Oct. 4, 2006

Champaign, Ill. - All tickets for the Illini Madness event slated for Oct. 13 at the Assembly Hall have been claimed. The event, which officially kicks off men's basketball practice for the 2006-07 season with a festive atmosphere, promises to be the biggest yet.

Although seating is general admission, fans who already have Illini Madness tickets can guarantee a great seat in `B' section by attending the Illini volleyball match vs. Ohio State that night. Fans who attend the 7 p.m. match against the nationally-ranked Buckeyes at Huff Hall will still have time to get to the Assembly Hall for the Madness event, which begins at 9 p.m. with the basketball team expected to arrive at about 9:30 p.m.

Fans need to present their Madness ticket at the door for volleyball then have it stamped on the way out. They will have a `B' section seat awaiting them at the Assembly Hall.

"What better way to get pumped for the basketball event than to attend our version of `Volleyball Madness,'" said volleyball head coach Don Hardin. "Our fans are loud and intimidating every night at Huff. This is a great opportunity to help us defeat a nationally-ranked Big Ten opponent then get our tremendous basketball team properly energized for the coming season. This illustrates the great support and coordination our administration has for all of our sports."

"One of the great attractions of the University of Illinois is how passionate our fans are about all Illini sports," said basketball coach Bruce Weber. "We know we have a great number that are strong supporters of both volleyball and basketball and that they'll produce energy at both events."

As far as the basketball is concerned Assistant Athletic Director Chris Hanna said, "With a waiting list totaling 8,000 for season tickets and an incredible response to Illini Madness, it's a strong testament to Coach Weber, his staff, and our student-athletes. This is just one more example that shows Illinois is one of America's Elite programs."