Some of the kids on the watch lists have a chance to move up the list before the end of the summer.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois outside linebacker Gabe Jacas was named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List, the award announced Wednesday. Jacas enters his senior season as one of the top defensive players in college football.

The Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List is composed of the top 42 defensive players in college football based on their IMPACT® on and off the field, as selected by the Lott IMPACT Trophy Board of Directors, for consideration ahead of the annual award presentation of the Lott Trophy each December. Last year’s winner was Travis Hunter of Colorado.

Jacas stared all 13 games for Illinois in 2024 and totaled 74 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, 10 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. He had one of the best games of his career in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl with a career-high 3.0 tackles for loss and eight tackles in the win over #14 South Carolina.

Illini trying to make a late push here.

but a visit has yet to be penciled in

Josh and Hope Whitman Honored with Service Above Self Award by Champaign Rotary
Triennial Event Scheduled for Friday, May 30, at the I Hotel


CHAMPAIGN, IL (May 27, 2025) – The Rotary Club of Champaign will honor Josh and Hope Whitman with the Service Above Self Award at its triennial Action Auction, presented by Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Company, on Friday, May 30, the club’s major event that supports community initiatives over the next three years.

“The Whitmans have been tremendous community leaders since Josh and Hope moved to Champaign-Urbana in 2016,” said Douglas Nelson, Champaign Rotary president. “I’ve had an opportunity to closely watch Josh do an incredible job leading Fighting Illini Athletics through increasingly challenging changes while Hope is involved with several initiatives that is only making the Champaign-Urbana a better place for all of us to live. This is a great opportunity to thank and honor both as terrific ambassadors for our community.”

The Action Auction will be held at the I Hotel in Champaign, beginning with a 5:15 pm Happy Hour followed by a meal and short program honoring the Whitmans. The action really begins, though, with the silent and live auctions that offer many exclusive and normally unattainable experiences, including a VIP trip for two to The Master’s on Championship Sunday in April 2026, several incredible international vacation trips, Broadway shows and the chance to drive a BMW on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, just to name just a few.

Longtime Big Ten Network lead announcer Dave Revsine will serve as emcee for the evening, and Fighting Illini football coach Bret Bielema is expected to be in attendance.

Champaign Rotary will use much of the funding raised during the 2025 Action Auction to support vital children’s literacy programs in Champaign-Urbana, including local non-profit organization Books from Brek.

Champaign Rotary uses money raised to support many local initiatives supporting the community.

For more information and to bid early on auction items, please visit www.champaignrotary.info.

Champaign Rotary Club

Since 1916, Champaign Rotary Club has been serving the community, making life better for all who call Champaign-Urbana home. As part of a global network of 1.4 million members of Rotary International, members are people of action who are doing good in the world. Champaign Rotary meets at Noon each Monday at CityView on the Fourth Floor of the Illinois Terminal.

Was hoping for one of the running backs in rounds one or two so opposing defenses couldn’t sit back on them in the future. The wide receiver room seems to be packed now.

It's that time of year. All basketball transfer portal news will go there.

The men's basketball transfer window runs Monday, March 24 - Tuesday, April 22.

Shannon scored 15 points in 13 minutes of play, in the Timberwolves' win over Oklahoma City. I thought he played like the Illini star of the 2024 NCAA tournament.

Team Leaderboard | Player Leaderboard | Round 4 Tee Times

CARLSBAD, Calif. – The 2024-25 Illinois men's golf season came to an end Sunday in Round 3 of the NCAA Championship at Omni La Costs Resort & Spa as the Fighting Illini missed the cut down to 15 teams, but sophomore Max Herendeen will move on to compete as an individual in Monday's stroke play finale.

The 12th-ranked Illini, making their 18th NCAA Championship appearance under head coach Mike Small, carded a 54-hole team total of 887 (+23), but struggled to maintain their position inside the cut line on Sunday. The Orange and Blue posted a Round 3 score of 304 (+16) that moved the team from ninth place to 18th and left them six shots short of the score needed to keep their team championship hopes alive.

"It's always a tough time when the season ends; only one team leaves happy," head coach Mike Small said. "It was a very disappointing week, extremely disappointing for Jackson (Buchanan), the senior, but I think it will be a good learning experience for some of these young guys.

"Today was a total meltdown. It started with yesterday, and I really thought that the guys would come back, show some vim and vigor and some resiliency and come back and play solid today, but it went the other direction, which we're not used to having. There's nothing worse than having the season finish on a round like that. That's going to leave a bad taste in our mouth for a long time. But if you look at it, this tournament was really representative of the way the whole season has gone. We finished ranked No. 12 in the country, which from 10,000 feet or from a spectator's point of view sounds pretty good. But for us, this has been a very up and down, inconsistent year in everything we do, and it was exemplified in this tournament."

Herendeen grinded out a 1-over 73, offsetting six bogeys and one double-bogey with six birdies to finish as one of the top nine individuals in the field on a non-advancing team with a 54-hole total of 217 (+1) in a tie for 22nd. He enters the final round of stroke play 12 shots off the lead held by Ole Miss' Michael LaSasso (-11). The runner-up as a true freshman last year, Herendeen is also just three shots outside of the top 10 with an opportunity to join Dylan Meyer (T6 in 2017 and T4 in 2018) and Thomas Detry (T3 in 2015 and T10 in 2016) as just the third player in program history with a pair of individual top-10 NCAA finishes in his Illini career.

"It's our responsibility to support and coach Max," said Small. "As a program, we always look up the leaderboard, we don't look down the leaderboard, and that applies individually, too. We're going to stay, and we're going to coach Max tomorrow, and the team's going to walk every hole with him tomorrow and cheer him on."

Behind Herendeen, Buchanan – the 2025 Byron Nelson Award Winner – capped his decorated Illini career in a tie for 57th with a 5-over 221, two shots ahead of junior Ryan Voois (T71). Freshman Trey Marrion finished T108 at 228 (+12). Freshman Jake Birdwell finished 156th with matching scores of 78 (+6) in Rounds 1 and 3, while sophomore Ethan Wilson finished 157th after subbing in to tally a 3-over 75 in Round 2.

Under Small's guidance, the Illini have qualified for nine of 10 NCAA Championships since stroke play was expanded to 72 holes in 2015. During that stretch, Small's squads have now missed the Sunday cut to 15 teams for the stroke play finals just twice (T27 in 2019).

"Next year is bright if guys continue improving and get better," added Small. "If guys stay the same, this will be the same. This is a learning opportunity. There's a lot of potential here, but improvement has to be made, consistency has to be achieved in everything, not only in their swings and their games, but in their thoughts and their mannerisms, their discipline; everything needs to be consistent.

"But again, Illinois golf will be back and we'll come back fighting next year. To finish 18th at the National Championship and 12th in the rankings, a lot of teams would be happy with that, but we're not. I learned a long time ago that you take the good with the bad, and we felt really good at times over the last 25 years, and sometimes we haven't, and this is definitely one of those."

Herendeen will tee off Monday following a playoff to determine the 15th team spot, between Georgia Tech and Wake Forest at 17-over. Final Round 4 pairings and tee times will be available following the resolution of playoffs. Individual tee times are currently slotted between 2:31 p.m. CT/12:31 p.m. PT and 2:53 p.m. CT/12:53 p.m. PT. Live scoring, leaderboards, and tee times are available via Clippd Scoreboard.

THE ROAD TO NATIONALS

CARLSBAD, Calif. – The Fighting Illini men's golf team - ranked No. 12 in the latest NCAA Division I team rankings - continues its postseason run, May 23-28, at the 2025 NCAA Championship at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.

Illinois, the overall No. 11 seed in the 30-team NCAA Championship field, claimed a share of the team title as host of the NCAA Urbana Regional at Atkins Golf Club, May 12-14, led by a runner-up finish from junior Ryan Voois. The win, Illinois seventh regional title under head coach Mike Small, secured the 31st National Championship appearance in program history. Under Small, the Illini have now earned 18 NCAA Championship bids, including berths in 16 of the last 17 tournaments dating back to 2008.

THE SETTING
The 2025 NCAA Championship is hosted by the Texas Longhorns at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. The 2025 tournament marks the second consecutive national championships to be contested on the North Course, formerly known as the Champions Course, which is nestled among 400 lush garden acres near pristine beaches and is recognized as one of the world's top golf destinations. The course was newly renovated prior to the 2024 NCAA Championship, which served as its unveiling. The re-design was led by acclaimed architect Gil Hanse with the NCAA Championship and the match play format in mind.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT
The 2025 NCAA Championship will be played over six days from Friday, May 23 through Wednesday, May 28.

Friday through Monday will feature four rounds (72 holes) of stroke play to determine the individual national champion. A cut to 15 teams and the top nine individuals not on an advancing team will take place following Sunday's third round (54 holes).

The top eight teams from stroke play will advance to Tuesday morning's match play quarterfinals. Semifinals matches are scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, when the final four teams will compete for a place in the match play championship set for Wednesday afternoon.

THE FIELD
The 30-team field for the 2025 NCAA Championship includes the top-five finishers from each of six regional sites contested May 12-14. The table at right shows the complete list of the 2025 NCAA Championship seeds.

The Fighting Illini enter play at the championship round ranked as the No. 11 overall seed after beginning their postseason run as the No. 3 seed in the Urbana Regional where they shared the title with No. 2-seeded Oklahoma State, and finished ahead of No. 19 Texas Tech, No. 23 UNLV, and No. 28 Troy. Other regional winners include No. 1 seed Auburn (Auburn Regional), No. 6 Oklahoma (Amherst Regional), No. 7 Florida (Bremerton Regional), No. 8 Florida State (Tallahassee), and No. 14 BYU (Reno Regional). The Fighting Illini are also joined in the field by a pair of Big Ten foes in 12th-seeded UCLA and 24th-seeded Purdue, which finished third and fourth, respectively, at the Auburn Regional.

FIGHTING ILLINI LINEUP
No. 1: Ryan Voois
No. 2: Jackson Buchanan
No. 3: Max Herendeen
No. 4: Jake Birdwell
No. 5: Trey Marrion
Alt: Ethan Wilson

ILLINI HISTORY AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
The Fighting Illini have competed for the national title 31 times - 30 since the NCAA era began in 1939 - and have established the program as one of the top postseason performers in collegiate golf over the last 25 years under the guidance of head coach Mike Small.

Since Small took the reins of his alma mater prior to the 2000-01 season, the Orange and Blue have competed in 20 of 24 NCAA Regionals, and have advanced to the NCAA Championship round on 18 occasions. Put another way, 90 percent of the Illini's postseason runs under Small have resulted in the team advancing to the NCAA Championship. Even more impressive, since 2008 the Illini have secured 16 out of 17 NCAA Championship berths.

Entering the 2025 NCAA Championship, and since the current Stroke Play/Match Play format was adopted in 2009, the Fighting Illini boast nine seasons - 2011, 2013, 2014, 2105, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2023 and 2024 - in which the team progressed to match play. Those nine match play appearances rank tied for first nationally, with Oklahoma State. In those nine match play appearances, the program has amassed 14 total matches (third nationally) and five victories (tied for sixth nationally).

In 2024, the first year at La Costa, the Fighting Illini ran away with first place in stroke play with a 72-hole total of 6-under 1146, earning the top seed in match play by a margin of 16 strokes over No. 2-seeded Vanderbilt.

Illinois' best team postseason finish came under Small in 2013 when the Illini finished as the national runner-up at the Capital City Club in Atlanta, Ga. In addition to that championship match appearance against Alabama, the Illini played in the quarterfinals in 2011, 2014, 2021, 2023, and 2024, and made three-consecutive semifinal appearances in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Under Small's guidance, the Fighting Illini have also produced a pair of individual NCAA champions. Scott Langley claimed the first national title for the Illini in 2010 at the Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn. Two years later, Thomas Pieters captured medalist honors at the 2012 NCAA Championship at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Illinois, Florida, Georgia Tech, and Oklahoma State, are the only programs to produce two individual national champions since 2000-01 (Mike Small era).

In 2023 at Grayhawk, Jackson Buchanan posted the third-best individual NCAA Championship finish in program history with his runner-up performance, matched last year by then-freshman Max Herendeen and fifth-year senior Tyler Goecke in Year 1 at La Costa.

Since 2010 when Langley won Illinois' first individual national championship, the Orange and Blue lead the nation in individual champions (2), runner-up finishes (3), top-three finishers (6), and top-5 finishers (8) in stroke play at the NCAA Championship.

LIVE SCORING
Live scoring for the NCAA Championship will be available on Clippd Scoreboard for both the stroke play and match play. A recap and results will be posted on FightingIllini.com following each day of competition.

GOLF CHANNEL LIVE COVERAGE
The GOLF Channel will provide pre-tournament, live and post-round coverage of the NCAA Men's Golf Championship. Live coverage begins on May 26 (5-9 p.m. CT) when the individual national champion is crowned. Golf Channel's live coverage will also include all three rounds of the team match-play tournament on Tuesday, May 27 (12-2:30 p.m. CT and 5-9 p.m. CT) and Wednesday, May 28 (5-9 p.m. CT).

A 9 point run in the first half in the Minnesota
game vs OKC. A big shout out to him and Illinois by the announcers.

15 points in 10 minutes as of 7 minutes to go in the 4th.

This is going to be awesome for you guys as subscribers.

You will have access to all On3 premium content.

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Duke.

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I will have more on Turner when I get back from Chicago.

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois football program has sold out of public season tickets for the first time in at least 20 years.

Illinois has sold over 34,000 public season tickets, which excludes students and premium seating numbers. The Fighting Illini's final season ticket total for kickoff against Western Illinois on Friday, Aug. 29 is expected to exceed 43,000.

Illinois' four-game mini plan will go on sale Thursday at 9 a.m. CT, including matchups at Memorial Stadium against Western Illinois, Ohio State, Rutgers, and Northwestern. The mini plan is priced at $175 for the four games.

Illinois, which will host seven games at Memorial Stadium, returns 18 starters from last year's Citrus Bowl team that finished #16 in the final AP Top 25.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Illinois baseball (30-22) opened the 2025 Big Ten Baseball Tournament with a dramatic 6-5 win, in extra innings, over [7] Michigan (33-22) today at Charles Schwab Field.

For the second-straight game, Jacob Schroeder (1-for-5) hit a go-ahead home run in extra innings, this time proving to be the game winner. Drake Westcott (3-for-5) also slugged a solo shot and Kyle Schupmann (1-for-5) drove in two runs on an RBI-single.

Tyler Schmitt turned in a stellar start, working 7.0 innings and allowing two runs on six hits to go along with a season-high nine strikeouts. Zach Bates picked up the win in relief, turning in 1.2 scoreless frames, whiffing one batter.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Illini jumped out to a 3-0 to start the game, with Vytas Valincius opening the scoring on a bases-loaded walk and Schupmann following with a two-run single.

Schmitt began his day with a 1-2-3 first and then worked out of a two-on, one-out, jam in the second. The junior worked another clean inning in the third before the Wolverines pushed a run across in the fourth to make it 3-1.

Michigan put some pressure on Schmitt in the fifth when the first two batters of the inning reached safely but the Madison, Wis., native was able to retire the next three hitters to put another zero on the board.

The Wolverines cut the lead to one in the sixth, with Schmitt striking out the side in the inning, but the Orange and Blue restored their two-run advantage in the seventh when Jack Zebig singled home Cameron Chee-Aloy with two outs to make it 4-2.

Schmitt capped his Big Ten Tournament debut with two more punchouts in the seventh to bring his total to nine, surpassing his previous season-high mark of six.

Westcott led off the eighth with a solo blast to center, the 42nd of his Illini career, to make it 5-2, but two homers from Michigan in the bottom of the inning would tie the game at 5-5.

Illinois went down quietly in the top of the ninth and the Wolverines carried that momentum to the plate, loading the bases with just one out. Bates was able to induce a 4-2-3 double play and send the ballgame to extras.

Schroeder started bonus baseball with a big fly to left center to put the Illini back in front 6-5. Bates came back out for the 10th and retired the Wolverines in order to give Illinois the win.



UP NEXT

The Fighting Illini will be back in action tomorrow, taking on [2] UCLA. The victor of that contest will win Pool B and advance to the single-elimination semifinal round. First pitch from Charles Schwab Field is set for 10 a.m. CT.

GAME NOTES
» Drake Westcott went 3-for-5 with a run, double, home run and an RBI.
» First game with at least three hits since April 22 at Indiana State.
» Now has 42 home runs in his Illinois career...second-most all-time in program history.
» Third game this season with multiple extra-base hits.
» Jacob Schroeder went 1-for-5 with a run, home run and an RBI.
» Has homered in three-straight games, a career-long streak.
» Has four total home runs during that span.
» Now has 39 home runs in his Illinois career, tied for fourth-most all-time in program history.
» Has seven RBI in his last three games...had just seven RBI in previous 19 games.
» Nick Groves went 2-for-5 with a run, double and a walk.
» Has four two-hit games in his last six.
» Tyler Schmitt took no-decision in his stellar Big Ten Tournament debut.
» 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB, 9 SO
» Second-straight quality start and fifth overall in his debut campaign at Illinois.
» Worked at least seven innings for the second-straight start and for the fourth time this season.
» First start this season working on short rest (4 days).
» Racked up a season-high nine strikeouts...previous high was six.
» Most strikeouts by an Illinois pitcher at the Big Ten Tournament since Andy Fisher also had nine on May 24, 2018.
» Issued just one walk, matching his fewest in a start this season (April 25 vs. Purdue)
» Has allowed 4 ER in last 14.0 IP (2.57 ERA) and has recorded 14 strikeouts in those outings.
» Zach Bates improved to 2-2 on the season.
» 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 SO
» Did not allow either of his two inherited runners to score in the ninth.
» The Fighting Illini won their opening game at the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2018.
» Illinois also snapped a five-game losing skid to Michigan at the Big Ten Tournament.
» First win over the Wolverines at the conference tournament since May 23, 2013.
» Head coach Dan Hartleb now has 597 career wins at the helm of Illinois baseball.
» Illinois pitchers limited Michigan to just 1-for-10 (.100) with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers faced 43 Michigan hitters in the game, allowing eight ground balls and 10 fly balls while striking out 11.
» The Fighting Illini drew eight walks from Michigan pitching.

“The new policy will guarantee the five highest-ranked conference champions a place in the Playoff, but will no longer include a bye for the four highest-ranked champions. The 12-team bracket will now be seeded directly based on the final ranking of the CFP Selection Committee, with the four highest-ranked teams receiving a first-round bye. If one or more of the five highest-ranked conference champions are ranked outside the top 12, that team or teams would move up to the 12th seed, 11th seed, etc., based on the number of conference champions outside the top 12.”

Underway at Atkins. Next three days. After 6-9 holes, Illini at -5 and in the early lead.
Top 5 advance.

4:30 announcement

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