CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois head coach Bret Bielema and his wife, Jen, have purchased and donated 133 Fighting Illini tickets to all seven home games to be distributed to philanthropic organizations and community members in Champaign-Urbana and the state of Illinois as part of the FamILLy First campaign. Both season and single-game tickets will be allocated to individuals selected via an online nomination form and to nonprofits selected by the Bielema family.
Fans are encouraged to nominate friends, family, and community members that they believe are deserving of Illini tickets. Nominees will be selected on a need basis with an emphasis on those who are undergoing or have overcome hardship, as well as those that are providing help to others that goes above and beyond. Individuals awarded tickets purchased by the Bielema family will be notified on a week-by-week basis throughout the season. The nomination form can be found here.
Groups that have been chosen by the Bielema family to receive tickets include, but are not limited to, Champaign's Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club, Carle Mills Breast Cancer Institute, Central Illinois Susan G. Komen Foundation, CU Church, and schools throughout the Champaign-Urbana community. These organizations all represent causes that are close to the Bielemas and support those in need around Champaign-Urbana and the University of Illinois famILLy.
"Jen and I are so excited to be a part of this community; the support we have received over the last two years has been incredible," Bielema said. "We want to honor 133 teams of the past, and also get excited about the 2023 season, and pack in Memorial Stadium."
The 133 tickets per game purchased by the Bielema family represents the 133-year history of Fighting Illini football. Bielema, who enters his third season as Illinois head coach, has embraced the rich history of Illinois football while quickly putting his own mark on the program. The Illini are coming off an 8-5 season in 2022, which included the program's first January bowl game in 15 years. In just Bielema's second season in Champaign, Illinois was ranked in the AP Top 25 for five straight weeks, reaching as high as No. 14, and entered the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time in school history.
Fans can get their first look at the 2023 Fighting Illini at the season opener on Saturday, Sept. 2 against Toledo. Kickoff is schedule for 6:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.
