UofI will sell beer at football games!!!
- Thread starter go dogz
- Start date
Not enough beer in Milwaukee (errr Champaign for that matter) to make me wanna watch U of I football
I was surprised Monday by two things from my Alma Mater, both of which caused me to wonder if they were April Fools jokes...Beer sales at football, basketball, baseball games...Beer sales for Bears games was okay at Memorial Stadium, so I don't see much of a problem for Illini games...Went to the Styx concert Saturday, didn't realize they were already selling alcohol for special events...
Got an email from the Athletic Department that morning as well, and it wasn't just about reminding me to renew my season tickets (that reminder and two calls have hit this week as well). On a lark, I filled out an application for the Fighting Illini Fan Council a while back. I was officially asked to be a member for the 2019-20 year Monday morning...I have accepted, and my first meeting is May 3.
I am open to any and all suggestions as to how to improve the gameday experience in Champaign (this should be interesting...).
Got an email from the Athletic Department that morning as well, and it wasn't just about reminding me to renew my season tickets (that reminder and two calls have hit this week as well). On a lark, I filled out an application for the Fighting Illini Fan Council a while back. I was officially asked to be a member for the 2019-20 year Monday morning...I have accepted, and my first meeting is May 3.
I am open to any and all suggestions as to how to improve the gameday experience in Champaign (this should be interesting...).
God they are getting desperate. My nephew is a senior there and I told him I would visit and go with him to a game. He told me I could go alone.
High speed rail from Chicago (area) to Champaign-Urbana
As a long-suffering fan, I am excited! I went to the beatdown at Maryland last year and that stadium sold beer, by the 3rd quarter I forgot there was a football game going on, thankfully. 
My kid said that it will be a draw for students who won't have to lose their buzz as their team loses the game.
Students?? How about the parents.
As an alum, the only answer is the Drinkin' Lincoln. Stands at 50 yard line at half time a la the Chief. Only he chugs a beer and then does a dance wielding an axe.
Since this announcement recruiting has heated up for Lovie. Landed 3 great players in the last 24 hours.
Good luck to Thompson and Love! I’d have loved to hear the sales job these kids got from the coaches. Would love to make what was said into a legal contract and when breach occurs have recourse. SMH!
Opportunity to play early? Play close to home? Seems pretty straight forward.
brucealmighty, you are on to something;
"In their current state, the Illini are deprived at wide receiver, so Illinois wide receiver coach Andrew Hayes-Stoker has been telling Thompson he can have an immediate impact at Illinois.
“(Hayes-Stoker) has been telling me they can use me here, they can use players like me and (2020 Chicago Lincoln Way East tailback A.J. Henning) and that we can make a difference here,” Thompson said. “I actually feel like we can, being out here and seeing the guys and seeing what we can do for the team.”"
https://illinois.rivals.com/news/wr-jadon-thompson-this-is-my-favorite-visit-so-far-
"In their current state, the Illini are deprived at wide receiver, so Illinois wide receiver coach Andrew Hayes-Stoker has been telling Thompson he can have an immediate impact at Illinois.
“(Hayes-Stoker) has been telling me they can use me here, they can use players like me and (2020 Chicago Lincoln Way East tailback A.J. Henning) and that we can make a difference here,” Thompson said. “I actually feel like we can, being out here and seeing the guys and seeing what we can do for the team.”"
https://illinois.rivals.com/news/wr-jadon-thompson-this-is-my-favorite-visit-so-far-
Illinois hired Trinity's head coach as their TE coach over a year ago. It has paid off in spades landing them a few highly touted 2019 guys and now Love.
Play early. Play close to home. Play for Lovie Smith. I get it, it is Illinois. But there is nothing suspicious sounding here.
Like hiring a youth football sneaker agent to join a high school's staff and funnel his program's top talent to his new up and coming high school program?
Yes, it is one level up, but it is exactly like that...
In both cases, that is just how you play the game. Nothing wrong with it.
Selling beer is a step in the right direction. It all comes down to having a better product on field though.
I would like to see:
1) More students in the stands. I have seen that student section with about 100 people in it before and it just looks awful. Even on games with a decent attendance the student section is only about half full at best. Get some promotions for students to go and pack the place.
2) Having less 11am games. I know that this is out of the hands of the school and comes down to TV and the conference, but 11am is hard to make if you live out of the area.
3) Bring in some better non conference opponents. I know most teams probably don't want to waste their time playing Illini, but its always cool to go there and see a power 5 school as opposed to the Northeast Technical School of Delaware.
All three of these things could be helped a little by having a better team. I am very hopeful this happens at some point soon, but until it does it's not worth it to go to the games anymore. When you go watch them play non-con games its just plain old crappy football. When you go watch them play a Big Ten team you are in the parking lot drinking by halftime. At least now you can drink at the games.
1. Student seats should be moved to the goal line sideline area. Dont isolate them in the north end zone. Make that family value seating. That was a terrible move 15 years ago when they made the north end zone.
2. 11 am games stink. But you have to win more to get the better TV slots.
3. NO. ABSOLUTELT NOT. Ron guenther scheduling Cal, UCLA, Fresno State, Mizzou Cincinnati, etc. Is what set illini football back 20 years in the early 2000s. Schedule every MAC and directional school you can until you start winning 6 games regularly. This is not up for debate. If they schedule Texas nonconference in a few years, I will refuse to go to any more games for the general idiocy if that move. And I am a long time season ticket holder.
All very good and valid points. A better team will draw more fans, period. I've been there for games with 73,000+ in the stands, and it can be electric. And then I went to every game last year...yuck.
How do the Illini get more students in the stands? The key question in the matrix, in my view, because if the students come back they will bring family and friends. Moving the student section to the north end zone, in my view, was a mistake...East side, south 40 into the horseshoe like when I was a student introduced students to experience the view available when they graduated and bought season tickets as alums...
11 am games suck period. Playing Michigan or Ohio State because you are playing for New Years Bowl games on ABC at 11 is one thing. Playing a MAC school at 11 on the BTN is just a waste...Personally I think non-con night games would be better - if seven schools are playing MAC/Sun Belt schools week one, why are they all playing at 11? 11 am games guarantee that anyone who has kids playing anything on Saturday won't attend...
When I was a student in the late 80's, the Illini football schedule was way stronger than it has been in years: Louisville, @ Arizona State, Nebraska my freshman year; @ USC (the failed Glastnost Bowl), @ Colorado, Utah St. my senior year. Returning to the days of playing three power five non-con games would be insane, though. But you can't feed the fans three cupcakes and two bad home Big Ten games every year either...
I'm not talking right now or even in the next 4 years. But when (if) the Illini are respectable again I would like to see those mid-level power 5 school added. I would think if the team is good consistently and is getting solid recruits every year that this could help land more recruits. Especially if you have a home for home contract with Cal or UNC or Washington like they have in the past.
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I had some great times watching the Illini in the past, but it's just unbearable right now. I'd be happy with competitive football for now then constant improvement. If Northwestern can win the West there is no reason Illinois can't.
I get sick of the cupcake schedule too. I get it they are awful right now, but when they are an above .500 team I would at least like to see some average Power 5 schools on the schedule.
is this kind of like picking up chicks late night in a bar with Beer Goggles? the later it gets the prettier the girls get......will certainly make the second half of the Illini football game look better.
