TEAM REACTION | GET TICKETS | BOWL CENTRAL
CHAMPAIGN, ILL – The Fighting Illini football team is going bowling in 2019, and the location will be the Redbox Bowl in San Francisco and Santa Clara, California. Illinois (6-6, 4-5 Big Ten) will face Pac-12 Conference foeCalifornia (7-5, 4-5 Pac-12) at 3 p.m. CT/1 p.m. PT on Dec. 30 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
The Redbox Bowl will be televised nationally by FOX, with pregame coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. CT/12:30 p.m. PT. The game will be simulcast in Spanish on FOX Deportes.
"The University of Illinois is thrilled to accept the invitation for our football team to participate in the 2019 Redbox Bowl," said Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman. "The game features a traditional Pac-12 opponent, one of our country's great stadiums, an advantageous date, and a premier television partner. We are excited for our players and fans to experience the San Francisco Bay area, which is home to our University's second-largest concentration of alumni. We hope Fighting Illini faithful from across the country will join us in California to celebrate a memorable season and help our team in its push for win number seven."
The 2019 Redbox Bowl will be Illinois' 19th postseason bowl appearance, and second trip to the Bay Area for a bowl after playing in what was then the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in 2011, a 20-14 Fighting Illini victory over UCLA.
"Playing in a bowl game is another step in the growth of our football program," Head Coach Lovie Smith said. "It is the culmination of hundreds of days and thousands of hours of hard work by our players and staff. The excitement shown by our team when we got the win to become bowl eligible is something I'll never forget. Playing in a bowl game is a huge step for our program in terms of the extra practices, the message it sends to recruits and the excitement we see both within our team and throughout our great fan base."
Illinois leads the all-time series with California, 7-3. The teams last met in 2005, a 35-20 win for Cal in Berkeley, which was the fourth of two home-and-homes (2000, 2001 2003, 2005) when Illinois and Cal split the four games. Prior to the recent meetings, Illinois and Cal met six times from 1955 to 1974 with the Illini winning the first five meetings. This will be the first bowl meeting between Illinois and California.
"The Fighting Illini and Golden Bears present an incredibly compelling match-up for the 2019 Redbox Bowl and we look forward to featuring them for Bay Area college football fans at Levi's Stadium and for a national audience on FOX," said Ryan Oppelt, executive director of the Redbox Bowl. "Cal and Illinois are ascending programs with game-breaking talent on both sides of the ball, elements we expect will excite the local fans of the Golden Bears along with the large alumni base of the Illini."
The Illinois team and travel party will embark to San Francisco on Thursday, Dec. 26 for preparation and team events leading up to the game on Dec. 30. The team will enjoy a visit to Alcatraz, participate in a community service event at St. Anthony's Dining Room, and have a chance to explore San Francisco.
TICKET INFORMATION
Ticket information can be found HERE and ticket orders will begin tonight.
Persons wishing to order Redbox Bowl tickets should sign into their Fighting Illini account upon placing the order to ensure proper ticket allocation. Priority deadline for ticket allocation is 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13. Tickets will be allocated based on I FUND giving level and priority points. Bowl tickets will be mailed via USPS on Monday, Dec. 16.
Illinois fans are highly encouraged to purchase their bowl tickets directly through the Illinois Ticket Office to ensure:
- Sitting and cheering with other Illini fans.
- Demonstrate to the entire bowl community and all of college football the loyalty of Fighting Illini fans.
- Assist the University in meeting its bowl-mandated ticket obligation.
For information regarding official University of Illinois travel packages, please click HERE.
Should demand exceed supply for any price level, the order will be fulfilled at the next available price. The Division of Intercollegiate Athletics reserves the right to reduce or cancel any order.
