… so check it out: http://mmod.ncaa.com/

2009 NCAA March Madness Schedule