They have enough people in the football offices to storm Normandy.
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*Making the gameday experience at Memorial Stadium more enjoyable…
Some ideas athletic department officials discussing this winter to make 2024 football gameday experience better….ideas below not set in stone yet….all ‘ideas’ reportedly have approval of both athletic director Josh Whitman/head coach Bret Bielema.
-In game-host to roam the stadium interact with fans/giveaways/play games with kids/advertise food specials etc……all shown on the scoreboards….My two cents: How about a Mariachi band too? I kid…in-game host seems minor league baseball to me but get it…something to entertain during the many TV breaks.
-Pre-game individual player introductions like NFL teams vs. running onto the field with the band….My two cents: old-timers probably won’t like it ‘team first’….opinion this is for recruits…do something other programs not doing to get their attention.
-Band plays same tune for 1st downs…same tune for 2nd downs…same tune for 3rd downs……My two cents: Yeah I don’t get this one/haven’t ever heard it has been done….anyone heard of a band doing this during a game? Chime in.
-Want to do a better job rewarding donors….get them more on the field pre-game/post-game get togethers….My two cents: More you give more access you are ‘rewarded’ with.
-Targeted marketing for fans to rent a tailgating spot in Grange Grove….’great deal’ especially for those that don’t have an organized event to hang out pre-game….this fall painting lines for tailgates in Lot 31 (across street west of Grange Grove).
-Adding another lot for parking for 2024….cashless parking….‘confident’ they can add another 3K to 5K new seasons tickets…My two cents: 3K to 5K after 2023?…would be quite an accomplishment
-Suggestion box….When at an Ilini event now…go to the concession stand after your purchase asked, ‘like to give to the Illinois NIL fund?’….several donors/former players opinioned ‘that feels like begging’….suggested making certain concession areas at all events ‘NIL specific’….My two cents: NIL specific concessions great idea hope it gets done.
*Bitching and moaning…
-Last summer Gadsden County (Fla.) High School' defensive end Josiah Knight committed to Illinois….Three-star prospect signed with Bielema’s program in December/expected to enroll in school January 2024….mid-January we ‘hear’ ‘UIUC admissions didn’t take a few of his on-line classes’ letter of intent voided/signed with Mississippi State instead.
Yes know it’s basketball season…..football coverage overall for the Illini isn’t very good so little attention is paid to something like this but man....how does that happen? it's fuckin embarrassing losing an excellent prospect like that....let me explain….this isn't the old days when you had one assistant coach/one recruiting secretary handling a prospects transcripts going thru a DIA type like Tom Michael who worked to get the kid in...under-staffed/over-worked coaches having to take care of all the academic details led to mistakes.
Bielema’s recruiting/academic/office staff now? They have enough people in the football offices to storm Normandy....admissions always gets blamed…this day and age with all those support people in place…can’t happen….get the prospects junior grades/OK’ed for visit/commit in summer….your academic people walk the prospect/his high school counselor thru what’s needed in the classroom (after meeting with UIUC admissions)….go from there…support staff monitors all fall to make sure young man is making progress..…Illini football trained staff to get that done and didn’t…hopefully corrections made and won’t happen again.
-Saw on social media Bielema spent a few days recruiting in Oklahoma with offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr....is that a good use of his time/money/resources?….his program going to get anyone out of the Sooner State that they can't find in Illinois?….learned a long time ago….head coach going to schools of your top prospects to make an impression priority cause they get so little time on the road recruiting…sending Bielema to Bixby, Oklahoma? No one gives a shit about Illini football there….don’t get it…unless Bielema really just wanted to visit Oklahoma? HA…HA…HA.
-Letters we get letters….get direct messages…..Brad Underwood 'not happy' at Illinois ‘fans are nuts’….’has called about the Louisville job’ if it opens up he is interested…..’Arkansas too…if Eric Musselman leaves Fayetteville for Louisville Underwood interested’…yeah OK….really think if Underwood leaves Illinois for one of those two jobs ‘expectations’ ‘pressure’ going to be any different than it is in Champaign?….fans not going to be any more intense/loony than Illini fans?…c’mon…leaving Illinois for either program (if they come open)….like jumping off the Titanic into a burning boat….in my opinion.
thanks for bringing up admissions screw up, illini fans in general need to be educated about 'behind the scenes' aspects to successful programs - this does not happen at well run programs - the people involved find a way to get kids in - reminded of the turner DB juco recruit james McGill ? - ended up starting for Kstate because DIA dropped the ball on his credits - our DBs for the next two years subpar
I don't think we need an in-game host, this isn't the White Sox or Bulls. Focus on the football. Continue to honor/preview the other sports teams, bring out said donors, etc. Continue using Gene Honda to recognize these groups. We have great rituals with the band, but need to mix in more modern day 'pump up' music. Same beat should be played on third down/fourth down, need a better field entrance, engage the students with more theatrics. Most teams put the starting lineups on the scoreboard 15-20 minutes out, that's fine IMO. Best way to learn a better game day experience is have the staff visit the South Carolina Gamecocks. You've been there, as of I, one of the best in the country. They do more with less that anyone in the country. They have the ability to take a mundane November SEC matchup (4-6 Carolina vs 6-4 Kentucky) feel like the Super Bowl.