Your first Illini FB game you attended in person

#176      
BZuppke
UIUC1867 said:
September 11, 1982-Illinois vs. MSU. It wasn't so much that the game left an impression on me, but it was the whole "atmosphere" of that day (Tailgreat especially). I was 12 at the time and it led to a big growth of support for the Illini later on. It felt more like a privilege to attend MS back in the early 80's (Yes, there used to be scalpers around). I certainly hope to see that great "atmosphere" once again in the not-too-distant future.
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I was at this game as a student when an official died on Zuppke Field.
 
#177      
1970 John
Nohops 73 said:
Game vs OSU in fall of ‘68. One of OSU’s legendary undefeated national champions with 11 (!) All Americans and 6 first round draft choices. Illinois still in aftermath of slush fund scandal and 0-5 at that point.
OSU up 24-0 late in first half when Illini get absolutely robbed by official’s call before halftime. Coach goes ballistic with ref for what seemed like 10 minutes of halftime.
Illini come out in second half and score 3 touchdowns with 2 point conversions to tie game 24-24 with 4 minutes left.
OSU QB Rex Kern sacked on next play from scrimmage and carted off the field. The crowd is going completely berserk seeing the most unlikely upset in college football history.
Of course OSU’s backup quarterback hits a bomb and they drive in winning TD with about a minute left. Still one of the most memorable games I’ve ever witnessed.
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I was there, my junior year.

The only college games I saw before going off to college were Army-Navy games on a circa 1952 Admiral console TV with a 12 inch screen. We were a Navy family.

So when I arrived on campus in 1966, college football was all new to me. I didn’t even know what “Big 10” was. But the atmosphere—everyone it seemed was at the game. There were only 30,000 students then, so everyone COULD have been there. The Marching Illini. Chief Illiniwek! And the team was competitive.

I became Illini for Life. Two years later I got my girlfriend hooked.

Now that we’ve retired we are able to attend games. It’s a day and a half drive each way but we have season tickets. And will as long as we can.
 
#179      
CV Illini
November 6th 1993. 10 degree windchill and snow. Unbelievable comeback in the final seconds. An elderly couple, sitting in front of us, shared some bourbon they snuck into the game with me and my buddy. It was an awesome first game experience! The last play of the game was special too lol.
 
#181      
dwpittman
First game of the 1993 season. Got block I seats and met a fellow freshman in class. She had seats as well, do it was our first date. Dated for about 2 years, so a good start.
 
#183      
lexwaldez
EfremWinters84 said:
I beat you by a couple of games, although I was also at the Tony Franklin/Texas A&M game (I think it was Dad's Day). I recall my dad returning from the concession stand ---- we were 7 rows from the top and the stadium was packed -- and I yelled "Hey Dad!" Needless to say, about 275 heads turned toward me.

My first game was Iowa that same year -- a WIN! Iowa and Wisconsin both sucked back then. After killing #6 Missouri a week later, we rose to #14 in the nation in the AP Poll. And that meant 14 cent drafts at Dooley's!!!

OK, feel free to see how accurate my memory is........
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My dad got nosebleed seats, easy side from work and we went to see Wisconsin I think back in 1976. It was a cold, windy day with a light drizzle. I was pretty miserable on and off but I was in awe of how huge Memorial Stadium was. It was my first football game, I think we won, and I wouldn't go back again until the mid 80's. I think my next game we beat Indiana in 83 to go to the Rose Bowl? We ran around the field like morons after the game and my friend Todd drank champagne with a couple cheerleaders on the block I at mid-field. Good times. A couple years later my friends and I would all decide to enroll at UIUC and joined Block-I. GUMBY GUMBY GUMBY. Still getting season tickets. Moved to west side. I hope they move Block I back to mid-field on the east side. I want to see Gumby dance again on the 50.
 
#185      
altgeld88
Illiniguy74 said:
The look on the face of the O$U fan at :47. Priceless.
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I have a strong memory of that Oct. 15, 1983 win over OSU. I was a high-school senior in Columbus and was awaiting my acceptance letter to Illinois. I knew that's where I wanted to go to school. The game wasn't on TV in Columbus and I recall listening to it on the radio, glued to the broadcast as Rooks made his winning run. I was so excited that the Illini had won the game.

Anyone here who followed BT football in the '70s recalls it was all OSU-Michigan all the time. The Big Two and the Puny 8, with MSU and Purdue occasionally pulling close to the top. As a high school student to see Iowa and Illinois begin to challenge that duopoly was exciting. OSU football in Columbus was overwhelming. Just too much.

Later, around 6:30 I drove down High Street to the OSU campus to meet my girlfriend, who was a freshman there, at her dorm for a date. I had the radio on to the OSU postgame show. I recall the announcer detailing the postgame celebrations from Champaign and noting that OSU fans should congratulate the Illini. I remember exactly what he said: "It's their time." To an 18-year-old kid on the threshold of life hoping to head to C-U in the fall it was exhilarating. Will never forget that day.
 
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#186      
Bucktown
Fuzzy memory for me. It was sometime in the mid-70s on a cold gray November day. My 1960 alum parents drove up from Southern Illinois and met some classmates for the game. I can't even remember the opponent, but we lost; shocking, I know, I remember being introduced to 'tailgating' from our LTD Country Squire station wagon. I didn't go to another game until my freshman year in 1985. Ironically, we barely beat Southern Illinois.
 
#187      
purcy51
October 1993 v. Northwestern. 20-13 I was a junior at Wabash College. Went with my dad & uncle. Don't remember a whole lot about the game, except that we weren't bowling that year. Was excited to see Kevin Hardy & Simeon Rice play.
 
#188      
SampsonRelpenk
There were several games I was at but too young to remember. The first I have any flashes of are against Iowa in 2000. They were quarterbacked that day by non other than Jon Beutjer, who led them to a 30-0 loss. My dad let me get as many hot dogs as I could eat. The first one I truly remember is against Northwestern on Thanksgiving in 2001, a title clinching win. I miss the dinky scoreboard behind those temporary bleachers in the NEZ with the goofy animations.
 
#189      
Ander1345
I didn't actually go to Illinois(just been a fan since I was little, didn't take school nearly as seriously as I should have among other issues) so my first game in person was actually vs Washington at Soldier Field, can't remember what year.
 
#192      
Mr. Tibbs
BZuppke said:
I was at this game as a student when an official died on Zuppke Field.
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user name checks out

I was there as well.
Was my Senior year
I recall it being VERY VERY hot that day.
iirc, It was a late aft/early evening start time
 
#193      
Captain 14
WeWillWhen said:
9/7/1985 vs. USC. That’s one heck of a week 1 opponent. Lost 20-10.
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I remember getting a copy of the USC media sheet the week leading up to that game. It pointed out how you were to refer to the school...USC and Southern California were acceptable according to the west coast SID. However it cautioned the school should never be referenced as "Southern Cal." We Midwest hayseeds were grateful for the lesson.
 
#194      
altgeld88
Captain 14 said:
I remember getting a copy of the USC media sheet the week leading up to that game. It pointed out how you were to refer to the school...USC and Southern California were acceptable according to the west coast SID. However it cautioned the school should never be referenced as "Southern Cal." We Midwest hayseeds were grateful for the lesson.
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That was the first game of my sophomore year. I recall walking on the driveway between the stadium NEZ and the rear of IMPE late Friday afternoon for some reason and seeing the USC football equipment tractor-trailer parked there. We were ranked #11 preseason; they were #6.

Tough loss, tough season. At least we came from behind in the 4Q to beat OSU on Chris White's FG in the waning seconds.
 
#196      
MoCoMdIllini
Freshman year: October 7, 1989. I got to sit in for a person who could not make it to Block I. My neighbor from the dorm gave me the rundown on how to read the card, duck down and hold it up and coached me through it. To this day I haven't a clue what we made, but hopefully I wasn't a "stuck pixel".

Anyway...

The game was a pretty thorough thrashing of Ohio State. A check back shows the score was 34 - 14, also that the date was October 7... the date that I would eventually find myself getting married years later.

It was definitely the day I resolved to be a season ticket holder through my time there.
 
#197      
IllianaOne
1983, vs #3 Pittsburgh and Dan Marino.

I was a 4th grader making the critical decision of going with everyone or staying home and getting a toy with grandma. The next year I got a Gi Joe! Lol. It eventually stuck though. I didn’t even end up going to college at UI since I was an out of stater but the family tradition of going stuck and now I buy a few season tixs and make the drive from Hoosierland (who I despise).
 
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#199      
DeonThomas
MoCoMdIllini said:
Freshman year: October 7, 1989. I got to sit in for a person who could not make it to Block I. My neighbor from the dorm gave me the rundown on how to read the card, duck down and hold it up and coached me through it. To this day I haven't a clue what we made, but hopefully I wasn't a "stuck pixel".

Anyway...

"The game was a pretty thorough thrashing of Ohio State. A check back shows the score was 34 - 14", also that the date was October 7... the date that I would eventually find myself getting married years later.

It was definitely the day I resolved to be a season ticket holder through my time there.
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I'm hopeful that in 20-25 years from now a new generation of Illini fans (tens of thousands of us) can have this same exact memory!!!
 
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