Illinois vs Notre Dame in ACC/Big Ten Challenge
Loyalillini10
- Urbana, IL
Did Notre Dame finish that well in the ACC?
Iowa draws Virginia. Without Garza, Frederick, and possibly Wieskamp, theyād be lucky to score 30 points that game.
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- North Aurora
About time we play an interesting* ACC program at SFC! There should at least be a good amount of hype around the game given the amount of alums and fans of the teams in the Chicago area. We have never hosted Duke (in Champaign), Syracuse, Pitt, Louisville, or Virginia in the B1G/ACC. I feel like whenever we are good we are playing away, and whenever we are bad we are hosting some crap bottom feeder team.
Homecoming 2019
- Chicago
Really enjoying getting the local teams for Gavitt games and B1G/ACC challenge. Have to show who's king in the area.
In this case, I don't mind "hosting some crap bottom feeder team" since it's ND.
KrushCow31
Former Krush Cow
- Chicago, IL
No. We sucked (I went for grad school). I didn't even watch a single game, not that you really can because of TV rights and the ACC network. Just basing this off of stats. They really had no good team leader. I estimate we will once again stink.
KrushCow31
Former Krush Cow
- Chicago, IL
We played ND at home in 2015. I went to watch. We lost, it was embarrassing. We played ND at ND in 2018. I wore my orange in the student section in the front row and got kicked out. We lost. It was embarrassing.
Hopefully this time we win lol. Maybe I shouldn't go.
If only we could've showed that last year
Homecoming 2019
- Chicago
Marquette game just got a bit more interesting with Darryl Morsell's transfer.
Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
- Bloomington, IL
These matchups look more "prestige" based than in years past.
scUM/NC
tOSU/Dook
MSU/Ville
and then everybody else....
scUM/NC
tOSU/Dook
MSU/Ville
and then everybody else....
I really want an Illinois Syracuse game for king of the orange.
ILLINIShox24
Orange Krush '04 & '05
Last year we get Duke. This year we get ND. What a fall from grace. 
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Last year we get Duke. This year we get ND. What a fall from grace.
Eh, whatever. Losing Kofi and Ayo (not to mention other losses) is reason enough for the talking heads to consider us in a rebuilding year. Fortunately, I think we can surprise.
Also, semi-OT regarding the playing "local teams" ... I also want to play regionally relevant teams, but I only want them as a home-and-home series. The idea of playing Marquette and (especially) Notre Dame at the United Center has been floated before, and I am very against that. Our United Center game, at its best, is billed as a true Illini HOME game in front of a packed orange crowd; that game should be saved for (ideally) big-name opponents from OTHER regions, and the crowd-drawing should (ideally) come from a good Illini showing. This isn't wishful thinking, as there is a wealth of evidence that a good Illini program draws very well there.
Allowing a team to be a part of a neutral site game in a given location elevates that team's status to an "equal" in the area, and I don't think we want to do that for anyone in Chicago. Think of the Braggin' Rights Game. By having the crowd 50/50 in St. Louis every year, Mizzou is inadvertently acknowledging that we are a St. Louis Area team. I know some people put too much stock in these things, but I honestly believe it probably helps our STL recruiting that we are in that game rather than Mizzou just having an annual game in STL and hosting whomever they can find. The significant majority of the STL area is on the Missouri side, and even on the IL side it seems pretty split between Mizzou/Illini, but we are marketed heavily as an equal partner in the affair. If the game weren't so awesome/storied by now (literally my favorite non-postseason sporting event of the year), I would have never gone for that if I were Mizzou, and I don't want Illinois "sharing" Chicago in such a way ... ideally.
Kind of weird, this will be Notre Dame's 9th appearance in the challenge and 3rd against Illinois. Wonder if they'd prefer to play someone new or if they like playing us due to proximity between the schools and regional recruiting.
Here is the breakdown of who Illinois has played/scheduled.
4x North Carolina (2002, 2003, 2005, 2010)
4x Maryland (2001, 2006, 2007, 2011)
3x Duke (1999, 2000, 2020)
3x Notre Dame (2015, 2018, 2021)
2x Wake Forest (2004, 2017)
2x Clemson (2008, 2009)
2x Georgia Tech (2012, 2013)
2x Miami (2014, 2019)
1x NC State (2016)
Have Not Played
Boston College, Florida State, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech
Here is the breakdown of who Illinois has played/scheduled.
4x North Carolina (2002, 2003, 2005, 2010)
4x Maryland (2001, 2006, 2007, 2011)
3x Duke (1999, 2000, 2020)
3x Notre Dame (2015, 2018, 2021)
2x Wake Forest (2004, 2017)
2x Clemson (2008, 2009)
2x Georgia Tech (2012, 2013)
2x Miami (2014, 2019)
1x NC State (2016)
Have Not Played
Boston College, Florida State, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech