As Illinois returns to Memorial Stadium on Sept. 16, when the Fighting Illini take on Penn State in the team's Big Ten opener, it is important to reflect on the program's history within conference play from the perspective of our fans.
From the players and coaches on the field, to the Marching Illini, to everyone donning Orange and Blue throughout Memorial Stadium, to the Fighting Illini faithful near and far, our famILLy is central to our success, both on and off the field. To honor one of the most critical members of our famILLy, our fans, ahead of each football home game, we will share the stories of those who represent the values we uphold at Illinois.
The second part of our FamILLy Focus series features decades of memories from Illini fans old and young as we enter another season of Big Ten play.
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Bill Humphrey: 1983 - Illinois 17, Ohio State 13
1983. Ohio State at Illinois. The Illini were off to a 4-1 start. Illinois hadn't beaten Ohio State in 17 years. The game was sold out, and they were even selling tickets to a closed-circuit TV broadcast of the game at Assembly Hall. I was listening to the game on the radio at home.
Halftime came, and it looked pretty promising for a possible Illini win! I had this feeling many times before at the half. This time felt different, though. I jumped in my car, drove to Assembly Hall, bought a ticket, and watched the second-half win with a couple thousand other fans. A great win in a great season!
Beth Patterson: 2007 - Illinois 28, Ohio State 21
2007. Illinois at Ohio State, and Illinois won. I lived in Columbus at that time. I was at a local bar after the game, where a man in a red jacket with lots of bowl buttons on it was at the bar. I asked who he was. He was in town to invite the Buckeyes to the national championship game but didn't get to do so. I was such a proud alum that day.
Dan Sheehan: 2019 - Illinois 24, Wisconsin 23
I'm in my 20th year of being a season ticket holder. As a father of three, my kids have had a season ticket since being born. I have pictures of them napping at tailgates, but my favorite memory was rushing the field with my son on Oct. 19, 2019. Seeing his excitement, I just followed my 10-year-old, Connor, and we both rushed the field while my wife kept the other two. While on the field, they played "Jump Around" and took pictures with players!
Anthony Murphy: 2021 - Illinois 47, Northwestern 14
My buddy and I graduated from Illinois in 2008. While he moved to Texas, we always made plans to meet up and go to the Land of Lincoln Trophy game. We have gone to it at Memorial Stadium and Ryan Field. We always liked seeing the two Illinois Big Ten schools play each other!
In 2021, we were sitting on the East Side of Memorial Stadium trying not to freeze. My buddy noticed that there was a large trunk that had quite a bit of security surrounding it. He asked me if I knew what that was. I thought they were misting fans that Northwestern decided not to use.
As the game went on, more people kept looking at the trunk more and more. As soon as the game finished, three Illini ran toward it and ripped off the top. It was the Land of Lincoln Trophy! We were the first to see the trophy in the stadium and went nuts! It was like the Stanley Cup! It was an awesome season and a great cap (pun intended) on a fun Illini weekend!
Kyle Wiese
My name is Kyle Wiese, and I'm a third-generation Illinois fan. My grandfather – Gene Wiese, an Illinois alum – took me, my dad, and my two brothers to our first Illinois football game (a 24-14 win over Mizzou on September 12, 1992, by the way).
I vividly remember seeing the columns for the first time and my grandfather teaching me what they meant. My grandfather fought under General Patton in World War II, so the columns and what they stand for are extremely important to my family.
I remember him teaching me how to do the signal for first down, the first time I heard the 3-in-1, and all the other sights and sounds that came with that game.
We got season tickets for the first time in a few years this year, and I'll be taking my kids to their first games in Memorial Stadium. I can't wait to teach them the way my grandfather taught me.
This sounds crazy but I still feel like my grandfather is with me every time I go into Memorial Stadium. I get emotional every single time I see the columns. I consider that place an extension of my own FamILLy. In a way, I'll get to introduce my kids to their great grandfather through the love of Illinois football he's passed down to us.
I think about the job Coach Bielema is doing in building this program and he's not only rebuilding pride in the program, but I believe he's rebuilding pride for every citizen of the state of Illinois.
