A heads up for anyone wanting to stay the night of the game that’s also into the credit card points game: the Hyatt downtown has some availability for 15,000 points (or $450 for those paying cash). Jump on it quick!
Michigan game (Oct. 19th): 2:30pm CT, CBS
- Status
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
me 3.....
Muck game tailgate recommendations
Looking for a little help / advice on tailgating for the Muck game. I am heading back for my first game at Memorial Stadium since '89 (I did go the Rose Bowl and the UI / Cal game out her in Cali back in the day).
Is Grange Grove a decent scene for food & beers?
Is there an alternative "tailgate" party that UofI puts on with tickets?
Optimally are there any tailgates that would be willing to welcome in some strays (3 other '89 alums, so 4 in total)? We'd gladly bring along plenty of food (burgers, brats, deer steaks), cash, beers and whiskey to cover our share.
Looking for a little help / advice on tailgating for the Muck game. I am heading back for my first game at Memorial Stadium since '89 (I did go the Rose Bowl and the UI / Cal game out her in Cali back in the day).
Is Grange Grove a decent scene for food & beers?
Is there an alternative "tailgate" party that UofI puts on with tickets?
Optimally are there any tailgates that would be willing to welcome in some strays (3 other '89 alums, so 4 in total)? We'd gladly bring along plenty of food (burgers, brats, deer steaks), cash, beers and whiskey to cover our share.
GrayGhost77
- Centennial, CO
I'll do it just for you.
Thanks Gray! I appreciate the generous offer. Any thoughts on what is accessible at Grange Grove or other spots generally open to the public?
There are a limited number of food trucks in Grange Grove but the lines are pretty long. You can bring in your own food and drink but you may have to carry it quite a ways from where you park. If you do that then bring a blanket because there is no place to sit.
BZuppke
- Plainfield
I’ll share another story from late in my career - my last big game of note:
In 1939 unbeaten and #2 ranked Michigan came to Champaign to play 0-4 Illinois with the great Tom Harmon (Mark's father) at running back.
Michigan Coach Fritz Crisler made the mistake of telling a reporter earlier in the season that Harmon was better than Grange. Zuppke was heard around campus all fall muttering in his slight German accent: 'Better than my Grainch, we'll see about that!"
Each week Illinois set aside one day to prep for Michigan but ill fortune struck the week before the game: Illinois' best player Mel Brewer's mom passed away and he was in Chicago all week not expected to play.
The night before the game with the boys laying about the great hall at Allerton Park with Zuppke reading off the starters in the light of the flickering fire, in walked Mel Brewer: 'If you feel like I do, we're going to kick their @&$@ tomorrow'
Well the Illini held Harmon to 72 yards rushing - much below his average - and upset the Wolverines 16-7. By the way, to add insult to injury, Illinois scored two TDs using Michigan offensive plays!
In 1939 unbeaten and #2 ranked Michigan came to Champaign to play 0-4 Illinois with the great Tom Harmon (Mark's father) at running back.
Michigan Coach Fritz Crisler made the mistake of telling a reporter earlier in the season that Harmon was better than Grange. Zuppke was heard around campus all fall muttering in his slight German accent: 'Better than my Grainch, we'll see about that!"
Each week Illinois set aside one day to prep for Michigan but ill fortune struck the week before the game: Illinois' best player Mel Brewer's mom passed away and he was in Chicago all week not expected to play.
The night before the game with the boys laying about the great hall at Allerton Park with Zuppke reading off the starters in the light of the flickering fire, in walked Mel Brewer: 'If you feel like I do, we're going to kick their @&$@ tomorrow'
Well the Illini held Harmon to 72 yards rushing - much below his average - and upset the Wolverines 16-7. By the way, to add insult to injury, Illinois scored two TDs using Michigan offensive plays!
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
stories like that is why so many of us find college football way way better than the pros .
thanks for sharing
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
I just love your flashback stories ...
Thanks coach Z....
You may remember, Zup, that Mel Brewer, the great hero of 1939, years later became a notorious villain in Illini land. Serving as assistant AD in the 1960s, Brewer kept the books on under-the-table payments to Illinois players (reported to be $30 per month to cover laundry expenses). Perhaps because he was passed over for the top job, Brewer turned over the records to then President David Dodds Henry, who in turn notified the Big 10 office. The slush fund scandal set back U of I athletics during a critical period when Big 10 teams were establishing their athletic brands.
Our basketball team that year was loaded with talent, including conference player of the year Jim Dawson, but lost several fine players to suspension, including Steve Kuberski and Rich Jones. A few weeks later a banner was unfurled at the Assembly Hall: "To hell with Mel." (Another banner displayed a middle finger graphic superimposed on "Big 10.") Mel Brewer--a fallen star but always remembered for his big role in beating Michigan 85 years ago.
BZuppke
- Plainfield
One added tidbit to that 1939 game. Notre Dame was paying attention to the Michigan game and as they were getting word of the upset brewing in Champaign, one coach remarked to the other: ‘When the old man’s lying in the weeds for you, look out!’ Zuppke’s genius, while in its twilight, still held a certain mystic in the college coaching world.
Updated Sellout Watch for Michigan:
It's only a matter of time before this is officially a sellout. In the sections shown below (excludes the Clubs/Suite level seats), there are only 579 green dots left on the tickets site. So you may be asking yourself why the tracker only shows ~3,000 tickets left to go for a sellout. It's because there are portions of sections in the East Balcony (sections 202-206) and East Main (sections 102-104) where I've never seen tickets show as available since I began tracking in July. The tracker is still assuming they are unsold for now, but as we near the date of the game, I'll have to assume those tickets are sold/spoken for. Really, I expect this game to get announced as a sellout before then anyways.
One quick note: sections 105-109 show tickets available all the way in the 75th row of the East Main. That is the first time in my 2+ years doing this that I've ever seen tickets available in those highest rows. Even for the Kansas sellout they were never available on the tickets site.
It's only a matter of time before this is officially a sellout. In the sections shown below (excludes the Clubs/Suite level seats), there are only 579 green dots left on the tickets site. So you may be asking yourself why the tracker only shows ~3,000 tickets left to go for a sellout. It's because there are portions of sections in the East Balcony (sections 202-206) and East Main (sections 102-104) where I've never seen tickets show as available since I began tracking in July. The tracker is still assuming they are unsold for now, but as we near the date of the game, I'll have to assume those tickets are sold/spoken for. Really, I expect this game to get announced as a sellout before then anyways.
One quick note: sections 105-109 show tickets available all the way in the 75th row of the East Main. That is the first time in my 2+ years doing this that I've ever seen tickets available in those highest rows. Even for the Kansas sellout they were never available on the tickets site.
This is tricky for you. Just to note: Varsity I members received an email that all tickets are spoken for (they are typically in Section 103) and there is currently a waiting list for anyone who ends up declining the tickets they requested. That likely means that section is full, even though it shows a few hundred tickets remaining. Always appreciate this!
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Just a fun comparison game of Illini games by channel since Bret got here:
2021
6 BTN
2 FS1
1 FOX
1 ABC
1 ESPN2
1 ACCN
2022
7 BTN
2 ABC
2 ESPN2 (including our bowl)
1 FS1
1 ESPNU
2023
5 BTN
3 FS1
1 FOX
1 NBC
1 ESPN2
1 Peacock
2024
2 FS1
1 BTN
1 FOX
1 CBS
1 NBC
1 Peacock
And 5 games to go. VERY likely that we get a prime channel (FOX, CBS or NBC) for Oregon, and it's very likely that our home game vs. MSU gets a worse channel (BTN or FS1). Beyond that, the rest of our games could be intriguing or not depending on what happens from here on on out. Either way, great to get our program exposure on these big-time channels in important games!
2021
6 BTN
2 FS1
1 FOX
1 ABC
1 ESPN2
1 ACCN
2022
7 BTN
2 ABC
2 ESPN2 (including our bowl)
1 FS1
1 ESPNU
2023
5 BTN
3 FS1
1 FOX
1 NBC
1 ESPN2
1 Peacock
2024
2 FS1
1 BTN
1 FOX
1 CBS
1 NBC
1 Peacock
And 5 games to go. VERY likely that we get a prime channel (FOX, CBS or NBC) for Oregon, and it's very likely that our home game vs. MSU gets a worse channel (BTN or FS1). Beyond that, the rest of our games could be intriguing or not depending on what happens from here on on out. Either way, great to get our program exposure on these big-time channels in important games!
Thanks for this information! Not being a Varsity I member, I was unfamiliar with how this typically works. I did suspect there was something special about section 103 (perhaps 203 as well?) based solely on ticket availability patterns on the tickets site game after game.
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- North Aurora
It's awesome having so few games on BTN this year. Not that BTN is a bad viewing experience, but the better exposure for the program is so crucial. It is very possible that we still end up on BTN 2-3 more times this year. But perhaps 4+ games on FOX/CBS/NBC is so huge. 2-4 games on FS1 on top of that is decent as well.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Yep, the difference in exposure is pretty astounding. Just looking at 2022 to 2024 by channel (color key below), you can see what an uptick you get (regardless of game time or opponent) by getting to play on one of the big-time channels. In order to reduce the number of colors needed, I arbitrarily left off the smaller ESPN channels (e.g., ESPN2 or ESPNU) but did include ABC, given its national prominence.
CHANNEL COLOR KEY
FOX
NBC
ABC
BTN
FS1
2022
512k vs. Wyoming
965k at Indiana (Friday night)
176k vs. Chattanooga (Thursday night)
573k at Wisconsin
855k vs. Iowa
619k vs. Minnesota
2.49 million at Nebraska
928k vs. Michigan State
5.47 million at Michigan
799k at Northwestern***
2023
294k vs. Toledo
3.22 million vs. Penn State
727k vs. FAU***
1.36 million vs. Nebraska (Friday night)
1.14 million at Maryland
684k vs. Wisconsin
499k at Minnesota
368k vs. Indiana
847k at Iowa
424k vs. Northwestern
2024
112k vs. Eastern Illinois (Thursday night)
841k vs. Kansas
4.21 million at Nebraska (Friday night)
3.09 million at Penn State
All that really needs to be said? In three years, we have drawn over 1 million viewers on BTN or FS1 just ONCE out of 15 games on those channels. Comparatively, we have drawn over 1 million viewers in ALL 7 games on the "prime" channels, with 6 of those 7 being around 2.5 million or more.
*** Shared a rating with another Big Ten game, so it is impossible to know which viewers were viewing which game.
P.S. Also one minor note that I have noticed while following this stuff the last few years is that for whatever reason, Maryland gets shockingly bad TV ratings, all else held equal. Our 2023 game on FS1 vs. Nebraska outdrew our 2023 NBC game vs. Maryland, and our 2024 NBC game vs. Penn State demolished our 2023 NBC game vs. Maryland. While Nebraska and PSU are obviously part of that equation, I think there are enough intertwining variables to assume that Illinois is not uniquely the problem there, and that is backed up by Maryland's other TV ratings being bad.
And there it is!
I almost said this morning that I anticipated the sellout announcement to be coming very soon because 1) it’s inevitable and 2) it could drive some last minute Purdue game sales. But I didn’t, dang it.
There should be a footnote for the Penn State game this year, we would have drawn 4.5M to 5M if we weren’t head to head with the Georgia - Bama game that drew almost 14M.
And the frustrating thing about this game is we have to compete with Alabama @ Tennessee.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
The changes to the college football landscape that are putting so many of our games on national network TV and the changes to the college football landscape that are giving a huge percentage of the main broadcast windows elite SEC competition are the same changes.
Welcome to the new reality.
Just at the crudest, highest level, the Big Ten vs SEC ratings war is the more esteemed individual school brands in the bigger legacy TV territories versus the better football teams with a more coherent conferencewide identity.
- Status