Northwestern game (Nov. 29th): 6:30pm CT, FOX
- Status
we continue to get the shaft from the B1G football gods in all things regarding game times and referees
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- Batavia
Lol. Can we tarp off the NEZ and ESL upper deck?
Dan
Admin
It will be the first November night game in Gies Memorial Stadium history.
fightingillini.com
Land of Lincoln Trophy Game to Kick at 6:30 p.m. CT on FOX - University of Illinois Athletics
The rivalry game is set for primetime kickoff.
fightingillini.com
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
This could end up being one of the lowest turnouts for an 8-3 team. Simply the worst kickoff time for this game (in a national prime time slot). It might end up being one of the biggest variances in paid attendance vs actual attendance.
I expect to hear the "move the game permanently to Chicago" crowd get louder if we have the expected low turnout.
I expect to hear the "move the game permanently to Chicago" crowd get louder if we have the expected low turnout.
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I mean its not that cold I think it will be fine.
I'm likely a party of 1 with this request but with UCLA bailing, I'd like to see the game in Pasadena before Chicago.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
While true in respect to weather, this game always struggles to fill the stands (even in the sunniest of morning games).
Only the true die hard students will cut their break short to attend (some of the dorms might not even be open).
I was never expecting a large attendance, but having the game in a fox spotlight will not look good with so many empty seats across the board.
The 11 AM or staggered 1:30 start would have been optimal. Once the sun goes down, the comfortability goes away.
Signs point to decent. Obviously many days out so we’ll see. (Ope, my bad @blackdog)
National Broadcast. Thanksgiving weekend. Cheap tickets. Hopefully knock the kitties out of a bowl game (Go Gophers). Support the guys that have given so much to the University of Illinois during their careers is Champaign.
A lot of reasons to go.
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For a game like this where attendance will be a challenge there's a tendency to think "I won't bother selling because nobody is buying", so I'll make a plea here to list your game/parking tickets if you aren't going. You'll get next to nothing, but you'll drive down those prices and maybe - just maybe - enough of the locals will scoop them up to make it look decent.
Give out free tickets to the elementary schools Maybe a dad or mom can't go to a game due to work. Give kids free t- shirt with some type of logo on the shirt. Go Illini.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I used to adamantly be in this camp, as our "Rivalry Weekend" setup continues to be possibly THE most lame setup all around every single year ... but I've accepted that with NU's brand new stadium being built, it could never be turned into a true "Thanksgiving Weekend in Chicago Event" like it could have at a new Bears stadium or even Wrigley. I think I would be against us moving our home game there each year and then Northwestern just keeping theirs in Evanston ... that would be dumb.
So, unfortunately ... I guess it is what it is. It's kind of a weird feeling as an Illini fan knowing that the game with the least pageantry all around every single year, with zero exception, is always going to be the Thanksgiving Weekend, protected opponent one that so many other fan bases wait all year to get hyped up for. Oh well, please get me 9 wins!!
My personal hope is that the season gets moved up a week to deal with the playoff schedule challenges. Many of these rivalries (like OSU Michigan) used to be played the weekend before Thanksgiving anyways. Championship week then is Thanksgiving weekend, first playoff round doesn’t conflict with NFL, can still do second playoff round on campus, and then semifinals are on New Year’s Day like they used to be. It makes so much sense that it’ll never happen I’m sure though…
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
Exactly this. When I was a student, the NW game was the Saturday before Thanksgiving (the day after the last day of class before the Thanksgiving Break). I remember being able to go to the game, and then the dorms closed that evening.
Then somehow the game got pushed back an additional week. The dorms were still closed, and few students were back on campus yet. It made student engagement drop even further for the game.
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