Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Illini Football 2023
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KrushCow31
Former Krush Cow
- Chicago, IL
Brett plays the part of the chip on your shoulder underdog overlooked up and coming program head coach so much and I love it.
DeonThomas
- South Carolina
Actually, I didn't realize that BB felt "THAT" good about our O-line. Consider me encouraged!!
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
I think it’s just as much he feels these lists are pretty ridiculous.
What BB should say to all these sites who don't put parts of the team on their preseason list:
I'm betting we are another 2-3 years away from being BB Wisconsin level OL but we are getting there. We finally have an okay 2 deep with minor deficiency in our best 5, but Bret and Bart are 2 classes are away from having a 3 deep where we just plug and play guys every year with NFL caliber OL.
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
What BB should say to all these sites who don't put parts of the team on their preseason list:
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I'm gettin' PUMPED for Illini football and especially my super fun visit to Champaign for the all-important Penn State game. So, I decided to look at our crowds since the 2009 season (i.e., including 2010 and after) that got over 53k tickets sold - the threshold where the stadium looks full. I'm optimistic that the PSU home game this year will fall on that list! I chose this cutoff because our 2008 campaign was still brimming with Rose Bowl enthusiasm, and I remember 2009 actually had a TON of optimism going into it until we got absolutely smacked by Missouri ... wow, that might have been one of the most disappointing Illini seasons in recent history!!
62,870 vs. #2 Ohio State in 2010 (L 24-13) - Last sellout at old capacity
60,670 vs. #22 Michigan in 2011 (L 31-14)
60,670 vs. North Carolina in 2016 (L 48-23) - Last sellout
56,092 vs. Michigan State in 2022 (L 23-15)
55,549 vs. Minnesota in 2010 (L 38-34)
55,229 vs. Ohio State in 2011 (L 17-7)
54,633 vs. #15 Wisconsin in 2011 (L 28-17)
53,550 vs. Indiana in 2010 (W 43-13)
53,243 vs. Northwestern in 2011 (W 38-35)
So, a couple notes:
- When we have drawn these bigger crowds, we have tended to lose! It's difficult to get fans to come back when their memories are of deflating losses right when they choose to buy back in.
- On that note, the MSU crowd of over 56k last year was our first time drawing more than 53k in seven years, and it would have been TWELVE years if not for the (somewhat random) sellout vs. UNC that rode the excitement of Lovie's first season.
- It seems obvious that attendance lags ... an increase tends to come AFTER we have already won a couple of big games, and a decrease tends to come AFTER we have started to decline again. We had better crowds in 2010 than during our 6-0 start in 2011 simply because we were closer in time to a legitimately exciting program.
- Beckman's and Lovie's teams got TERRIBLE attendance ... Lovie got one sellout and never drew above 50k again, I believe. Bielema has already seen a huge increase in ticket sales, even though they tend to lag as we have said.
With that said, I firmly believe there will be over 55k sold for the Penn State game if we start 2-0, with an outside chance of a sellout depending on how aggressively the DIA discounts tickets to get over the hump.
62,870 vs. #2 Ohio State in 2010 (L 24-13) - Last sellout at old capacity
60,670 vs. #22 Michigan in 2011 (L 31-14)
60,670 vs. North Carolina in 2016 (L 48-23) - Last sellout
56,092 vs. Michigan State in 2022 (L 23-15)
55,549 vs. Minnesota in 2010 (L 38-34)
55,229 vs. Ohio State in 2011 (L 17-7)
54,633 vs. #15 Wisconsin in 2011 (L 28-17)
53,550 vs. Indiana in 2010 (W 43-13)
53,243 vs. Northwestern in 2011 (W 38-35)
So, a couple notes:
- When we have drawn these bigger crowds, we have tended to lose! It's difficult to get fans to come back when their memories are of deflating losses right when they choose to buy back in.
- On that note, the MSU crowd of over 56k last year was our first time drawing more than 53k in seven years, and it would have been TWELVE years if not for the (somewhat random) sellout vs. UNC that rode the excitement of Lovie's first season.
- It seems obvious that attendance lags ... an increase tends to come AFTER we have already won a couple of big games, and a decrease tends to come AFTER we have started to decline again. We had better crowds in 2010 than during our 6-0 start in 2011 simply because we were closer in time to a legitimately exciting program.
- Beckman's and Lovie's teams got TERRIBLE attendance ... Lovie got one sellout and never drew above 50k again, I believe. Bielema has already seen a huge increase in ticket sales, even though they tend to lag as we have said.
With that said, I firmly believe there will be over 55k sold for the Penn State game if we start 2-0, with an outside chance of a sellout depending on how aggressively the DIA discounts tickets to get over the hump.
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
I like your logic. I will say with me and the son for season tickets, gas, food, etc... it's outrageous! If they want people in seats, it has to be resolved. Once we have multiple 7 win seasons and un expected titles, thanks to coach B. Then Jack prices up. But most of us travel hours to the games and back. Not to mention #1 issue, Horrible Game Start times!
I detest most of our start times.
$99 for season tickets to a college football program coming off of an 8 win season likely cannot be beat in the country. The team and the DIA have done what they need to do; it's up to the fans to buy in now.
$199 - still a good price for 7 games.
Illinois has quite a bit of costs involved in operating the athletic program. I suppose a critique of the admin costs is warranted, but otherwise, I want them paying their coaches top dollar and having the student athletes use great equipment and facilities.
The alternative is penny pinching and we can !!!!! and complain about Tim Beckman all season long.
Edit - Illinois has the highest administration costs (based on a % of revenue) of any B1G program.
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It is, agreed. Do you know what our schools share is of Big10 revenue, TV oh ya TV, Bowl games, and CFP appearance? I DO. None of our sports teams, AD Department, and Coaches are hurting what so ever. I L L
I hope it's a $hit ton but it's still quite a bit less than Indiana.
it is! I get a little miffed when our AD, doesn't tell the Big10 network to fly off about our start times. Coach B has us in Fast-forward to greatness! 11am. and 3pm. Start time suck. Hurts our attendance and especially the Fan experience the AD department is working so hard to create. 11am., if ESPN college GameDay is in Champaign. IMO!
Ya know Michigan has 4 11am games so far announced. A 3 o’clock start. Ohio St has 3 11am games and 2 3 o’clock games…..it’s pretty universal across the board.
DeonThomas
- South Carolina
Bill - so you're suggesting that we had an average of 15,000 no-shows per game in 2022? If so, that's staggering.The numbers that you quote are tickets sold. Actual attendance was much lower. Average actual attendance over the seven home games was 28,692:
Illini football turnstile totals: Breakthrough season doesn't lead to huge crowds
More than 7,000 fans turned out a game than in 2021 but the average turnstile count again fell short of 30,000 at 60,670-seat Memorial Stadium, according to figures obtained viawww.news-gazette.com
DeonThomas
- South Carolina
Not expecting any "likes" for this one......
blackdog
- Champaign
Weird to be complaining about ticket prices when it's less than $30 a game....
GrayGhost77
- Centennial, CO
A quick article summing up the Illini from a Ped State perspective:
www.blackshoediaries.com
2023 Opponent Snapshot: Illinois
Illinois took a major step forward in 2022. Are they now ready for a Big Ten West crown?
www.blackshoediaries.com
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Yeah, especially with Big Noon Kickoff becoming a way bigger deal in the last several years, there is nothing "wrong" with an 11:00 am start. In fact, I know a lot of my Iowa friends who have so adapted college football/tailgating as a part of their lives and culture that they actually prefer the 11:00 am starts. Personally, I have always associated it with the most "classic" college football ... something about the crisp fall air in the Midwest at that time of day is nostalgic to me. I get the argument about people coming from out of town, but if you aren't willing (or able) to spend the Friday night in Champaign ... well, that's always just going to be an issue. I also kind of understand the argument that it's worse for getting students to the game, but that's more of an issue with the party culture in Champaign than it is the start time. Students at Iowa and Illinois are both up at 7:00 am getting mimosas and Bloody Mary's ready on the Saturday of an 11:00 am game ... the difference is at Iowa, they are getting ready to Uber to the tailgate by the stadium, and at Illinois they are heading to the Campustown bars! If we get more student tailgating to catch on, the 11:00 am start won't have too big of an effect on the student section, IMO.
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