Being an Illini Fan at a Rival University

Ignatius Shang said:

This is a very personal thread; please feel free to merge it into any existing thread. I am posting it as an individual thread as I could not find an existing one that seems suitable.

I have just defended my PhD dissertation and am approaching the conclusion of my 5-year academic journey as an international student at the University of Illinois. Reflecting on this journey, I am very thankful to the Fighting Illini basketball team and this IllinoisLoyalty forum, which has been very meaningful for me find a sense of belonging as an international student.

Let me quote a paragraph from my dissertation acknowledgements: "Here is what I wrote in spring 2021 to Ayo Dosunmu, a then-Illinois basketball player who has now completed his third year in the NBA: 'When coming to Champaign in 2019, I knew nobody and had no friends. The PhD life is kind of monotonous and isolated … There were many times when I was overwhelmed with my research work, and what I looked forward to the most were the coming matches ... that’s when I finally felt I was REALLY a part of Illinois.' I truly meant it. Being isolated from family and friends during the global pandemic and overwhelmed by political depression, what made me feel the vibrancy of life was joining other Illini basketball fans in cheering for our team and booing the opponents and referees during the home games at State Farm Center, away games at local bars, and the Big Ten Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. With so many unforgettable moments of both sweetness and bitterness, being a sports fan gave me an irreplaceable sense of belonging to the community."

In addition to expressing my gratitude, I would also like to hear your suggestions on "being an Illini fan at a rival university." My entire life in the US has been spent in Champaign, so my only experience with sports fandom is being surrounded by fellow Illini fans. My next role will be as an assistant professor at the University of Missouri (well...), and I am curious if you have any advice for living in a campus town where most people do not support the Illini. Is there anything to be cautious of? For example, do you think it is advisable for me to reveal to my students who I support during the Braggin' Rights game? But no matter what, I will always be loyal to the Illini for the rest of my life.

I'll end this thread by once again quoting the last paragraph of my dissertation acknowledgements: "Five years ago, when I first arrived in Champaign-Urbana, I could hardly imagine what life would be like in this foreign land. Now, reflecting on this journey 'By the rivers gently flowing, by the prairies verdant growing,' nothing can better express my feelings than this Chinese poem written over a thousand years ago:
'As a sojourner in Bingzhou, it has already been ten years,
Day and night, my heart longs for my hometown, Xianyang.
For no reason, I further cross the Sang’gan River,
Looking back at Bingzhou, realizing it is now my home.'
I bleed orange and blue."

Click to expand...

sacraig said:

I got my B.S. at Illinois and then spent the next 5+ years of my life at Texas A&M earning my Ph.D. My approach was to just largely ignore Aggie Basketball. That was easy, because Aggie Basketball is awful (usually) and the gameday environment is even more awful (always).

Now I am on the faculty at the University of Arizona and (much to the chagrin of many on these boards) I would count the Wildcats as my number 2 team. I've found it fun to follow the local team (albeit casually) as a way to connect with students and others around town. But the Illini are and always will be my number 1 and I will root against Arizona any time it's good for Illinois.

But with Mizzou... I have a hard time counseling anything other than going to their games wearing Illini gear. Muck Fizzou.

Click to expand...

Ignatius Shang said:

This is a very personal thread; please feel free to merge it into any existing thread. I am posting it as an individual thread as I could not find an existing one that seems suitable.

I have just defended my PhD dissertation and am approaching the conclusion of my 5-year academic journey as an international student at the University of Illinois. Reflecting on this journey, I am very thankful to the Fighting Illini basketball team and this IllinoisLoyalty forum, which has been very meaningful for me find a sense of belonging as an international student.

Let me quote a paragraph from my dissertation acknowledgements: "Here is what I wrote in spring 2021 to Ayo Dosunmu, a then-Illinois basketball player who has now completed his third year in the NBA: 'When coming to Champaign in 2019, I knew nobody and had no friends. The PhD life is kind of monotonous and isolated … There were many times when I was overwhelmed with my research work, and what I looked forward to the most were the coming matches ... that’s when I finally felt I was REALLY a part of Illinois.' I truly meant it. Being isolated from family and friends during the global pandemic and overwhelmed by political depression, what made me feel the vibrancy of life was joining other Illini basketball fans in cheering for our team and booing the opponents and referees during the home games at State Farm Center, away games at local bars, and the Big Ten Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. With so many unforgettable moments of both sweetness and bitterness, being a sports fan gave me an irreplaceable sense of belonging to the community."

In addition to expressing my gratitude, I would also like to hear your suggestions on "being an Illini fan at a rival university." My entire life in the US has been spent in Champaign, so my only experience with sports fandom is being surrounded by fellow Illini fans. My next role will be as an assistant professor at the University of Missouri (well...), and I am curious if you have any advice for living in a campus town where most people do not support the Illini. Is there anything to be cautious of? For example, do you think it is advisable for me to reveal to my students who I support during the Braggin' Rights game? But no matter what, I will always be loyal to the Illini for the rest of my life.

I'll end this thread by once again quoting the last paragraph of my dissertation acknowledgements: "Five years ago, when I first arrived in Champaign-Urbana, I could hardly imagine what life would be like in this foreign land. Now, reflecting on this journey 'By the rivers gently flowing, by the prairies verdant growing,' nothing can better express my feelings than this Chinese poem written over a thousand years ago:
'As a sojourner in Bingzhou, it has already been ten years,
Day and night, my heart longs for my hometown, Xianyang.
For no reason, I further cross the Sang’gan River,
Looking back at Bingzhou, realizing it is now my home.'
I bleed orange and blue."

Click to expand...

Ignatius Shang said:

This is a very personal thread; please feel free to merge it into any existing thread. I am posting it as an individual thread as I could not find an existing one that seems suitable.

I have just defended my PhD dissertation and am approaching the conclusion of my 5-year academic journey as an international student at the University of Illinois. Reflecting on this journey, I am very thankful to the Fighting Illini basketball team and this IllinoisLoyalty forum, which has been very meaningful for me find a sense of belonging as an international student.

Let me quote a paragraph from my dissertation acknowledgements: "Here is what I wrote in spring 2021 to Ayo Dosunmu, a then-Illinois basketball player who has now completed his third year in the NBA: 'When coming to Champaign in 2019, I knew nobody and had no friends. The PhD life is kind of monotonous and isolated … There were many times when I was overwhelmed with my research work, and what I looked forward to the most were the coming matches ... that’s when I finally felt I was REALLY a part of Illinois.' I truly meant it. Being isolated from family and friends during the global pandemic and overwhelmed by political depression, what made me feel the vibrancy of life was joining other Illini basketball fans in cheering for our team and booing the opponents and referees during the home games at State Farm Center, away games at local bars, and the Big Ten Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. With so many unforgettable moments of both sweetness and bitterness, being a sports fan gave me an irreplaceable sense of belonging to the community."

In addition to expressing my gratitude, I would also like to hear your suggestions on "being an Illini fan at a rival university." My entire life in the US has been spent in Champaign, so my only experience with sports fandom is being surrounded by fellow Illini fans. My next role will be as an assistant professor at the University of Missouri (well...), and I am curious if you have any advice for living in a campus town where most people do not support the Illini. Is there anything to be cautious of? For example, do you think it is advisable for me to reveal to my students who I support during the Braggin' Rights game? But no matter what, I will always be loyal to the Illini for the rest of my life.

I'll end this thread by once again quoting the last paragraph of my dissertation acknowledgements: "Five years ago, when I first arrived in Champaign-Urbana, I could hardly imagine what life would be like in this foreign land. Now, reflecting on this journey 'By the rivers gently flowing, by the prairies verdant growing,' nothing can better express my feelings than this Chinese poem written over a thousand years ago:
'As a sojourner in Bingzhou, it has already been ten years,
Day and night, my heart longs for my hometown, Xianyang.
For no reason, I further cross the Sang’gan River,
Looking back at Bingzhou, realizing it is now my home.'
I bleed orange and blue."

Click to expand...

Ignatius Shang said:

This is a very personal thread; please feel free to merge it into any existing thread. I am posting it as an individual thread as I could not find an existing one that seems suitable.

I have just defended my PhD dissertation and am approaching the conclusion of my 5-year academic journey as an international student at the University of Illinois. Reflecting on this journey, I am very thankful to the Fighting Illini basketball team and this IllinoisLoyalty forum, which has been very meaningful for me find a sense of belonging as an international student.

Let me quote a paragraph from my dissertation acknowledgements: "Here is what I wrote in spring 2021 to Ayo Dosunmu, a then-Illinois basketball player who has now completed his third year in the NBA: 'When coming to Champaign in 2019, I knew nobody and had no friends. The PhD life is kind of monotonous and isolated … There were many times when I was overwhelmed with my research work, and what I looked forward to the most were the coming matches ... that’s when I finally felt I was REALLY a part of Illinois.' I truly meant it. Being isolated from family and friends during the global pandemic and overwhelmed by political depression, what made me feel the vibrancy of life was joining other Illini basketball fans in cheering for our team and booing the opponents and referees during the home games at State Farm Center, away games at local bars, and the Big Ten Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. With so many unforgettable moments of both sweetness and bitterness, being a sports fan gave me an irreplaceable sense of belonging to the community."

In addition to expressing my gratitude, I would also like to hear your suggestions on "being an Illini fan at a rival university." My entire life in the US has been spent in Champaign, so my only experience with sports fandom is being surrounded by fellow Illini fans. My next role will be as an assistant professor at the University of Missouri (well...), and I am curious if you have any advice for living in a campus town where most people do not support the Illini. Is there anything to be cautious of? For example, do you think it is advisable for me to reveal to my students who I support during the Braggin' Rights game? But no matter what, I will always be loyal to the Illini for the rest of my life.

I'll end this thread by once again quoting the last paragraph of my dissertation acknowledgements: "Five years ago, when I first arrived in Champaign-Urbana, I could hardly imagine what life would be like in this foreign land. Now, reflecting on this journey 'By the rivers gently flowing, by the prairies verdant growing,' nothing can better express my feelings than this Chinese poem written over a thousand years ago:
'As a sojourner in Bingzhou, it has already been ten years,
Day and night, my heart longs for my hometown, Xianyang.
For no reason, I further cross the Sang’gan River,
Looking back at Bingzhou, realizing it is now my home.'
I bleed orange and blue."

Click to expand...

Ignatius Shang said:

This is a very personal thread; please feel free to merge it into any existing thread. I am posting it as an individual thread as I could not find an existing one that seems suitable.

I have just defended my PhD dissertation and am approaching the conclusion of my 5-year academic journey as an international student at the University of Illinois. Reflecting on this journey, I am very thankful to the Fighting Illini basketball team and this IllinoisLoyalty forum, which has been very meaningful for me find a sense of belonging as an international student.

Let me quote a paragraph from my dissertation acknowledgements: "Here is what I wrote in spring 2021 to Ayo Dosunmu, a then-Illinois basketball player who has now completed his third year in the NBA: 'When coming to Champaign in 2019, I knew nobody and had no friends. The PhD life is kind of monotonous and isolated … There were many times when I was overwhelmed with my research work, and what I looked forward to the most were the coming matches ... that’s when I finally felt I was REALLY a part of Illinois.' I truly meant it. Being isolated from family and friends during the global pandemic and overwhelmed by political depression, what made me feel the vibrancy of life was joining other Illini basketball fans in cheering for our team and booing the opponents and referees during the home games at State Farm Center, away games at local bars, and the Big Ten Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. With so many unforgettable moments of both sweetness and bitterness, being a sports fan gave me an irreplaceable sense of belonging to the community."

In addition to expressing my gratitude, I would also like to hear your suggestions on "being an Illini fan at a rival university." My entire life in the US has been spent in Champaign, so my only experience with sports fandom is being surrounded by fellow Illini fans. My next role will be as an assistant professor at the University of Missouri (well...), and I am curious if you have any advice for living in a campus town where most people do not support the Illini. Is there anything to be cautious of? For example, do you think it is advisable for me to reveal to my students who I support during the Braggin' Rights game? But no matter what, I will always be loyal to the Illini for the rest of my life.

I'll end this thread by once again quoting the last paragraph of my dissertation acknowledgements: "Five years ago, when I first arrived in Champaign-Urbana, I could hardly imagine what life would be like in this foreign land. Now, reflecting on this journey 'By the rivers gently flowing, by the prairies verdant growing,' nothing can better express my feelings than this Chinese poem written over a thousand years ago:
'As a sojourner in Bingzhou, it has already been ten years,
Day and night, my heart longs for my hometown, Xianyang.
For no reason, I further cross the Sang’gan River,
Looking back at Bingzhou, realizing it is now my home.'
I bleed orange and blue."

Click to expand...

sacraig said:

I got my B.S. at Illinois and then spent the next 5+ years of my life at Texas A&M earning my Ph.D. My approach was to just largely ignore Aggie Basketball. That was easy, because Aggie Basketball is awful (usually) and the gameday environment is even more awful (always).

Now I am on the faculty at the University of Arizona and (much to the chagrin of many on these boards) I would count the Wildcats as my number 2 team. I've found it fun to follow the local team (albeit casually) as a way to connect with students and others around town. But the Illini are and always will be my number 1 and I will root against Arizona any time it's good for Illinois.

But with Mizzou... I have a hard time counseling anything other than going to their games wearing Illini gear. Muck Fizzou.

Click to expand...

the national said:

Amazing Achievement on receiving your PhD from the beloved. Congratulations!

As far as being an Illini fan, living away from Champaign for many years makes seeing fellow Illini fans that much sweeter. But they're out there, everywhere I have lived. I absolutely love going to holiday or NCAA tournaments and seeing throngs of Illini fans. It warms the heart.

One quick story - Way back when Zook took us to a Rose Bowl, I was attending a Big 12 school. For winter break, I had a chance to go on a ski trip to Aspen with a girl, but I happened on some tickets for the Rose Bowl very last minute. I mentioned this dilemma to one of my professors (whom I knew was an Illinois Grad), and his response was priceless (and almost prophetic): "Illinois? You're an Illinois Fan? I went to high school in Champaign back when the 80s belonged to the Illini - I got my degree, master's, and PhD there. If you get a chance to attend the Rose Bowl wearing Orange and Blue, you do it. The powder of Aspen will be there again, but the Illini might not."

I attended the Rose Bowl

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OrangeBlue98 said:

I currently live in the Des Moines, IA area. My son attends Iowa now. At the end of the day, it's a game. I wear my Illini orange to the office a lot. Get some good-natured ribbing from others. Obviously, the Iowa State game was a lot of fun. The night of the Illinois-Iowa State game, I actually rode with an Iowa State employee to referee a soccer game together. Had a great time discussing the game and giving each other good-natured ribbing.

I do attend a few Iowa games every year with my son. All I will say is I will not wear that damn Tigerhawk iogo. And when Illinois played Iowa in iowa City this year, I absolutely wore my orange sitting next to my son in his black and gold Iowa sweatshirt. We survived.

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1970 John said:

I was stationed in Madison, Wisconsin, for a year, and at my going away lunch, I was given a small red blanket with a large block W on it. I looked at it, then turned it upside down, and because my last name begins with an M, I said, "Aw, thank you for the monogrammed blanket."

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the national said:

If you get a chance to attend the Rose Bowl wearing Orange and Blue, you do it. The powder of Aspen will be there again, but the Illini might not.

Click to expand...

Ignatius Shang said:

I watched the game that we hosted Arizona in person in December 2021. That was a heck of a game. We fought hard and lost 79-83 against the eventual No. 2 ranked Wildcats with Mathurin, Koloko, and Tubelis. And the Wildcats fans were crazy. I could tell it was a very passionate fanbase.

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skyIdub said:

Ig Shang....massive congrats fellow alumni!!
Now, your mission...should you choose to accept it....is to mercilessly troll Miznoz students, faculty, and fans by wearing orange and blue every WeWillWednesday and intentionally misspelling "Missou, and Missouri" at every opportunity. I recommend "Miznoz" for optimum troll effect.

If they mention football, just pretend that you don't know what that is. For now.

Good luck!!

Click to expand...

sacraig said:

I got my B.S. at Illinois and then spent the next 5+ years of my life at Texas A&M earning my Ph.D. My approach was to just largely ignore Aggie Basketball. That was easy, because Aggie Basketball is awful (usually) and the gameday environment is even more awful (always).

Now I am on the faculty at the University of Arizona and (much to the chagrin of many on these boards) I would count the Wildcats as my number 2 team. I've found it fun to follow the local team (albeit casually) as a way to connect with students and others around town. But the Illini are and always will be my number 1 and I will root against Arizona any time it's good for Illinois.

But with Mizzou... I have a hard time counseling anything other than going to their games wearing Illini gear. Muck Fizzou.

Click to expand...