Even when things are going well, it's always complicated at Illinois
October 20, 2011 11:40 AM
Zook downplayed the unrest Tuesday when I asked him if Illini Nation appreciates his team.
"'I don't know," he said. "'All I can do is worry about the football team. The large majority of Illini fans are great fans. Like anywhere else, there's a small percentage of people who have opinions. We're no different than any other place. That's why it's such a great game. That's why it's at an all-time high for interest."
That said, considering its fast start, Illinois' home attendance could be better. A crowd of 55,229 for the Ohio State game brought the average up to [48,365], but that's still more than [12,000] empty seats per game at Memorial Stadium. When you're in a conference that averages more than 70,000 fans per game and are competing with six or seven big boys who average way more than that, the attendance can't be overlooked.
Herb Gould
"'I don't know," he said. "'All I can do is worry about the football team. The large majority of Illini fans are great fans. Like anywhere else, there's a small percentage of people who have opinions. We're no different than any other place. That's why it's such a great game. That's why it's at an all-time high for interest."
That said, considering its fast start, Illinois' home attendance could be better. A crowd of 55,229 for the Ohio State game brought the average up to [48,365], but that's still more than [12,000] empty seats per game at Memorial Stadium. When you're in a conference that averages more than 70,000 fans per game and are competing with six or seven big boys who average way more than that, the attendance can't be overlooked.
Herb Gould
Filed under: Illini Football
