Until things change, perhaps we should start referring to them as the Orange Hush.
State Farm Center
- Status
Agreed!!! Bill Self thought so too.
I'm trying to wrap my head around why that allocation is currently so small. Was it sized like that in past eras?
Does it have anything to do with shrinking capacity to add suites? I've heard that bandied about here and there (including on the last post game call-in show) but other arenas like Pinnacle Bank in Lincoln have a ton of suites too, so?
Or is it lack of student interest? In the 2005 era, they'd line up in freezing cold to get in. But I don't know how big the student section was back then. I do know that it seems like we take less in-state kids than we used to. Something to be said for students who grew up as fans perhaps.
OrangeBlue98
Iowa is not in a great spot right now (LvilleILL1)
- Des Moines, IA
The only reason Welsh-Ryan may be better is because it always has a lot of opposing fans in it.
We are in the 3rd best stretch of Illinois basketball in the modern era and have a team that is one of the favorites to win a national title and the team plays in a building that feels like a library most games. It’s really quite sad and pathetic. Not only is SFC nothing like the old Assembly Hall through the late 2000s, it’s also fallen off since the Elite 8 team in ‘24.
Expanding the student section doesn’t solve all of it problems, but I agree a major issue with the Krush is how small it is especially compared to size of the arena. The blue are sections I think should be expanded for the Krush. It’s a more similar layout to Breslin and would double the size of the Krush.
Also, I would to see them get rid of that hideous loge seating or at least move it back to the 200 level
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I go to a few games a year, generally with my family. The kids are generally engaged and want to be loud and do the chants and songs.
The loudest I've ever heard it in there was during the Iowa game where we clinched co-B1G champs and a Maryland game where Underwood got tossed and they replayed it a bunch as we fake rallied late. Other than that, it's normally pretty chill.
Even ticket sales are dragging in the secondary market. A top 5 team and tickets to unsold or are given away for free in fan groups. Maybe only big games are worth going to now. Maybe Underwood as scratched the itch too well for people wanting to go see a good basketball team play. Personally I'm fine sitting in my house and watching the games without spending $200.
I see two problems. One being the olds who sit on the floor in their khakis and pullovers. In relation is that the Krush only takes up a small portion of the floor area. Also the Krush needs to be more involved. They drive the noise and excitement level that filters up.
The loudest I've ever heard it in there was during the Iowa game where we clinched co-B1G champs and a Maryland game where Underwood got tossed and they replayed it a bunch as we fake rallied late. Other than that, it's normally pretty chill.
Even ticket sales are dragging in the secondary market. A top 5 team and tickets to unsold or are given away for free in fan groups. Maybe only big games are worth going to now. Maybe Underwood as scratched the itch too well for people wanting to go see a good basketball team play. Personally I'm fine sitting in my house and watching the games without spending $200.
I see two problems. One being the olds who sit on the floor in their khakis and pullovers. In relation is that the Krush only takes up a small portion of the floor area. Also the Krush needs to be more involved. They drive the noise and excitement level that filters up.
OSU game in '22, right? I think that's the loudest game or at least the loudest moment I've experienced there since at least the 2010's.
That was such a sad car ride home. Blizzard conditions late at night driving back to Chicago thinking our B1G title hopes were dead.
Then a couple weeks later, on the last day of the regular season Wisconsin loses at home to Nebraska and ignited an expectant electricity in SFC and all around CU. The likes of which, I don't think I've ever felt.
drsmitty74
- Rochester
Not to be snarky here...but....according to many on this board, students aren't engaged and spend to much time on their phones and only get loud when nuggets are involved....will adding more of that closer to the floor improve the situation????
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Both of these are true:
1. The students are the loudest fans in attendance.
2. The students are less engaged than other student sections around the country.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Yeah, I can even be sympathetic to the argument that expanding student seating upward on either "long" side of the court might not be feasible due to wanting to sell those seats to high-paying customers ... fine, I mean MSU doesn't give their students any more rows than ours in that specific area, and Purdue gives them none! I think a fair compromise is to give Krush significantly more seats behind either basket. If student sales aren't filling up the 200 level sections you highlighted blue, then sell them to the general public after a certain date at the normal price! At some point, to have a good home court environment, you can't be squeezing for pennies. We obviously understand this at some level or Krush wouldn't even have the seats they currently have!
This, plus a very important third point ... expanding the student section adds new and potentially different students to the "pot," hopefully fundamentally altering the vibe of Krush. We can all speculate as to the reasons why, but it appears very obvious that the current makeup of Krush includes a clear majority that is not pulling their weight as student section members. For sake of argument, let's imagine this hypothetical:
Current Orange Krush = 1,200 students
---> 25% are bringing energy
---> 75% are lackluster
We Add 1,000 More Students
---> 80% will bring good energy, due to it being emphasized as a priority with expanded seating
---> 20% are still lackluster
All of a sudden, the breakdown of your new 2,200-member Orange Krush is 50% rowdy and 50% tame by nature ... and in that dynamic, I feel the "group think" will navigate super quickly toward the rowdy side, as that will be the cool thing to do and those sitting with their arms folded will once again feel out of place and silly behaving like that in a STUDENT SECTION!
Yeah this was against OSU in ‘22 after Brad got tossed. The best I have experienced was 2020 against MSU. Terrible 1st half but they came back from 20 only to lose on a put back & then Ayo was injured on final possession. The entire building was on its feet 95% of the second half. 2000’s level of energy/noise. On TV, the ‘22 game against Arizona and ‘24 against Purdue were great too. To me it’s not an issue with marquee matchups. The issue is all non-marquee games.
Yeah think that OSU game was the game Trent Frazier called the loudest he'd ever heard the SFC.
Big Jack
- Decatur
I would agree.. Josh needs to watch some video of the Krush and make a decision. The Krush does a great service with fund raising but not cheering anymore. I honesty believe adding more students who love the Illini BB Team need to be located lower. Give the Krush some of those new seats but the rest should be to students who want to see us win and dont give two !!!!! about fund raising or that have family sponsoring them.. I am sorry but this team is very talented and possibly includes the best player to ever wear the orange and blue and you are standing around posing.. give me a break
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Long post, and I'll admit it's little more than me offering up thoughts on SFC because it's apparently cathartic for me, lol. Feel free to skip past this first section, but I included it for those who've never heard where my perspective is coming from, as I do think it could help some understand why I personally care about this. I'll try to put summarize in orange text at the end of each point for anyone crazy enough to read through this!
Background
I've mentioned it before, but I was born in Peoria and we moved to Iowa City when I was 7. Even though my parents did not go to U of I (both went to NIU), they raised me to be a huge Illini fan. Why? Because we were Illinoisans ... and ever since, it kills me when any Illinoisan - including U of I alumni I have met!! - acts like this is unique or peculiar. It is the norm in most Big Ten states, and anyone who helps perpetuate the idea that only alumni are Illini fans is ACTIVELY hurting our programs' ceilings ... simple as that. Want to play with the big boys? You need fan support like them, which directly leads to better ratings, revenue, changing national perception and more easily attained success.
Other than one friend from Wisconsin (Badgers fan) and one from St. Louis (casual Mizzou fan), I was surrounded by Hawkeyes fans. I heard from the time I was 7 that it was "only a matter of time" before I became an Iowa fan, implying I just wouldn't be able to resist the Hawkeye Mania, lol. This had the opposite effect, intensifying my Illini fandom that lasts to this day, even though circumstances prevented me from going to school at U of I. With that said, I learned to be a college sports fans from Iowa fans. Thus, I am a huge Illini fan that obtained my "fan habits" from non-Illini fans. Without suggesting I am particularly special in this regard, I do think it has given me a perspective that can be helpful.
My Actual Point
1) I will say that the dynamic of out-of-town fans complaining about the "local" fans is not at all unique to Illinois. I have read on Iowa boards over the years of fans complaining about how the fans in Des Moines or (more recently) Moline show up in better numbers and more passionately than fans do at Carver. I have read on Mizzou boards about how MU fans in Columbia are complacent, and those in St. Louis or Kansas City are more eager to support the team. All this is to say, it at least COULD be worthwhile to wonder if out-of-town fans are comparing apples to oranges. For Chicagoland fans, attending a game in Evanston or especially at the UC or Metro East fans attending Braggin' Rights, those are just fundamentally going to be more of an "event" than C-U locals heading to State Farm Center several times each season. If you travel to New York once per month for work, your Saturday there might be less jampacked than when I go there for the first time ever, and I bet you will have less of a "jazzed" energy than I would ... similar dynamic.
While it is NOT IMO an excuse for the crap environment lately, we can at least acknowledge that it might not be fair to compare, say, the Illini fans' passion at the United Center this year to one of many weeknight home games attended by local C-U fans. There is certainly an apples and oranges component here.
2) Regarding the conversation about SFC's acoustics, I honestly feel like I am taking crazy pills. Let's just establish a few things that I strongly believe should be considered logical FACTS by everyone participating in this conversation:
A) Nobody has suggested that the architectural or spatial makeup of SFC is better than places like Mackey or Breslin. We have ALL acknowledged that those places have advantages such as flatter ceilings or more seats packed into a smaller space, and thus SFC is at a disadvantageous "starting point."
(B) Point A can be true without completely explaining away any perceived problem with our atmosphere. In other words, proving Point A doesn't just nullify all other contributing factors to what could make SFC intimidating. All Point A does is theoretically make it more difficult to get an elite environment, but it simply is NOT the only factor.
(C) Point A literally only matters in this discussion IF Assembly Hall has never been able to have a great atmosphere. This is demonstrably false, and we ALL KNOW THIS deep down. If you are posting about SFC's terrible setup while ignoring the fact that this never stopped us from having an elite home court advantage in the mid-2000s and a still MUCH better atmosphere as recently as 2022 (i.e., post-renovation), you are being intellectually dishonest ... intentionally or unintentionally.
In other words, the acoustics of SFC are just one factor. And we have P-R-O-V-E-N that an active crowd can more than overcome that obstacle and make SFC a great environment if they simply are loud and engaged!
3) People who are getting defensive about this are ironically (and I assume unintentionally) asserting that there is just something fundamentally wrong with Champaign locals and perhaps all Illini fans as far as being fans. They are not defending the honor or whatever of the fans who are going to games and appearing bored or like they're entitled to a reason to cheer. If this were the case, the Cubs, Cardinals, Bears, etc. would screen for ticket sales to C-U zip codes and try to stop them from coming, lol. I simply refuse to accept that there is something in the water that prevents Illini fans from being just as energetic as other fans. Want to blame it on "Midwestern nice" or some regional cultural element? That's absurd, the same would absolutely apply to Nebraska. Want to say Illinois is just this elite academic institution that attracts classier types who are reserved compared to the yahoos at places like MSU? Hate to break it to you, but (#36) Illinois is materially closer to (#46) Purdue in the latest USNW rankings than it is to a school like (#20) Michigan. Illini fans aren't a world apart.
You can't sit here and defend local Illini fans sitting on their hands as these archetypically normal folks who we should lay off when they're objectively being worse fans than similar populations of fans. What we are asking of them is not some unrealistic expectation, it's the baseline for a crowd of any team in any sport.
4) I ask this to those who have no issue with our current crowd ... don't you WANT a good atmosphere? Isn't that something that we have historically been proud of?? I was so proud growing up in Iowa and being able to say Orange Krush and Assembly Hall were elite nationally. And guess what? It made my Iowa fans angry because they not only knew it was true, they wanted it NOT to be true because they CARED about those things! They were jealous when they saw a crappy Hawk's Nest and a lame CHA! It seems like this dysfunctional and hyper-individualistic (bordering on selfish) attitude to view our fans as consumers, with the program having this burden to entertain them. Complaining about our fans not being good fans is NOT different than complaining about the players having a poor effort. We are both a part of "Illini Basketball." I bet many of these same fans would prefer college hoops to the NBA ... well, why? The reason I have is because the NBA has a more sterile and less special atmosphere. It has the vibe of a gladiator fight, where well-to-do spectators come to be entertained by freak athletes ... it's a spectacle. Isn't what we love about college hoops is that this is different?? That's the whole reason there is a student section around the court rather than a more ~financially sound~ move like maximizing that space with high-paying consumers. There isn't some virtue in shrugging this off, and you are not the Adult In The Room™ with the rest of us complainers. We want a good atmosphere because that is one of the pillars of college hoops, and it's odd and senseless for a program like ours to have fan support that in NO way matches our on-court success.
Many Illini fans need to drop this "woe is us (me)" mentality. We aren't special, the universe isn't out to get us and we aren't carrying this uniquely miserable sports burden that only we would understand. It honestly seems like some Illini fans have adopted this as a core component of their personalities that they subconsciously actually like, lol ... like a college sports version of a hypochondriac. We have been SO much luckier than the vast majority of fans, especially since 2020. What is there left to complain about (things that would prevent you from cheering, not related to a specific game or something) unless you just enjoy complaining or at the very least have baked it into your personality?? We aren't owed something. WE owe the program our loyalty and support. I mean, sure, it's a free country and you can do what you want ... but you can also refuse to hold the door, never say thank you, etc. All perfectly within your rights! That's not the point. If you are going to be an Illini fan ... it's not asking too much for you to at least act like a fan.
It is not an attack on the character of anyone to want our atmosphere to be better. It's an important part of Illini Basketball, and we should all want it to be as good as possible ... there is no virtue in not caring about this. An intimidating SFC is important for many reasons, but one is it should be something we can all take pride in.
Background
I've mentioned it before, but I was born in Peoria and we moved to Iowa City when I was 7. Even though my parents did not go to U of I (both went to NIU), they raised me to be a huge Illini fan. Why? Because we were Illinoisans ... and ever since, it kills me when any Illinoisan - including U of I alumni I have met!! - acts like this is unique or peculiar. It is the norm in most Big Ten states, and anyone who helps perpetuate the idea that only alumni are Illini fans is ACTIVELY hurting our programs' ceilings ... simple as that. Want to play with the big boys? You need fan support like them, which directly leads to better ratings, revenue, changing national perception and more easily attained success.
Other than one friend from Wisconsin (Badgers fan) and one from St. Louis (casual Mizzou fan), I was surrounded by Hawkeyes fans. I heard from the time I was 7 that it was "only a matter of time" before I became an Iowa fan, implying I just wouldn't be able to resist the Hawkeye Mania, lol. This had the opposite effect, intensifying my Illini fandom that lasts to this day, even though circumstances prevented me from going to school at U of I. With that said, I learned to be a college sports fans from Iowa fans. Thus, I am a huge Illini fan that obtained my "fan habits" from non-Illini fans. Without suggesting I am particularly special in this regard, I do think it has given me a perspective that can be helpful.
My Actual Point
1) I will say that the dynamic of out-of-town fans complaining about the "local" fans is not at all unique to Illinois. I have read on Iowa boards over the years of fans complaining about how the fans in Des Moines or (more recently) Moline show up in better numbers and more passionately than fans do at Carver. I have read on Mizzou boards about how MU fans in Columbia are complacent, and those in St. Louis or Kansas City are more eager to support the team. All this is to say, it at least COULD be worthwhile to wonder if out-of-town fans are comparing apples to oranges. For Chicagoland fans, attending a game in Evanston or especially at the UC or Metro East fans attending Braggin' Rights, those are just fundamentally going to be more of an "event" than C-U locals heading to State Farm Center several times each season. If you travel to New York once per month for work, your Saturday there might be less jampacked than when I go there for the first time ever, and I bet you will have less of a "jazzed" energy than I would ... similar dynamic.
While it is NOT IMO an excuse for the crap environment lately, we can at least acknowledge that it might not be fair to compare, say, the Illini fans' passion at the United Center this year to one of many weeknight home games attended by local C-U fans. There is certainly an apples and oranges component here.
2) Regarding the conversation about SFC's acoustics, I honestly feel like I am taking crazy pills. Let's just establish a few things that I strongly believe should be considered logical FACTS by everyone participating in this conversation:
A) Nobody has suggested that the architectural or spatial makeup of SFC is better than places like Mackey or Breslin. We have ALL acknowledged that those places have advantages such as flatter ceilings or more seats packed into a smaller space, and thus SFC is at a disadvantageous "starting point."
(B) Point A can be true without completely explaining away any perceived problem with our atmosphere. In other words, proving Point A doesn't just nullify all other contributing factors to what could make SFC intimidating. All Point A does is theoretically make it more difficult to get an elite environment, but it simply is NOT the only factor.
(C) Point A literally only matters in this discussion IF Assembly Hall has never been able to have a great atmosphere. This is demonstrably false, and we ALL KNOW THIS deep down. If you are posting about SFC's terrible setup while ignoring the fact that this never stopped us from having an elite home court advantage in the mid-2000s and a still MUCH better atmosphere as recently as 2022 (i.e., post-renovation), you are being intellectually dishonest ... intentionally or unintentionally.
In other words, the acoustics of SFC are just one factor. And we have P-R-O-V-E-N that an active crowd can more than overcome that obstacle and make SFC a great environment if they simply are loud and engaged!
3) People who are getting defensive about this are ironically (and I assume unintentionally) asserting that there is just something fundamentally wrong with Champaign locals and perhaps all Illini fans as far as being fans. They are not defending the honor or whatever of the fans who are going to games and appearing bored or like they're entitled to a reason to cheer. If this were the case, the Cubs, Cardinals, Bears, etc. would screen for ticket sales to C-U zip codes and try to stop them from coming, lol. I simply refuse to accept that there is something in the water that prevents Illini fans from being just as energetic as other fans. Want to blame it on "Midwestern nice" or some regional cultural element? That's absurd, the same would absolutely apply to Nebraska. Want to say Illinois is just this elite academic institution that attracts classier types who are reserved compared to the yahoos at places like MSU? Hate to break it to you, but (#36) Illinois is materially closer to (#46) Purdue in the latest USNW rankings than it is to a school like (#20) Michigan. Illini fans aren't a world apart.
You can't sit here and defend local Illini fans sitting on their hands as these archetypically normal folks who we should lay off when they're objectively being worse fans than similar populations of fans. What we are asking of them is not some unrealistic expectation, it's the baseline for a crowd of any team in any sport.
4) I ask this to those who have no issue with our current crowd ... don't you WANT a good atmosphere? Isn't that something that we have historically been proud of?? I was so proud growing up in Iowa and being able to say Orange Krush and Assembly Hall were elite nationally. And guess what? It made my Iowa fans angry because they not only knew it was true, they wanted it NOT to be true because they CARED about those things! They were jealous when they saw a crappy Hawk's Nest and a lame CHA! It seems like this dysfunctional and hyper-individualistic (bordering on selfish) attitude to view our fans as consumers, with the program having this burden to entertain them. Complaining about our fans not being good fans is NOT different than complaining about the players having a poor effort. We are both a part of "Illini Basketball." I bet many of these same fans would prefer college hoops to the NBA ... well, why? The reason I have is because the NBA has a more sterile and less special atmosphere. It has the vibe of a gladiator fight, where well-to-do spectators come to be entertained by freak athletes ... it's a spectacle. Isn't what we love about college hoops is that this is different?? That's the whole reason there is a student section around the court rather than a more ~financially sound~ move like maximizing that space with high-paying consumers. There isn't some virtue in shrugging this off, and you are not the Adult In The Room™ with the rest of us complainers. We want a good atmosphere because that is one of the pillars of college hoops, and it's odd and senseless for a program like ours to have fan support that in NO way matches our on-court success.
Many Illini fans need to drop this "woe is us (me)" mentality. We aren't special, the universe isn't out to get us and we aren't carrying this uniquely miserable sports burden that only we would understand. It honestly seems like some Illini fans have adopted this as a core component of their personalities that they subconsciously actually like, lol ... like a college sports version of a hypochondriac. We have been SO much luckier than the vast majority of fans, especially since 2020. What is there left to complain about (things that would prevent you from cheering, not related to a specific game or something) unless you just enjoy complaining or at the very least have baked it into your personality?? We aren't owed something. WE owe the program our loyalty and support. I mean, sure, it's a free country and you can do what you want ... but you can also refuse to hold the door, never say thank you, etc. All perfectly within your rights! That's not the point. If you are going to be an Illini fan ... it's not asking too much for you to at least act like a fan.
It is not an attack on the character of anyone to want our atmosphere to be better. It's an important part of Illini Basketball, and we should all want it to be as good as possible ... there is no virtue in not caring about this. An intimidating SFC is important for many reasons, but one is it should be something we can all take pride in.
Ryllini
- Lombard
I really appreciate you going to the games and you doing your part, but this excuse about "wanting to be in it" and then listing an accurate description of things that happen in a basketball game.
I don't know if you ever played organized sports, but after something goes haywire, you don't sulk, you get right back after it. I wish our fans had this attitude.
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Curbelo Fanboy
BERTBALL IS LIFE
Lots of factors at play here as has been discussed. One factor is our now 9 losses at home since the start of 23-24 season. That is an absurdly high # for a top 25 type of program. Kind of a chicken or the egg thing, do we play bad at home because of the crowd or is the crowd bad because we play bad at home.
The 2 sides aren't working in support of each other thats for sure. Our basketball home games are starting to feel like football used to. Always expecting the other shoe to drop in the big moments.
Just in recent years I think of Purdue 2 years ago at end of year, Tennessee last year as examples of super hyped games where we lost late. Not to mention the drubbings by MD, USC & Penn State at home in recent years.
It does seem the student dynamic has changed at U of I where fewer kids care about hoops as in the past. I suspect the here today gone tomorrow thing the sport has become has caused some folks to feel less connected to the team. I bet by his senior year there were several hundred students in the building each night that knew Dee Brown on a personal basis (friends, fellow classmates, etc). When you have that personal connection over multiple years it makes more people care. Not to mention the myriad other ways to spend your time for the average 19-22 year old college student vs prior generations.
The 2 sides aren't working in support of each other thats for sure. Our basketball home games are starting to feel like football used to. Always expecting the other shoe to drop in the big moments.
Just in recent years I think of Purdue 2 years ago at end of year, Tennessee last year as examples of super hyped games where we lost late. Not to mention the drubbings by MD, USC & Penn State at home in recent years.
It does seem the student dynamic has changed at U of I where fewer kids care about hoops as in the past. I suspect the here today gone tomorrow thing the sport has become has caused some folks to feel less connected to the team. I bet by his senior year there were several hundred students in the building each night that knew Dee Brown on a personal basis (friends, fellow classmates, etc). When you have that personal connection over multiple years it makes more people care. Not to mention the myriad other ways to spend your time for the average 19-22 year old college student vs prior generations.
I don’t buy that the students care less or transfer portal reasons. There are still plenty of examples of students sections being awesome at games.
The whole thing just bums me out. I attended school from 1991-1995. We had pretty good teams back then (Deon, Richard Keene, Jerry Hester, etc.). They were competitive, made the Tournament consistently, but they were never really a threat to make a deep run.
Still, Assembly Hall for any game against a half decent opponent was unbelievably loud.
I will say those Illini Classic games didn’t exactly fill the air with electricity, but MOST nights it was a fantastic, intimidating environment.
The PA guy does matter and Jim Sheppard was really good. If Illinois hit a key shot, Jim made it seem like you had just witnessed the most important basket in the history of the sport.
I know it involved a buzzer beater, but the last minute of that Iowa game in 1993 was the loudest building I have ever been in for a sporting event. Truly.
This is a legitimate title contender. The environment should not be this sterile. The players deserve better than this. If what Keaton Wagler has been doing, doesn’t get you out of your chair, I don’t what to tell you.
Rant over.
Still, Assembly Hall for any game against a half decent opponent was unbelievably loud.
I will say those Illini Classic games didn’t exactly fill the air with electricity, but MOST nights it was a fantastic, intimidating environment.
The PA guy does matter and Jim Sheppard was really good. If Illinois hit a key shot, Jim made it seem like you had just witnessed the most important basket in the history of the sport.
I know it involved a buzzer beater, but the last minute of that Iowa game in 1993 was the loudest building I have ever been in for a sporting event. Truly.
This is a legitimate title contender. The environment should not be this sterile. The players deserve better than this. If what Keaton Wagler has been doing, doesn’t get you out of your chair, I don’t what to tell you.
Rant over.
illinifan4249
- Space Coast, FL
I think the entire 3,000 student tickets are all Orange Krush now and there is no donation required. I think entrance is just based on when you line up but not sure on that. See this article:
https://fightingillini.com/news/202...ckets-sold-out-for-fifth-straight-season.aspx
https://fightingillini.com/news/202...ckets-sold-out-for-fifth-straight-season.aspx
blackdog
- Champaign
For those who cant read the whole thing:
Gonna put it all in one tweet. Click “show more” if you want to read it all.
I’m a former Krush member. Here are two of my shirts, one of them from back when it was “Crush.” The current debate gives no reverence to Krush and it should. This is history you’re all trashing.
Last season, for the final three games, I requested a press row seat in the upper levels instead of in front of Krush. The player/coach insults hurled at the opposing bench were just too much for me. As an Illini fan, I don’t like that this is what opposing teams have come to expect in Champaign. What are we, Maryland?
But I didn’t say anything about my move to anyone (besides replying to people asking me why I wasn’t down there). I have incredible respect for the institution of Orange Krush and the history behind it. So I chalked it up to “I guess this old guy just doesn’t get it anymore” and removed myself from the situation. This season I did return the press row seat.
And as someone who has been directly in front of Krush for nearly every game the last 10 seasons, I can speak to the very specific change that happened. From my time in Krush in the early 1990’s until at least 2019, the way to get into the opposing team’s head was noise. Whether a chant or just an “ohhhhhhh” in unison, Krush brought constant noise.
The shift — and I think it happened right around Covid when there was a lost year and the handoff of traditions was interrupted — was a shift from noise to insults. The target stopped being the five opposing players on the court and started being the players and coaches on the visiting bench. My press seat is typically on that end, so perhaps this opinion is shaded by being seated directly between the insulters and the insultees, but the focus clearly shifted to the sideline.
And from my observation, in 2026, the bulk of Krush seems to get… quiet at times so that the insults can be heard? That begins this cycle of making noise for made baskets and big defensive stands but then a hush so that the insults can rain down. Perhaps there’s a belief among current membership that this is always how Krush has always operated? Not sure. But as a former member and as someone who has attended hundreds of games down there, no, the “stay hushed so the insults can land” is something entirely specific to the last 3-4 seasons.
Let’s not get this confused, however. Attend one game during break and you’ll see that Krush still sets the tone for noise. It is night and day louder the moment they return. The bulk of Krush is there, standing in line outside in the cold, ready to make noise. All of the “they’re on their phones!” and “they don’t even care anymore!” of the last few days? Absolutely not true.
I’m at nearly every road game as well and I can tell you that yes, a lot of the student sections around the Big Ten are louder now. I agree that the noise levels down by the court aren’t the same as they were 20 years ago. In my opinion, the focus shift from the court to the sideline is the culprit here. But I’m also attending a “Sammy Hagar sings OU812-era Van Halen songs” concert this year, so… keep in mind that these are the opinions of a 53 year-old.
Either way, Orange Krush is the heartbeat. They do not need to be “removed” and they DO clearly care. My only suggestion for them (if they even care):
The insults don’t affect the game at all. Nor do they land. Just stay loud.
Robert had to play the role of peacemaker at MSU. An (allegedly) drunk Sparty fan verbally attacked Doug Altenberger as he prepared to call the game up there. Rosenthal, who was seated in the press area, had to intervene to keep said fan from Doug.
- Status