Very annoying. At least YouTube seems to be trying to help us with the $8.00 credit. But I have no desire to have to sign up for yet another streaming service and then have to drop it right away when YouTube and Paramount figure out how to be friends again. Can't imagine either wants to be going into March Madness without the other.
Illini Basketball 2024-2025
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OrangeBlue98
Iowa is not in a great spot right now (LvilleILL1)
- Des Moines, IA
That's the bargaining chip. I already have Paramount Plus because of its soccer coverage, so I'm hoping that any games I'm missing on YTTV will be on Paramount Plus.
OrangeBlue98
Iowa is not in a great spot right now (LvilleILL1)
- Des Moines, IA
The renewed discussion about reviving the United Center game brings up a broader discussion about how our non-conference schedule should look. Using this year's schedule, Illinois has 11 non-conference games not counting the Ole Miss exhibition. Here is the breakdown of the games.
Three neutral-court games vs power conference opponents (Duke, Arkansas, and Mizzou)
One road game vs power conference opponent (Alabama - I'm calling that a road game and not a neutral court game)
One home game vs power conference opponent (Tennessee)
Six home games against non-power conference teams (Little Rock, SIU-E, Oakland, Chicago State, EIU, Maryland-ES)
If we would have had the Tennessee game at the United Center, that leaves us with no big non-conference games at the Assembly Hall. I personally want at least one big non-conference game in Champaign every season.
So unless we make a game like Marquette the United Center game every year, given 11 non-con games we'd have to swap a "prep game" for a "big game" to get another team at the United Center. Given a team coming to the United Center would want some sort of return game (either a "road neutral game" like Tennessee in Nashville, Florida in Orlando or Tampa, etc. or an outright road game), we'd have to either only have the Bragging Rights game as a true neutral game or start reducing the "prep games" that we still need to have to get the team ready for the season.
All of that to say maybe an annual United Center game against Marquette is a better idea than I originally thought as long as we can continue to have one big road non-con game and one big home non-con game in Champaign.
Three neutral-court games vs power conference opponents (Duke, Arkansas, and Mizzou)
One road game vs power conference opponent (Alabama - I'm calling that a road game and not a neutral court game)
One home game vs power conference opponent (Tennessee)
Six home games against non-power conference teams (Little Rock, SIU-E, Oakland, Chicago State, EIU, Maryland-ES)
If we would have had the Tennessee game at the United Center, that leaves us with no big non-conference games at the Assembly Hall. I personally want at least one big non-conference game in Champaign every season.
So unless we make a game like Marquette the United Center game every year, given 11 non-con games we'd have to swap a "prep game" for a "big game" to get another team at the United Center. Given a team coming to the United Center would want some sort of return game (either a "road neutral game" like Tennessee in Nashville, Florida in Orlando or Tampa, etc. or an outright road game), we'd have to either only have the Bragging Rights game as a true neutral game or start reducing the "prep games" that we still need to have to get the team ready for the season.
All of that to say maybe an annual United Center game against Marquette is a better idea than I originally thought as long as we can continue to have one big road non-con game and one big home non-con game in Champaign.
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OrangeBlue98
Iowa is not in a great spot right now (LvilleILL1)
- Des Moines, IA
Had to add this since I could no longer edit my original post . . .
If we keep the five non-conference games against power conference teams like this year, then you could have something like this as constants in the schedule.
One game in Champaign
One game as a true road game
Bragging Rights
So then you have two games left for things like the Jimmy V Classic, a United Center game, or some other neutral court special event like the game against Arkansas this year. I don't know what the general attitude is against "prep games" vs "big games", but if you went to six "big games" vs five "prep games" that really opens up being able to have another two-game block where one is the UC game with the other being the return game on the B-side of the UC game. Hypothetical example.
Year 1 - Florida at United Center, Baylor in Houston or Dallas
Year 2 - Baylor at United Center, Florida in Orlando or Tampa (likely you'd have the rotations staggered where you have a third power conference team in this mix so you aren't trying to schedule two games like this each season)
The big thing I've always wanted for the United Center game is that it needs to be a big game with a loud crowd. It needs to feel like a NCAA tournament game. I've been to UC games against Kansas (GREAT atmosphere) and against UIC and Northwestern (half-empty arena, awful atmosphere). I would imagine a Marquette game would be a sellout or awfully close to it every season. You just can't have a home neutral game played in front of a small crowd - it's a terrible look for the program.
If we keep the five non-conference games against power conference teams like this year, then you could have something like this as constants in the schedule.
One game in Champaign
One game as a true road game
Bragging Rights
So then you have two games left for things like the Jimmy V Classic, a United Center game, or some other neutral court special event like the game against Arkansas this year. I don't know what the general attitude is against "prep games" vs "big games", but if you went to six "big games" vs five "prep games" that really opens up being able to have another two-game block where one is the UC game with the other being the return game on the B-side of the UC game. Hypothetical example.
Year 1 - Florida at United Center, Baylor in Houston or Dallas
Year 2 - Baylor at United Center, Florida in Orlando or Tampa (likely you'd have the rotations staggered where you have a third power conference team in this mix so you aren't trying to schedule two games like this each season)
The big thing I've always wanted for the United Center game is that it needs to be a big game with a loud crowd. It needs to feel like a NCAA tournament game. I've been to UC games against Kansas (GREAT atmosphere) and against UIC and Northwestern (half-empty arena, awful atmosphere). I would imagine a Marquette game would be a sellout or awfully close to it every season. You just can't have a home neutral game played in front of a small crowd - it's a terrible look for the program.
OrangeBlue98
Iowa is not in a great spot right now (LvilleILL1)
- Des Moines, IA
This is the kind of game that the United Center game has to be. Little doubt that this will be a big game with a great atmosphere.
Regarding "road neutral" games that could be a return for a United Center game, with conference consolidation we really don't have a lot of great options. Here are a few that spring to mind that could generate excitement for a game at the United Center (example - I don't see Cal or Stanford as programs that would generate a lot of buzz at the United Center in exchange for a game at Chase Center in San Francisco).
UConn - MSG (but that's really like a second home for UConn)
Florida - Tampa or Orlando
Tennessee - Memphis, Atlanta or Nashville
Alabama - Birmingham
Auburn (but not until Bruce Pearl is gone - Illinois should do nothing to benefit him) - Birmingham or Atlanta
Texas - Dallas
Baylor - Houston or Dallas
Marquette - Annual Bragging Rights style game
Arizona - Phoenix
Kansas - Kansas City
Iowa State - Kansas City
Other than that, I don't really see programs that would generate enough buzz to put 20,000 people in the United Center. Baylor and Iowa State might not even be big enough to do that, but I figure there are a lot of Iowa State alums in the Chicago area. I'd rather just do traditional on-campus home and homes with other power conference programs like Virginia, Georgia, Cal, Stanford, etc. I also am pretty sure Duke and North Carolina would not do a game in Charlotte to return a United Center game, so if we have to go to Chapel Hill or Cameron Indoor make them play in Champaign.
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Dan
Admin
With the United Center game returning next season, hoping the timing of the game on the calendar can match the sweet spot of the series from back in the day-
* On a Saturday
* Over the holiday break late December/early January
Saturday is the day the time of tipoff is probably the least impactful for attendance. 11am, or 8pm, & everything in-between, it's fine it's a Saturday. Over the holiday break is great because so many students are back in the Chicago area anyways so you're sort of following the crowd. And if the game can't fall over a holiday break (winter or even Thanksgiving) then hope it can land on an early December Saturday, and if it can't fall on a Saturday then hope it finds a place somewhere within a holiday break. Just something on the calendar as accommodating as possible for the fanbase. Go Illini
* On a Saturday
* Over the holiday break late December/early January
Saturday is the day the time of tipoff is probably the least impactful for attendance. 11am, or 8pm, & everything in-between, it's fine it's a Saturday. Over the holiday break is great because so many students are back in the Chicago area anyways so you're sort of following the crowd. And if the game can't fall over a holiday break (winter or even Thanksgiving) then hope it can land on an early December Saturday, and if it can't fall on a Saturday then hope it finds a place somewhere within a holiday break. Just something on the calendar as accommodating as possible for the fanbase. Go Illini
Noblesville Illini
- Nappanee, IN
One of our “Neutral” games
OrangeBlue98
Iowa is not in a great spot right now (LvilleILL1)
- Des Moines, IA
In the past, I think the general plan has been to play the United Center game the same day as a Bulls night game. I'm guessing the UC rent is substantially lower for the DIA in this situation compared to having to rent the facility "on its own" for a given day. So we've normally seen that United Center game have an 11 AM start so they could clear the building and prepare it for a 7:30 PM Bulls tip-off that night. Given I went to a couple of Wisconsin "day-night" doubleheaders where they played a basketball game at 11 and then a hockey game (requiring removing the floor and court-side seating to get the Kohl Center ready for hockey) at 7 or 8, I'd think you could even have a 1 PM tipoff and still do what's needed to have the arena ready for a 7:30 PM or 8 PM Bulls tipoff.
Of course, given how bad the Bulls will likely be, maybe they're better off having a full-on doubleheader and those attending the Illini game can just stay for the Bulls game.
OrangeBlue98
Iowa is not in a great spot right now (LvilleILL1)
- Des Moines, IA
Forgot about how to troll IU and Purdue with this whole United Center thing - play Kentucky in Chicago one year and Indy another year. If IU can play Marquette in Chicago, let's take their place in the old UK-IU rivalry for a couple of years.
sacraig
- The desert
Arizona in Phoenix. Make it happen. I want to go to that (though if have to go in Phoenix).
Or another home and home would be even more convenient for me.
OrangeBlue98
Iowa is not in a great spot right now (LvilleILL1)
- Des Moines, IA
For me, I think my favorites would be Texas in Dallas or Tennessee in Nashville. But Arizona in Phoenix would be a lot of fun as well.
You might add Gonzaga - Seattle (Climate Pledge) to your list.
Outstanding news!
OrangeBlue98
Iowa is not in a great spot right now (LvilleILL1)
- Des Moines, IA
Yes - Gonzaga would be a program that should draw a big UC crowd.
They should also try to more carefully select the tuneup games to get some that are ~200-250 in net instead of so many in the 300s. No difference in outcome (close to zero they lose) but their net is less negatively impacted.
It’s a slight flaw in the net that it is worth more to beat the 250th team than the 320th team.
You can’t always guarantee it will work out, but you could also give up a home game for two home at homes with lesser major conference opponents too. Like a Georgia Tech and Miami or something like that. You’d be trading a little revenue for a much better resume especially in years where you end up near the bubble.
It’s a slight flaw in the net that it is worth more to beat the 250th team than the 320th team.
You can’t always guarantee it will work out, but you could also give up a home game for two home at homes with lesser major conference opponents too. Like a Georgia Tech and Miami or something like that. You’d be trading a little revenue for a much better resume especially in years where you end up near the bubble.
They did a home (UC) and home (Seattle) with Gonzaga maybe 15 years ago. It was good.
Edit: it was actually 4 games over 4 years. Chicago, Seattle, Champaign, Spokane
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
My take for the UC game? Try to turn it into a Lions-esque tradition on Thanksgiving Day - where we provide other programs crazy exposure, but we still benefit even more. Illini/Arkansas was the highest rated regular season game in literal decades, and we should try to replicate that as often as possible! In years where the Bears play at the Lions right before like this past year, make everyone’s tickets good for entry to a Bears watch party before the Illini game … you’d make your money easily on beer sales alone, lol.
I think teams would jump at such an arrangement. You come to the House that Jordan Built in one of the best hoops hot spots in America and play us in front of a massive TV audience on Thanksgiving, and we’ll give you a return game on a different random date next year, lol. And then just stagger them. We’d still have space for a big home game. Using this year and next year as examples (yes, I know we played Tennessee away last year, just making a point), here’s an altered way it would work:
2024-25
- Alabama in Birmingham
- Duke at the UC on Thanksgiving
- Tennessee in Champaign
- Arkansas on the road in Little Rock
- Mizzou in St. Louis
2025-26
- Alabama at the UC on Thanksgiving
- Duke at MSG or Charlotte or wherever they want
- Tennessee away in Knoxville
- Arkansas in Champaign
- Mizzou in St. Louis
Two guaranteed marquee games in our two most important markets playing to their respective holiday themes?? Sign me up. The only thing I NEVER want with the UC game is to elevate our visiting opponent to an equal in our market … like what Mizzou does to us by having Braggin’ Rights a split crowd, lol. No Marquette, no Notre Dame, etc. That game has to be marketed clearly as an Illini game in an Illini town!!
I think teams would jump at such an arrangement. You come to the House that Jordan Built in one of the best hoops hot spots in America and play us in front of a massive TV audience on Thanksgiving, and we’ll give you a return game on a different random date next year, lol. And then just stagger them. We’d still have space for a big home game. Using this year and next year as examples (yes, I know we played Tennessee away last year, just making a point), here’s an altered way it would work:
2024-25
- Alabama in Birmingham
- Duke at the UC on Thanksgiving
- Tennessee in Champaign
- Arkansas on the road in Little Rock
- Mizzou in St. Louis
2025-26
- Alabama at the UC on Thanksgiving
- Duke at MSG or Charlotte or wherever they want
- Tennessee away in Knoxville
- Arkansas in Champaign
- Mizzou in St. Louis
Two guaranteed marquee games in our two most important markets playing to their respective holiday themes?? Sign me up. The only thing I NEVER want with the UC game is to elevate our visiting opponent to an equal in our market … like what Mizzou does to us by having Braggin’ Rights a split crowd, lol. No Marquette, no Notre Dame, etc. That game has to be marketed clearly as an Illini game in an Illini town!!
Looks Orange and Blue to me.Hear me out, in a parallel universe Illinois colors are purple and gold, and this ad is a glitch in the Matrix.
Edit: I ordered it. Stay tuned?
View attachment 39681
I think we have another dress situation….
I absolutely love all the Star Trek TNG gifs this board adopts!One of our “Neutral” games
I was thinking the same thing lol. That’s Orange and blue.
skyIdub
"I can't tell you. Secret."
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