In conjunction with Maryland's historic move to the Big Ten Conference on July 1, Maryland athletics will be taking an in-depth look at its future Big Ten foes. Today we kick off the series by profiling the University of Illinois.
About Illinois
• Location: Champaign, Illinois
• Founded: 1867
• Enrollment: 43,398
• Chancellor: Phyllis Wise
• President: Robert Easter
• Athletic Director: Mike Thomas
Illinois Athletics
• School Colors: Orange and Blue
• Nickname: Fighting Illini
• Joined Big Ten Conference: 1896
• Football Stadium (capacity): Memorial Stadium (61,670)
• Basketball Arena (capacity): State Farm Center (16,618)
• Varsity Teams: 19
• Most Successful Sport: Men's Gymnastics - 10 national titles
History
Basketball
• All-time basketball record: 1,708-923 (.649)
• Big Ten Championships: 17 (last in 2005)
• Head Coach: John Groce
Football
• All-time football record: 577-536-49 (.518)
• Conference/National Championships: 15/5
• Head Coach: Tim Beckman
Notable Former Athletes
• Basketball: Dee Brown, Deron Williams, Luther Head, Deon Thomas, Nick Anderson, Kenny Battle, Jerry Colangelo
• Football: Pierre Thomas, Rashard Mendenhall, Brandon Lloyd, Bobby Mitchell, Red Grange
Notable Alumni
•
Steve Chen ('02) and Jawed Karim ('04): co-founders of YouTube
• Roger Ebert ('64): film critic, became first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1975
• Sheila Crump Johnson ('70): second-richest black woman in the United States, co-founded Black Entertainment Television (BET)
• Jean Driscoll ('91): world-renowned wheelchair athlete, a two-time winner of the Olympic silver medal and eight-time winner of the Boston Marathon
Fun Fact: The Orange Krush
The Fighting Illini's student-run cheer section for basketball games call themselves the Orange Krush. Not only is the Orange Krush one of the nation's premier student sections, but it is also a charity foundation.
Established in 1998, the Orange Krush Foundation is intent on improving the quality of life for the young adults of the Champaign-Urbana and campus community by providing financial support and contributing community service to area non-profic organizations.
Since the inception of the Orange Krush Foundation, Krush members have raised and donated $2 million to charity.
