Your Illini Football Away Games Experience(s)

I thought this would be interesting to hear from my fellow Illini fans! I'm sure there is a spectrum from some fans who hit several road games per year all the way to fans who have only seen the Illini play at Memorial Stadium (or even never in person). I am curious to hear what away games you have been to, how you liked the stadium/campus/town, how many Illini fans traveled there, etc. "Away" games here means anything NOT in Champaign (i.e., Soldier Field, the Mizzou game in St. Louis, bowl games, etc. count).

For me, I have only seen the Illini play on the road in Iowa City - 1999, 2005 and 2007. I lived in Iowa City at the time of all of these, so I obviously liked the town. Unfortunately, unlike with basketball where we routinely paint the place orange, there were very few Illini fans in 2005 or even 2007. I do remember there being a bigger presence in 1999, but I was an 8-year old who had just moved from Peoria, so my memory is quite unreliable!

1999 was fun ... I think it was Ferentz's first year, and we stomped 'em. 2005 was a beatdown (of us, of course), but I wasn't expecting anything less, and we were so on top of the world for basketball that I didn't get too upset. 2007 was crushing ... when that 89-yard TD pass got called back, I felt so deflated. Then the McGee pick ... yikes. It was so frustrating, too, because Iowa wasn't even good that year and if we played like ANY of our other performances, we win easily. Oh well.

Top of my list to visit for an away Illini game is Minnesota (stadium looks cool and a game we can win!), Indiana (actually heard they have solid tailgating and again, good chance at a W!) and Penn State (gotta see that place at least once).

I've only ever been to two Big Ten stadiums supporting the Illini on the road. I went to Iowa City in 2019, and it was a perfectly great environment. Everyone was nice, and spirits were fairly good all around.

I've been to Michigan Stadium a few times as an Illinois fan (2008, 2011, 2014, 2022). The first three times were very collegial, and everything was all good. Last year though I had to deal with some very unruly Michigan fans that was pretty unpleasant. I think the pressure of the situation with them losing was starting to get people on edge. Then when they won they were the warmest people in the world all of the sudden.

I've also been to a Northwestern game and a Wisconsin game but not as a road fan.

I really want to do Michigan State, and will probably go to the game next year if the schedule sticks.

Only away game I've been to was 2012 at Arizona State when I was in grad school there. Right before my birthday so it was an early bday present from the wife (just my girlfriend at the time). We're were part of the small contingent wearing orange. As you already know, it did NOT go well. Early returns on the Beckman era were no bueno. Still a fun night getting razzed by ASU fans in the Mill Ave bars afterwards.

Fighter of the Nightman said:

I thought this would be interesting to hear from my fellow Illini fans! I'm sure there is a spectrum from some fans who hit several road games per year all the way to fans who have only seen the Illini play at Memorial Stadium (or even never in person). I am curious to hear what away games you have been to, how you liked the stadium/campus/town, how many Illini fans traveled there, etc. "Away" games here means anything NOT in Champaign (i.e., Soldier Field, the Mizzou game in St. Louis, bowl games, etc. count).

For me, I have only seen the Illini play on the road in Iowa City - 1999, 2005 and 2007. I lived in Iowa City at the time of all of these, so I obviously liked the town. Unfortunately, unlike with basketball where we routinely paint the place orange, there were very few Illini fans in 2005 or even 2007. I do remember there being a bigger presence in 1999, but I was an 8-year old who had just moved from Peoria, so my memory is quite unreliable!

1999 was fun ... I think it was Ferentz's first year, and we stomped 'em. 2005 was a beatdown (of us, of course), but I wasn't expecting anything less, and we were so on top of the world for basketball that I didn't get too upset. 2007 was crushing ... when that 89-yard TD pass got called back, I felt so deflated. Then the McGee pick ... yikes. It was so frustrating, too, because Iowa wasn't even good that year and if we played like ANY of our other performances, we win easily. Oh well.

Top of my list to visit for an away Illini game is Minnesota (stadium looks cool and a game we can win!), Indiana (actually heard they have solid tailgating and again, good chance at a W!) and Penn State (gotta see that place at least once).

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I have watched us play at Wisconsin (twice), at Northwestern, at Penn State, and at Arizona State. And I am a resounding 0-5 with all but 1 of those games being an utter blowout. The only game we had a chance in was at Wisconsin where we had a pick 6 to pretty much start the game and something like a 21-3 lead, only to score 3 more points the rest of the way and lose 30-24. All the others, I couldn't even begin to tell you what the final score was other than we lost by over 20 in each of them.

My list:
Nicest fans- Wisconsin
Nastiest fans- Arizona State
Nicest venue- Penn State
Worst venue- Northwestern
Best Tailgate- Arizona State by a mile

Venue I've always wanted to see us play in? The Rose Bowl. May it happen this season!

GrayGhost77 said:

Only away game I've been to was 2012 at Arizona State when I was in grad school there. Right before my birthday so it was an early bday present from the wife (just my girlfriend at the time). We're were part of the small contingent wearing orange. As you already know, it did NOT go well. Early returns on the Beckman era were no bueno. Still a fun night getting razzed by ASU fans in the Mill Ave bars afterwards.

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We likely were within 50ft of each other... That game was uhhhh, pretty awful.

Been to a number of away games. I plan to get to more in the future now that my kids are at Illinois:

Purdue (1993 & 2001) - We won both times. I was a senior in 1993. Purdue was terrible and had fun. In 2002, Kittner rallied us back for the win. Stadium is ok. It's in Indiana so what do you expect. Usually a decent amount of Illini fans there.

Michigan (1993, 2001, & 2022) - We won in 1993 and should have won last year. Experience was fun all 3 times. Place is huge and a cool place to see the games. Their fans were generally ok to us (probably because they won). Refs give them every call no matter where they play....

Ohio State (2001) - Worst. Fans. Ever. Approaching the stadium they threw food at us. Then someone pushed my wife entering the stadium. The good news is we beat them. Never going back.

California (2001) - Nice old stadium. Got sunburned at the game once the marine layer burned off. We beat them soundly and walking out some of the frats were trying to heckle the IL fans.

Indiana (2001) - Terrible football environment. Fans tailgate and did not even go into the game. Place looked like a high school stadium back then. Not a football town.

Northwestern (too many times) - This stadium sucks. My favorite memory was in 1994 when the UIAA had a tent right next to the stadium. It was the last time they let opponents have such a prime location. Their gameday atmosphere is terrible and all their students seem depressed. I enjoyed when we ran it up on them last year.

Arizona (1996) - Lou Tepper let a close game get away from him and make it not close. He was such a terrible coach. Tucson is kind of a dump.

Arizona State (2012) - Attended with my brother who went there. Also went with my parents, wife and kids. The game was terrible. We quickly learned how bad Beckman was after Zook beat them the year prior. Their stadium has since been reduced and the area I sat no longer exists. Mill Street was a fun place to go.

Minnesota (2000 & 2003) - Used to play at the Metrodome. Terrible for college games although you could get a beer at the game back then. Going this year since the Marching Illini will be there. I look forward to seeing their "new" stadium. Being on campus should help the gameday experience.

Every away game I attended, I found the Illini tailgate or other fans. The local alumni association chapter usually hosts something. The best part is being able to find other Illini fans.

Illinois at Purdue November 2013. Beckman vs. Hazel. Tix on StubHub were under a dollar (not counting their fee). We nearly ran ourselves into a safety trying to run out the clock to win the game. Not worth the money or cold.

However I went with a girl who would eventually become my wife and we had our first kiss later that night so it all worked out well.

Washington State
Cal
Soldier Field X 2 (I think)
Rose Bowl a few times
Southern Miss - best fans anywhere
Penn State
Iowa
Minnesota - old stadium
Northwestern
Wisco
Indiana
Purdue
Michigan
All Illinois/Mizzou games in St. Louis
Tampa vs. Mississippi State

Got in a double header once. Michigan State at Illinois and then buzzed up to Madison to watch them beat, I believe, #1 Ohio State. 2010 - BB was the Wisconsin coach.

Probably missing a few. Will be going to Kansas too.

Nothing too memorable outside of Southern Mississippi. Nicest fans you'll ever meet. I'm usually in and out fairly quick and primarily there for the football.

No way I'll remember the exact years, but been to away games in Chicago, Iowa City, Evanston, West Lafayette, and Ann Arbor.

Michigan Stadium is impressive just for its size, and Kinnick was probably the nicest of the group to watch a game. Ross-Ade and Dyche, meh.

I was there to see us clinch bowl eligibility at Wrigley in 2010, in Evanston in 2014, and in East Lansing in 2019

Pretty sure I've been to every Illini football game in the Chicago metro area since I graduated, might have missed a Ryan Field one somewhere in there.

I’ve always had fun attending east coast Illini road games at Rutgers, UConn, Virginia because those fans are jaded and miserable in the best way and always want to convince me that their team history is so much worse than ours. It’s a mass commiseration of mutual bitterness. I love it.

I will be at College Park on October 14 for the Maryland game so we’ll see how that compares.

My football “fun fact” if anyone ever asks: I was personally in attendance at the last ever games for both Joe Paterno (Illinois @ PSU Oct 9 2011) and Antonio Brown (Tampa Bay @ NY Jets Jan 2 2022).

Great idea @Fighter.

Ohio State: Grew up there going to games in '70s and early '80s, so I'm biased. One of the great gameday experiences and stadiums, IMO. After I became a student at Illinois I had a nice 3-0 run of seeing the Illini beat OSU there in 1988/1990/2001. That 2001 game was the season after they lowered the field and virtually closed the horseshoe. Loud AF. We beat them anyway . Sadly, haven't been to a game there in >20 years.

Iowa: Saw the Iowa-Michigan game there in October 2003. Fantastic gameday experience, blue skies, peak fall weather. Seems like everyone in the state of Iowa is tailgating there. Excellent BBQ pork, as I recall. Kinnick is a great place to see a game. The contest was really exciting, too. #22 Iowa prevailed over #9 Michigan 30-27. Probably the only matchup when I would ever root for Iowa, lol. Saw a fun women's volleyball game the evening before in Carver-Hawkeye. The Cubs were rockin' the NLDS v. the Braves at that time (it was 10 days before the Bartman meltdown) and we enjoyed watching the game that evening in a campus bar. A good time all 'round.

Michigan: Saw the 2001 Illini loss there (45-20). Such an ugly stadium: a giant featureless bowl. The best I can say for it is no obstructed sightlines. As I left the stadium a guy around 30 taunted me for my Illinois sweatshirt. I shot back that he'd better enjoy this short-lived feeling because at least I'd enjoy two beat-downs over Michigan during the coming basketball season (they were the dregs of the conference at the time.) He kinda choked at my retort, laughed and sheepishly said "Touché." That felt good, at least, particularly because there was a crowd who heard it and they all saw an Illinois Man put a Michigan Man in his place swiftly and publicly. And indeed we beat them by 24 in Champaign and 8 in Ann Arbor, and they finished in 10th place.

Penn State: Saw the 2008 Saturday night, ESPN-prime time #22 Illini loss to #12 PSU 38-24. PSU won the conference that season. I really believed nothing in the BT could top seeing a game in Ohio Stadium. Penn State equaled it. Capacity crowd, night game, spent all afternoon in the campus bars watching football. Just a great experience. Stopped by Rec Hall and saw part of a volleyball game there. It was designed by the architect who designed the Palestra in Philly (IMO the finest college basketball venue in America). PSU basketball played there until that awful Bryce-Jordan Arena was built in the '90s. Anyway, it's a great arena, holds less than 7k and would be an entertaining place to watch a basketball game if they still played there. Huge home-court advantage (as if we don't have enough trouble beating them on the road as it is.)

Syracuse: Saw the 2007 Illini 41-20 victory there in the Carrier Dome (now named something else.) I'd seen games there with my brother (who has lived there for 40 years) back in the Donovan McNabb days in the '90s. When that stadium is full and Syracuse is good, it rocks. That year Syracuse was meh and the fans/students weren't too juiced, tho' we were . Syracuse's campus and the campustown is lame. Such a depressing city, as I know all too well from a lifetime of visits to see family there. Also have been to several NCAA hoops regional finals in the Dome; great venue for that, too. And I'm no fan of basketball or football in domed stadiums.

Northwestern: 1987. Dyche Stadium, atmosphere, weather, Illini performance: *gack*, across the board. 3-7-1 season. Mike White resigned two months later.

Purdue: ???? Heading there in 24 days for the game. Can't wait.

Maryland: ???? Will be there in mid-October for the game. My expectations of the venue are low. Even my ex-Maryland hoops player buddy admits it's uninspiring. They have a decent team so I hope the crowd is good.

Gotta hit Madison for an Illini game at some point, and also Michigan State.

AutoPoster 3000 said:

I’ve always had fun attending east coast Illini road games at Rutgers, UConn, Virginia because those fans are jaded and miserable in the best way and always want to convince me that their team history is so much worse than ours. It’s a mass commiseration of mutual bitterness. I love it.

I will be at College Park on October 14 for the Maryland game so we’ll see how that compares.

My football “fun fact” if anyone ever asks: I was personally in attendance at the last ever games for both Joe Paterno (Illinois @ PSU Oct 9 2011) and Antonio Brown (Tampa Bay @ NY Jets Jan 2 2022).

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My best is Bear-related rather than Illini, was in Soldier Field on this day. Probably was my first-ever Bears game, but not sure.

Off the top of my head: Ross-Ade, Big House, Spartan Stadium, Dyche (pre-renaming), Soldier Field (pre-reno), Rose Bowl (x2), Fulton County Stadium (Peach Bowl), Legion Field (All American Bowl). I wasn't impressed by any of those stadiums other than the Rose Bowl, which impresses with setting and history. Dyche was the only win. Ugh.

I've visited around three dozen other college stadiums for various events. To be honest, most are pretty utilitarian or dumpy. A couple stand out in my mind for unique history or architectural features: LA Memorial Coliseum, Folsom Field. The only truly "nice" stadiums I've visited are Stanford and S.D. State's Snapdragon Stadium, both of which have the benefit of modernity.

Many, many, many road games for me............for both basketball and football. Nearly all of them have been in the eastern 1/3 of the US, and nearly all of them after graduating and leaving Champaign. Living in South Carolina, I still try to attend 10-15 Illini/Cubs/Bears games each year. Even with Wash, Oreg, UCLA and USC added to our schedule, I hope to hit every "Big 10 away venue" by 2030. I believe I have eight remaining for football, counting the 4 new Pac12 teams.

I depart for Lawrence, KS tomorrow morning. Meeting my brother and cousin there for a long weekend and an Illini victory! Guess that will be the football venue furthest to the West for me. Over the years, I've seen lots of Illini basketball victories, but also a ton of Illini football losses.

Best road football games: The Mizzou rivalry games of the 1980's / 1990's, that were played in Champaign and Columbia. I was working in STL many of those years and we (our golf & softball group of 30-40) would often travel via bus, with a 50/50 split of Tiger and Illini fans.

I watched us beat Baylor in Houston, which even though that was a bowl game, was pretty much a home game for Baylor.

I believe Illinois played at San Diego State University - I was at a game there and I'm almost certain Illinois was playing. I really should remember this.

I've only been to two venues away from Champaign for Illinois games - East Lansing and Ann Arbor. My nephews both went to Michigan so my brother got season tickets to the games and rooted for whoever Michigan was playing. Right off the top I can think of five games I saw there, the top three being Michigan having to come from behind to tie Illinois late (1992), then the Johnny Johnson to Jim Klein late TD for the upset (1993), then the Rocky Harvey Goes Wild game (1999). All I remember for the MSU game was that Saban was the coach. I cannot remember what year that was, but it was a pretty nice venue and the Spartan fans were pleasant.

I was also at the Michigan/Northwestern game in 1995. My brother and I wore purple. I actually had a Michigan fan dump a beer on my after the game. Heh.

Cal Berkeley (2005) - Seem to recall tailgating in an elevated parking garage which was weird. Both teams were, bad but we managed to lose. Part of stadium was a grassy hillside I think, and overall there was a LOT of empty seats. I can see why B1G passed on Cal this round of expansion....I would love for us to add Stanford though.

CAIllini said:

Cal Berkeley (2005) - Seem to recall tailgating in an elevated parking garage which was weird. Both teams were, bad but we managed to lose. Part of stadium was a grassy hillside I think, and overall there was a LOT of empty seats. I can see why B1G passed on Cal this round of expansion....I would love for us to add Stanford though.

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Aesthetically, I really, really would have loved to add Cal along with Stanford. Just like the Rose Bowl and UCLA, I don't really mind that they don't fill up their stadium. It would have been a great school to watch on tv and maybe make a visit out to. But I of course understand why it made no sense for the Big Ten to add them. Hopefully they can find a way to stay afloat in the ACC.

ChiefGritty said:

I was there to see us clinch bowl eligibility at Wrigley in 2010, in Evanston in 2014, and in East Lansing in 2019

Pretty sure I've been to every Illini football game in the Chicago metro area since I graduated, might have missed a Ryan Field one somewhere in there.

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Wow, I created this topic and forgot one of my biggest ones! I was also at the Illini/Northwestern game at Wrigley in 2010. As a 20-year old at the time, I was OH so fired up when NU started their "Chicago's Big Ten Team" BS, and I begged my family to go to that game (none of my Iowa friends would join, of course). My dad ended up getting tickets through a friend, as I remember it was really difficult to get a ticket to the game if you weren't an NU season ticket holder, as they were worried it'd be filled with Illini fans for their big day.

I physically bumped into Ditka getting out of his limo to go appear on the College Gameday stage, and his body guard swatted me right on out of there. This was pre-new Wrigleyville, of course, so I believe the setup was at that old hilarious McDonalds right by Clark and Addison. I maintain to this day that no picture does enough justice to the fact that the crowd was at least 40-50% Illini fans (likely because it was cold and they were wearing navy, easily confused with purple). That's pretty damn good considering NU did everything possible to make it less than 10% (i.e., only gave Illinois its allotted 3,000 tickets for a visiting team). MAN, was it fun to watch Leshoure run wild on them and the Mildcats fans start to leave at the end.

Other random memory from that day - NU tried really hard to paint Wrigleyville purple that day (and literally in the case of the Marquee Sign ... ), but Murphy's Bleachers had a huge Illini flag outside and a sign that said "Murphy's beer is proudly brewed by Illini fans" or something like that.

I will be going to my first away game ever tomorrow in Lawrence!! Super excited

Fighter of the Nightman said:

Wow, I created this topic and forgot one of my biggest ones! I was also at the Illini/Northwestern game at Wrigley in 2010. As a 20-year old at the time, I was OH so fired up when NU started their "Chicago's Big Ten Team" BS, and I begged my family to go to that game (none of my Iowa friends would join, of course). My dad ended up getting tickets through a friend, as I remember it was really difficult to get a ticket to the game if you weren't an NU season ticket holder, as they were worried it'd be filled with Illini fans for their big day.

I physically bumped into Ditka getting out of his limo to go appear on the College Gameday stage, and his body guard swatted me right on out of there. This was pre-new Wrigleyville, of course, so I believe the setup was at that old hilarious McDonalds right by Clark and Addison. I maintain to this day that no picture does enough justice to the fact that the crowd was at least 40-50% Illini fans (likely because it was cold and they were wearing navy, easily confused with purple). That's pretty damn good considering NU did everything possible to make it less than 10% (i.e., only gave Illinois its allotted 3,000 tickets for a visiting team). MAN, was it fun to watch Leshoure run wild on them and the Mildcats fans start to leave at the end.

Other random memory from that day - NU tried really hard to paint Wrigleyville purple that day (and literally in the case of the Marquee Sign ... ), but Murphy's Bleachers had a huge Illini flag outside and a sign that said "Murphy's beer is proudly brewed by Illini fans" or something like that.

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Let's see now. Can't remember the years for some. Purdue, Indiana, Missouri (Columbia) - 1983, St Louis (Missouri, several times), Memphis (Liberty Bowl) - 1982 vs. Alabama (OUTSTANDING game atmosphere. Must have been 25K+ Illini fans in attendance seated in 2 sections at both ends of the stadium. First and last appearance of the Illini Brave who went back and forth between the ends leading cheers. Really fired up the Illini fans. Hardest hitting game I've ever attended. Alabama was desperate to win Bear's last game.)

Been to Maryland (going this year too-look for the Illini flag in Lot Z), Ohio State as a frosh in the MI (Keith Byers ran all over us), Ohio State (in the rain, horrible seats that were claustophobic and we got smoked), Michigan (trombone broke a UM collarbone and we lost 69-13), MSU (tied the Big Ten champs) and PU (lost) with the MI, PU a couple of other times, including Kittners comeback and the bitterly cold Beckman clownshow win, Minnesota for Zook's last cluster, IU (super nice fans), NW and their dumpster stadium many times (who waits until 11:30 to open a tailgate lot for a 2:30 game???), and we're going tomorrow, to MD again this year, and to Iowa. Ten Illini games-what a glorius fall!

Fans have usually been nice when I'm there as a fan. They also treated the MI fairly bad at places like Meatchicken. Too many Walmart Wolverines.

Loudest - Penn State
Best WI-FI - Wisconsin
Best Food - Wisconsin
Nicest (& Spacious) Concourse - Indiana
Most drunk fans - Iowa
Worst bathrooms - Michigan State
Most annoying fans - Michigan
Coldest - Minnesota
Felt like a High School - Northwestern