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The Champaign Room

https://www.thechampaignroom.com/ | 385 entries published

A Fighting Illini community since 2012

Latest Entries

How to Watch Illinois vs. UCONN: Game Time, TV Channel, Online Streaming and Odds

How to Watch No. 13 Illinois vs. No. 5 UCONN (Madison Square Garden) Game Time: 11:30 a.m. Friday TV Channel: Fox Online Streaming: FOXSportsGO Odds: N/A (Illinois 45.3% Chance To Win – ESPN Matchup Predictor) Quick Hits: Illinois Fighting Illini (6-1, 0-0 Big Ten) Head Coach: Brad Underwood (9th season, 171-102) Last Game: Illinois 87, UTRGV 73 Gameday Reading: UCONN […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

Illinois drops in AP poll after Alabama loss

It didn’t take much for the Illini to fall back down in the AP poll. Illinois entered Monday night’s contest against UTRGV at No. 13, after dropping from No. 8 following Illinois’ loss to Alabama last week at the United Center. I wouldn’t read much into all of this right now, as it’s only late […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

Illinois pulls away from UTRGV late, winning 87-73

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois did what they needed to do ahead of their huge Black Friday matchup against UConn, beating UTRGV 87-73 Monday night at the State Farm Center. Tonight’s game was reminiscent of the last time these two teams matched up. That game took place at the State Farm Center in 2021, when the […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

Illinois pulls away from UTRGV late, winning 87-73

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois did what they needed to do ahead of their huge Black Friday matchup against UConn, beating UTRGV 87-73 Monday night at the State Farm Center. Tonight’s game was reminiscent of the last time these two teams matched up. That game took place at the State Farm Center in 2021, when the […]

3 months ago | 1 read

How to Watch Illinois vs. UTRGV: Game Time, TV Channel, Online Streaming and Odds

How to Watch Illinois vs. UTRGV Game Time: 7 p.m. Monday TV Channel: BTN Online Streaming: FOXSportsGO Odds: N/A (Illinois 97.4% Chance To Win – ESPN Matchup Predictor) Quick Hits: Illinois Fighting Illini (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten) Head Coach: Brad Underwood (9th season, 170-102) Last Game: Illinois 98, LIU 58 Gameday Reading: UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros (2-3, 0-0 Southland) […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

FanDuel: Illinois opens as favorite for regular season finale

When Northwestern comes to Champaign next Saturday night for the regular season’s final game, the scuffling Illini are expected to come out on top. FanDuel Sportsbook on Sunday issued its opening line for the HAT matchup, and Illinois is a 6.5-point favorite. It’s the fourth consecutive game to close out the season that the Illini […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

Illini faceplant in epic Shakespearean tragedy in Madison

There is no positive spin for this one. Well, Luke Altmyer and Gabe Jacas’ final season in Champaign is going out with a sad whimper, and not a bang. The 27-10 drubbing at the hands of Luke Fickell’s Badgers sealed their fate. Regardless of what happens when a spry Northwestern squad closes the regular season […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

Illinois’ offensive line dominated in loss to Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. — When it was announced in the spring of 2025 that four of the five offensive line starters from the 10-win Citrus Bowl champions Illinois team would be returning, many did not bat an eye. It is usually a good thing when fans do not talk about their offensive line — it means […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

Special teams miscues plague Illinois in loss to Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. — In a highly contested road matchup against the Wisconsin Badgers, a sloppy performance from the special teams unit hampered the No. 21 Illinois Fighting Illini. Trailing by seven points with just over 10 minutes remaining in regulation, the Illini were forced to punt things away. On what’s typically a routine exchange from […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

Badgers barrage Illini, 27-10, shellshock Illinois’ season

MADISON, Wis. — The ghost of Christmas past decided to taunt Bret Bielema at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday night. It was just a short decade ago when Bielema was viewed as the architect behind Wisconsin’s run towards Big Ten title games, with the old football spirits of JJ Watt, Russell Wilson and Melvin Gordon, […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

Wagler leads Illinois past Long Island in bounce-back game

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois keeps its non-conference momentum going and bounces back after Wednesday’s loss to Alabama, cruising past Long Island in an all-around scoring effort led by freshman guard Keaton Wagler and Cal transfer Andrej Stojakovic.  After finding rhythm early behind efficient shooting across the board and domination in the paint, the Illini calmly […]

3 months ago | 1 read

Illinois looks to surpass .500 on the road

Next up is a date in Madison, Wisconsin, at Camp Randal Stadium, Saturday, 6:30 p.m., on BTN vs. the 3-7 Wisconsin Badgers. The Illini are 7-3, but 2-2 on the road. Last Saturday, the Illini handled the Maryland Terrapins 24-6 for their second win in a row after two straight losses. They also have cracked […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

Things more accurate than Illinois’ free throws vs. Alabama

Illinois vs. Alabama was, simply put, a depressing loss. I was at the game on Wednesday night with a group of fellow alumni, buzzing with anticipation to watch the Illini play in front of a near-capacity crowd in Chicago, and it truly turned out to be quite the sight to behold. Witnessing the largest indoor […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

Barry Lunney Jr. prepares Illini offense against a stout Wisconsin front

Illinois’ offense has been the catalyst for the Fighting Illini’s success this season on the football field. Led by quarterback Luke Altmyer, who is playing his best football of his career, surrounded by a number of playmakers like Mr. Do-it-all Hank Beatty, the offense has been clicking. And with two games left in the regular […]

3 months ago | 1 read

Can Bret Bielema build Illinois into the old Wisconsin?

On Saturday, the Illini face a familiar foe in a familiar spot. Bret Bielema returns to his old stomping grounds. He revisits the scene of his greatest success as a head coach. The story is well-known that Bielema won multiple conference championships as the head man at Wisconsin. He capitalized on Michigan and Ohio State […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

How to Watch Illinois at Wisconsin: Game Time, TV Channel, Online Streaming and Odds

How to Watch No. 21 (CFP) Illinois at Wisconsin   Game Time: 6:30 p.m. Saturday TV Channel: BTN Online Streaming: FoxSportsGO Odds: ILL -8.5, O/U 41.5 Quick Hits: Illinois Fighting Illini (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) Head Coach: Bret Bielema (5th season) Last Game: 24-6 win over Maryland Gameday Reading: Wisconsin Badgers (3-7, 1-6 Big Ten) Head coach: Luck Fickell (3rd […]

3 months ago | 3 reads

How to Watch Illinois vs. Long Island: Game Time, TV Channel, Online Streaming and Odds

How to Watch Illinois vs. Long Island Game Time: 1 p.m. Saturday TV Channel: N/A Online Streaming: BTN+ Odds: N/A (Illinois 98.7% Chance To Win – ESPN Matchup Predictor) Quick Hits: Illinois Fighting Illini (4-1, 0-0 Big Ten) Head Coach: Brad Underwood (9th season, 169-102) Last Game: Alabama 90, Illinois 86 Gameday Reading: Long Island Sharks (3-2, 0-0 NEC) Head […]

3 months ago | 2 reads

‘Lot of great memories’: Bielema ready for second Madison return

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The No. 21 Illini are hitting the road for the last time this regular season, as they’ll be making the trip up north to take on the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. Although this is an away game, Madison is a familiar place for Illinois head coach Bret Bielema, […]

3 months ago | 2 reads

Free throws doom Illinois in United Center loss to Alabama

CHICAGO — In Illinois’ first regular season game at the United Center in seven years, the Illini felt the love from thousands of fans dressed in orange and blue. But Alabama sophomore guard Labaron Philon had other plans as he took over late in a back-and-forth battle that ended with the Crimson Tide winning 90-86 […]

3 months ago | 0 reads

Are the Illini ready to take the next step?

When it comes to college sports, you often hear about tiers. Should the Illini win out, it will be the first time in school history that they will have had back-to-back regular seasons of 9 or more wins. During the first three years of Bret Bielema (2021-23), Illinois was 18-19. The Illini are currently 17-6 […]

3 months ago | 1 read

United Center Game Returns: Illinois’ history in Chicago

Illinois basketball will host Alabama on Wednesday for a regular season game inside the United Center for the first time since 2018. The Illini played a regular-season game in Chicago every season (except for 2009) dating back to 1994 before their last appearance in 2018. Head coach Brad Underwood did not continue the United Center […]

3 months ago | 2 reads