Illini Football 2024
I don't know that people are wrong to have little faith in 7+ wins.
We lost an All-American DT from a defense that gave up over 29 a game, every offensive line under Bielema has been worse than the one before, the special teams gremlins are back and the schedule is harder. Believing this team will be better than last year's requires a lot of trust in things unseen.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
A much further uphill battle to get to that level now, in a sport that is increasingly only going to care about a handful of teams.
I was always so up for the challenge of Illinois Football because of how deeply I believed in and cared about the goofy patchwork of the college football landscape.
They've destroyed it. It's a mini-NFL now, except that we have half the salary cap of the teams that will win. Why bother caring?
I'd rather compete with Indiana and Kansas and Kentucky in a sport that (for now) retains some of its charm.
This all sounds like ole Eeyore Gritty self-parody, but this is a radical change from a year ago and has very little to do with the Illini. I'm just really blackpilled on college football. When the season comes back and the marching bands start playing hopefully I'll snap out of it to some degree, but I just feel shocked and depressed and betrayed by what has happened.
They stabbed it in the heart so fast over nothing.
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- North Aurora
I do think you are right. This NFL system is not going to work if there is nothing to keep the bottom feeders close to the top of the league. There will have to be a salary cap, but can programs just get around it using NIL? If they want any sort of parity in this league, they will have to find away to help the smaller fish out.
I think part of it for me is we see in basketball and the new world order there which has mostly helped us out, and then we go back in the fall to following our football team which has been brutally punished by the new world order, and it just makes it a lot more interesting and fulfilling to follow the former rather than the latter.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I certainly hope so! We have SUCH a passionate basketball fan base ... I shiver with excitement to think what an Illini football program that strings together multiple winning seasons in a short timeframe could look like. I know the 1980s are a long time ago now, but even in years like 2001, 2007, 2008 and to a lesser extent last year, we have shown that Illini fans are quick to jump back on the bandwagon. We are hungry to cheer for a team worth cheering for. We deserve the same excitement during the fall that fan bases like Wisconsin or Iowa feel ... growing up around Hawkeyes fans in Iowa City (and having a blast tailgating), I have always been quite jealous. It CAN happen at Illinois, and I think this is a pivotal year to not take two steps back. These three year stretches were just program killers.
2001: 10-2 (7-1) ... Big Ten champions, Sugar Bowl appearance
2002: 5-7 (4-4) ... barely missed a bowl with some frustrating losses
2003: 1-11 (0-8) ... wheels fell off, all momentum lost, complete start over
2007: 9-4 (6-2) ... second place in the Big Ten, Rose Bowl appearance
2008: 5-7 (3-5) ... again barely missed a bowl with some frustrating losses
2009: 3-9 (2-6) ... even with SO much talent, we effectively deflated all of the post-Rose Bowl enthusiasm
Now we are here...
2022: 8-5 (5-4) ... SUPER frustrating losses away from a truly elite bowl, but it totally reignited the enthusiasm in the program
2023: 5-7 (3-6) ... with larger crowds riding the back of 2022's enthusiasm, we once again came up one game short of a bowl
2024: ???
This is such a pivotal year to AT LEAST not descend back to 4 or fewer wins. It will just reinforce to the casual fan that it's "here we go again," regardless of what the schedule looks like. If we can make a bowl this year, last year just looks like a rebuilding year after losing a ton of NFL talent. If we go backwards, it looks like just another "typical Illinois" backslide and a huge step back in fan support, IMO.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I mean, I get what you are saying ... but if you actually look at the revenue, the ratings, the attendance, etc. last year, we are not living in some different universe than Iowa, Wisconsin or MSU.
Athletic Revenue (National Ranking)
1. Ohio State: $252 million
2. Texas: $239 million
3. Alabama: $214 million
4. Michigan: $211 million
5. Georgia: $203 million
...
12. Michigan State: $173 million
21. Iowa: $151 million
22. Wisconsin: $150 million
23. Illinois: $146 million
26. Nebraska: $143 million
...
42. Rutgers: $110 million
43. Maryland: $108 million
So again, I totally get it from a fan standpoint. However, I think we are battling history and perception a lot more than any "inherent" issues that stop us from being among the big boys. OBVIOUSLY a huge hypothetical, but I think if Bielema strung together multiple 8-win seasons in a row, Illinois WOULD be a huge revenue driver for the Big Ten (to the extent we aren't already...). If Bielema won 8 games multiple years in a row at Wake Forest, I think Wake Forest would still be left behind.
So, I guess what I am saying is that I DO still believe the "building blocks" are pretty damn strong here ... we simply shouldn't be as bad as we have been. Whether or not it would be more enjoyable to be in a "B League" of sorts is another discussion.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
We play those schools a combined grand total of twice over the next two seasons.
I think the 18 team Big Ten is going to be absurd and horrible for basketball, but at the end of the day we will play all of our rivals every season, and we're all still competing for tournament spots and seeding as is the heritage of the sport (at least until they screw that up). The rhythms and folkways are badly strained, but intact (unless you're the Pac 12 but they sucked at basketball anyway).
Football is disfigured beyond all recognition. What once was Big Ten Football is dead, period.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
FTR, I am not disagreeing with this. I am simply saying that we certainly are not "dead weight," and any suggestion we should be in a lesser league should come from a desire to play more regional rivals or win more games, not from some perceived lack of self worth. Not saying you were suggesting the latter, but I do think that perception exists WAY too much in our own fan base of all places.
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I think he’s saying college football itself is screwed, not Illini football per se. Eventually even the elites are In trouble, as even they can’t thrive without credible competition. Crush the bottom 75% and there’s insufficient revenue, the thing that fueled the sport’s demise. It’s the sport that’s wobbling toward the grave. Fans will walk away if things get too unbalanced.
People are talking about the ‘demise’ of big 10 and college football because of short sighted $ grabbing tv contracts… and I totally agree. But usually things are never really as bad (or as good) as people think.
That said, in my opinion based from what I’ve seen at least, something that is contributing to overall changes in football are the changes in culture of youth and hs football. I’m pretty close to a powerhouse down here in SoCal, and it’s nothing like it used to be both at that particular team as well as in general. They are one of essentially 2 top teams competing, then everyone else going to a more ‘traditional format’. Players even at top places at the hs level have a ‘mercenary’ feel. The ‘mercenary’ mindset actually starts even younger, with which club team they play for in grade school. It also makes the sport more exclusive, as it’s exceedingly rare for an athletic kid to pick up football freshman year of hs and then developing into a pretty good player. By that time they’re too far behind.
Interest in the sport, as evidenced by a multitude of things, has declined significantly. More kids are playing other sports, or not playing at all at an increasing rate it seems. The chess team is finally cool.
This brings up an economic problem for football. As current fans age, lose interest, or otherwise go away, there is no one to replace them.
Would love to hear others’ thoughts on long term $ projections and what the long term results will be. I basically see it going back to some version of conferences being more regional in nature with schools that have similar values, kind of like 100 years ago
That said, in my opinion based from what I’ve seen at least, something that is contributing to overall changes in football are the changes in culture of youth and hs football. I’m pretty close to a powerhouse down here in SoCal, and it’s nothing like it used to be both at that particular team as well as in general. They are one of essentially 2 top teams competing, then everyone else going to a more ‘traditional format’. Players even at top places at the hs level have a ‘mercenary’ feel. The ‘mercenary’ mindset actually starts even younger, with which club team they play for in grade school. It also makes the sport more exclusive, as it’s exceedingly rare for an athletic kid to pick up football freshman year of hs and then developing into a pretty good player. By that time they’re too far behind.
Interest in the sport, as evidenced by a multitude of things, has declined significantly. More kids are playing other sports, or not playing at all at an increasing rate it seems. The chess team is finally cool.
This brings up an economic problem for football. As current fans age, lose interest, or otherwise go away, there is no one to replace them.
Would love to hear others’ thoughts on long term $ projections and what the long term results will be. I basically see it going back to some version of conferences being more regional in nature with schools that have similar values, kind of like 100 years ago
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This probably should have been in a different thread. But this could affect the illini in 2024 and going forward. How is the student section for football and tailgating scene? That would be a good indicator of younger generation’s interest
so,,, northing good to say?
The new big ten will be stronger at the top than ever. Michigan, OSU, USC and Oregon. with the expanded playoffs
you'll see 3 of these teams in and more $ distributed. If we can win half or our games we will find ourselves in great
position to step forward. Need to compete with Mich st, Iowa, Wisconsin to move forward, occasionally beat one of
the top 4. an optimist sees our new big ten as an opportunity to step forward. look at what Missouri has done in the
SEC. its not going to be easy, but a great opportunity.
you'll see 3 of these teams in and more $ distributed. If we can win half or our games we will find ourselves in great
position to step forward. Need to compete with Mich st, Iowa, Wisconsin to move forward, occasionally beat one of
the top 4. an optimist sees our new big ten as an opportunity to step forward. look at what Missouri has done in the
SEC. its not going to be easy, but a great opportunity.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
As an Illini fan for 40 years or so, its amazing how they've not been able to capitalize on good seasons since the early 90's.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
Looking at the schedules that have been made out from 2024-2028, it looks like Illinois basically plays three games against this pool of teams (USC, UCLA, Washington, Oregon, Michigan, OSU, & PSU) each season; one year they play four. You have to hope to cobble together a few wins against those teams and then make hay with the rest of the schedule. Not much room for error.
mhuml32
- Cincinnati, OH
The heralded '22 WR class haul is now just Beatty.
illinidarrin
- from parts unknown
I knew this this would happen at some point, just didn't know when.
A girl I was dating’s dad was friends with Mike white, so I got to meet him once. I think he’s the only person that didn’t look confused when I said that…. The lone exception in my experience
Ashton Hollins (still on the team??) showed some flashes last season. Hoping he can utilize that size and speed to have himself a breakout season.
Hope new WR coach can develop
Stepp is a very good coach