Illini Football 2025
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cuillini
- San Bernardino, Ca.
I've bought Phil Steele's magazine every year since 2018. He's supposed to be the best in the business, so I thought I'd compare his predictions to our actual finish. He has undervalued us almost every year. We finished 3 places higher in 2019, 2 better in 2021, 4 better in 2022, matched in 2023, and 8 places better last season. I haven't seen this years edition yet, but I believe he thinks we'll end up in 6th place (behind IU). So based on his past history, I'll go with a 3rd or 4th place B1G finish.
Full video:
Around 31:20 - See, I get wanting to keep it clean, but this is the part that discourages me. Basically the epitome of the Webber/Groce era. Whether it's a good or bad thing no judgement... BUT everyone will do it (including your own players being poached), only we'll be one of the isolated handful that won't for no reason other than....we won't. Just by default being at a disadvantage in recruiting.
Retention wise agree it is truly admirable. Not many non blue blood schools - if any - have Illinois track record in terms of retention of the top guys. Really haven't lost any true "pillars" of the team in Bret's time here. People will say Josh McCray, not sure he would've even been our top back this year.
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Illinir1
- Camdenton, MO
Maybe a bit biased ranking of Penn State by a Nitany Lions Wire writer, but I'll take 4th best B1G offensive line ranking for the Illini. Surprised that Iowa is 3rd though. And good that we don't play any of the three teams ranked ahead of the Illini.
Ranking all 18 Big Ten offensive lines heading into 2025
Ranking all 18 Big Ten offensive lines heading into 2025
I get teams Oline ahead of us, but Iowa. Nope! Indiana and Rutgers if healthy ton of size and experience. Expect Nebraska to leapfrog some and Michigan is never weak on line.
I don't look at it that way. I see it as an advantage, and one that builds a reputation that will attract the kind of players that fit with the culture. Word of mouth can be more powerful than $ promises, and the young guys that don't value the intangibles here probably aren't the best fit for the program. He talks about the parents of the players being a big reason he has a veteran team of returnees, so the positive part of the trade-off for doing things with integrity seems pretty positive. Building a culture with integrity and valuing the way they do things means something to the players they've brought in. And if you retain talent, you don't have to take as many chances in the portal. It sounds like they're connected enough that they mitigate the tampering to a degree, and getting played in negotiations is less of a factor when people are forthright.
I loved his response [on tampering]--it's just the way the world is. Says he's aware and prepared.
Also loved the guy's comment on how NIL in the SEC means 'Now it's Legal'.
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I agree. Mike White was constantly operating on the fringes. Opposing coaches used that against him. It got him in trouble with the NCAA, more than once, and eventually it got him fired (from both Cal and Illinois). Local defense attorney, Steve Beckett, is quoted as saying that his firm did quite well representing White's players.
Dan
Admin
Bielema Named to Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List - University of Illinois Athletics
Bielema is one of five Big Ten coaches on the list, which features 26 of the nation's top college football coaches.
fightingillini.com
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Any guesses on the number of sellouts this year? A reminder that we had two last year, including our first in nearly a decade ... and this has been on the heels of a very steady progression since Bielema's first season, where the fatigue from the Lovie Era had our attendance at an embarrassing low for the modern era. When you try to isolate games that are actually on a Saturday (which always have higher attendance) and account for the fact that attendance almost always lags success by at least a season, the improvement from Bret's first game is incredible:
2019: Average of 36,587 in Lovie's last year with fans, including a low of barely 30k...
2021
41,064 vs. Nebraska
33,906 vs. UTSA
37,168 vs. Maryland (Friday night)
30,559 vs. Charlotte
40,168 vs. Wisconsin
36,942 vs. Rutgers
27,624 vs. Northwestern
2022
37,832 vs. Wyoming
33,669 vs. Virginia
37,579 vs. Chattanooga (Thursday night)
44,910 vs. Iowa
45,683 vs. Minnesota
56,092 vs. Michigan State
45,574 vs. Purdue
2023
48,898 vs. Toledo (highest season opener attendance in 10+ years)
69,099 vs. Penn State
53,512 vs. FAU
46,703 vs. Nebraska (Friday night)
54,205 vs. Wisconsin
53,157 vs. Indiana
42,310 vs. Northwestern
2024
43,849 vs. Eastern Illinois (Thursday night)
60,670 vs. Kansas
51,498 vs. Central Michigan
55,815 vs. Purdue
60,670 vs. Michigan
58,088 vs. Minnesota
52,660 vs. Michigan State
A lot will depend on how we start and the hype surrounding the team, but I will go ahead and confidently predict that OSU sells out, ALMOST no matter what. I also think that it is very, very likely that Homecoming vs. USC sells out. So, I think our sellout floor (hopefully) is two. If we are off to what fans would consider a "hot start" through the Washington road game, I will say Rutgers (November 1) depends on the weather, and Maryland (November 15) is very unlikely to sell out that time of year. Northwestern, as always, will have a terrible crowd even if we are 11-0 because it's doomed that time of year in Champaign until we've been good for like 30 years in a row, lol.
2019: Average of 36,587 in Lovie's last year with fans, including a low of barely 30k...
2021
41,064 vs. Nebraska
33,906 vs. UTSA
37,168 vs. Maryland (Friday night)
30,559 vs. Charlotte
40,168 vs. Wisconsin
36,942 vs. Rutgers
27,624 vs. Northwestern
2022
37,832 vs. Wyoming
33,669 vs. Virginia
37,579 vs. Chattanooga (Thursday night)
44,910 vs. Iowa
45,683 vs. Minnesota
56,092 vs. Michigan State
45,574 vs. Purdue
2023
48,898 vs. Toledo (highest season opener attendance in 10+ years)
69,099 vs. Penn State
53,512 vs. FAU
46,703 vs. Nebraska (Friday night)
54,205 vs. Wisconsin
53,157 vs. Indiana
42,310 vs. Northwestern
2024
43,849 vs. Eastern Illinois (Thursday night)
60,670 vs. Kansas
51,498 vs. Central Michigan
55,815 vs. Purdue
60,670 vs. Michigan
58,088 vs. Minnesota
52,660 vs. Michigan State
A lot will depend on how we start and the hype surrounding the team, but I will go ahead and confidently predict that OSU sells out, ALMOST no matter what. I also think that it is very, very likely that Homecoming vs. USC sells out. So, I think our sellout floor (hopefully) is two. If we are off to what fans would consider a "hot start" through the Washington road game, I will say Rutgers (November 1) depends on the weather, and Maryland (November 15) is very unlikely to sell out that time of year. Northwestern, as always, will have a terrible crowd even if we are 11-0 because it's doomed that time of year in Champaign until we've been good for like 30 years in a row, lol.
Those attendance numbers hurt...
The regular season really should end the week before Thanksgiving. Most programs have low attendance and the weather is totally unreliable. Even when temperatures have broken 60+, the crowds don't show up.
I think USC and OSU are likely to sell out or get damn close. Can't imagine anyone after OSU sells out even if we're 7-1 when Rutgers comes to Champaign.
The regular season really should end the week before Thanksgiving. Most programs have low attendance and the weather is totally unreliable. Even when temperatures have broken 60+, the crowds don't show up.
I think USC and OSU are likely to sell out or get damn close. Can't imagine anyone after OSU sells out even if we're 7-1 when Rutgers comes to Champaign.
I know you are speaking kinda in fun, but if we are 11-0, I guarantee you we sell out vs Northwestern
There was almost 70,000 against penn st?
Do we have ~rough projected 2-deep as of now anywhere on this board?
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Oops, lol. 49*
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I just remember people talking about how in 2001 we drew a small crowd vs. them on a nice Thanksgiving Day, sitting at only one loss and with a Big Ten Championship on the line. I agree if we are 11-0 it would be possible to sell out … but I’m still not 100% sure. It’s a uniquely rough weekend for us, even more than most schools.
Illinir1
- Camdenton, MO
My (now adult) children still give me grief about "the time we ate our Thanksgiving Turkey in the cold next to a graveyard". I tell them "But remember, you got to see the Illini win the B1G Football Championship outright.". Lol.
AI Overview:
No, the University of Illinois vs. Northwestern football game on Thanksgiving Day 2001
was not a sellout. The game, played at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois, had an attendance of 45,755.
The capacity of Memorial Stadium at that time was 70,904, based on sources detailing stadium capacity from 1992-2001.
Therefore, approximately 64.5% of the stadium's seats were occupied during the game. The game was won by the University of Illinois with a final score of 34-28.
Joel Goodson
- how was I to know, she was with the Russians too?
I don't hate it:
Rutgers schedule is kind of back-loaded - they have a run of 50/50 (or maybe 40/60) games leading up to Illinois. In other words, if the ball bounces right they could be in the 2-loss area when they come to town. I don't expect that to happen, but it could be a bigger game on paper than we anticipate now.
Joel Goodson
- how was I to know, she was with the Russians too?
good article:
Frenchette has dropped a ton of weight and seems to have the right mind set
Frenchette has dropped a ton of weight and seems to have the right mind set
not sure i'd want that though. you mostly want to root against the teams on the back-half of the schedule to make for the easiest possible path. and no i do not believe in the "i want to play the best possible version of every team we play."
I was at that game. It was my freshman year of college.. Owned season tickets, drove down from Chicago with friends. I recall us getting excited the whole car ride there for the possibility of winning a B10 Championship and rushing the field. The students were great rocking Memorial Stadium all season. We showed up expecting a sell out crowd ready to blow the roof off.
Reality was uhhhhhh different. Stadium seemed maybe 60% full. The students never really showed up and the whole crowd that did show up was quiet, subdued, and honestly grumpy, almost like they were forced to be there. We were in the student section and told to sit down multiple times starting right at opening kickoff to allow the rows worth older people behind us (who I guess must've bought the tickets from whatever students had them). Even had the ushers called on us who basically apologized to us but said we needed to sit because nobody else wanted to stand.
There was little to no cheering or celebrating throughout and the Stadium was about as dead as anytime during our 2 or less win seasons. As the time ticked down the majority of people there quickly started filing out, so relatively few stayed to celebrate. And yeah, there was no rushing the field that day.
We left disappointed for sure, but were excited about the NYE bowl game and the thoughts of the opportunities we'd get to rush and tear down the goalposts in the coming years. As we know, unfortunately those opportunities never happened.
So yeah, this might just be the PTSD ridden traumatized Illini fan in me talking, but even if we were somehow were magically undefeated, I don't know if we'd sell that Thanksgiving game out. That said, I'd find somehow someway to be there and I promise I would be the same standing cheering exuberant fan I was when I was a freshman. The Aae fan redemption game.
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