mattcoldagelli
- Script Illinois Enthusiast
If I were running brand brainstorms for Illinois, I would kick them off by saying any output must be recognizably "Illinois" to someone who has used a rotary phone at some point in their lives.
Illinois Football Uniforms
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I've always wondered why everyone I've ever talked to refers to the twin cities as Champaign Urbana while the university insists on calling its location Urbana Champaign.
OrangeBlue98
Iowa is not in a great spot right now (LvilleILL1)
- Des Moines, IA
Champaign-Urbana rolls off the tongue better, and it’s in alphabetical order.
It’s Urbana-Champaign in the official university name because the university administration offices are in Urbana (David Dodds Henry building east of Wright Street.
Urbana-Champaign is just as unnatural sounding as Normal-Bloomington. I’ll always use Champaign-Urbana. Sounds correct to my old brain.
Good God, what did I just read
And the entire ISU campus is in Normal, part of the community locals refer to as Blono. Or just BN: https://www.visitbn.org/. Similarly, CU is used as shorthand for Champaign-Urbana.Good God, what did I just read
InDaAZ
- Eugene, Oregon
Shief
- Champaign Area
I grew up outside of Bloomington-Normal and they started calling it 'Blono' while I was at UI or shortly after, I hate that name and am glad I live near Chambana now instead
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
And I'll go even further ... outside of Central Illinois or alumni/super fans, 99.9% of people just say Champaign. If you're road tripping to C-U for an Illini game (whether as an Illini fan, a visiting fan or a member of a TV crew, etc.), you are likely going to head to either Memorial Stadium or State Farm Center, might tailgate if it's a football game and might grab some food/drinks in Downtown Champaign or Campustown ... and will never set foot in Urbana unless you wanted to see the Quad.
Plus, "Champaign" sounds like such a cool name for a college town on national broadcasts ... "Urbana"?? Not so much, haha. And both together just sound clunky if it's not on official documentation.
We're the only one to use a block I? There have been several times (most recently yesterday) where I almost I-L-L'd a guy in an Iowa hat.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
tried to add “really” before “utilize” to emphasize the fact that we are the only major school with nothing BUT a Block I; even our secondary Shield logo is just a Block I, lol.
On that note, as someone who lived in Iowa City for 20+ years, this very much surprises me. I’d put the Tigerhawk/Block I ratio on Hawkeye apparel at no less than 90/10.
I like the block I and think it should be our primary branding forever, but this narrative of block I being unique to us needs to die. We're not even the only school in our state to have used a block I.
All for states that start with the letter I have at least one school that utilizes a block I in their branding. And that's fine! I think we get too obsessed with uniqueness over execution.
My son and daughter in law are both Iowa grads and big Hawkeye fans, and I agree that the hawk logo (which I think is pretty darn good) is much more common than their I. Maybe that's why I'm inclined to mistake their I for ours!
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I’m not trying to disrespect ISU (my mom got her master’s there), but I said MAJOR school … as in power conference team.
Yes, Idaho uses a Block I. Iowa and Indiana randomly use it 10% of the time with no intention of making it a part of their recognized brands. Not exactly relevant to my point … which is that we don’t need to plaster our school name across it.
BZuppke
- Plainfield
My argument against the slant Illinois. When adopted the intent was specifically stated to be ‘so people will know who we are’.
IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
It was also to avoid confusion with UIC. They didn't want UICU and UIC to be confused, so they went UIUC in part to differentiate the two. At least according to a friend of mine who's still working for the university.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I think that makes sense in the academic world. However, absolutely no one alive hears "University of Illinois" and responds, "Which campus?" Haha. Other than on official documentation, we should avoid being branded as anything other than "Illinois." The Springfield and Chicago campuses should be viewed as U of I's children, not its siblings.
IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
I work in a high school. The number of kids here in Chicagoland that don't know the real difference between UIUC, UIC, and ISU would surprise you. They figure it out once they decide where they want to apply and start doing real research.
I'd wager most people are the same and don't get why it matters until after they've entered college themselves.
EDIT: I should also clarify that the difference had to do with email addresses. They didn't want emails being misdirected if someone forgot to add the second U to UIUC. When my in-laws were on campus, before UIC was acquired, Illinois was abbreviated as UICU.
Battle89
- Cary-Grove, the better Trojan team
Did notice when I was down for the OSU game that there is a branch of the UIC Nursing school in Champaign now, on Wright, right behind the old Follett's. May have been there a long time, don't know, but that is the first time I ever saw a UIC building at UIUC.
I'm sure there have been other affiliations over the years though.
close to the Vivarium ?
is that still there and wtf is it ?
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