I preface this by saying that I am a big Chief supporter. I thought the campaign against him was ridiculous.
That said, it's been nine years. Next year's incoming freshman were 7 when the Chief was eliminated. They have no memory of him, and to them our halftime shows and other peripheral events around our sports teams don't come off as protests against the Chief's removal, but just seem odd and empty. Other sports programs have some sort of symbol or icon associated with them. Illinois has a big, orange "I".
At this point, the "Chief or bust" stance has diminishing value, as fewer and fewer students have any association with the symbol.