19 Gameday Enhancements For 2019 Illinois Football Season
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – During the past year, Illinois Athletics has evaluated and created new initiatives to help improve fans' experience for the entire Illinois football gameday. New facilities and fan surveys have presented many opportunities to offer new amenities for loyal Fighting Illini fans. Those attending games in 2019 will see very visible differences that have the ability to impact the overall atmosphere at Memorial Stadium.
Below are changes, enhancements and improvements fans can count on for the 2019 season.
1.Beer Sales in the General Seating Area: Ranked #1 on the list of gameday improvements, beer sales in the general seating area has been added for the 2019 season. Fans will have the opportunity to purchase beer in all areas of Memorial Stadium with specialty kiosks set up in the East and West Great Halls. It will be served out of the concessions stands in the North End Zone and Horseshoe and available in the balconies on the East and West sides.
2.New Illini Walk Route: With the opening of the Smith Center, the football team will take a different route to greet fans in Grange Grove. The team will travel West on Kirby Ave. from the Smith Center and will enter First Street from the South. Fans are encouraged to line the south side of First Street as well as the Grange Grove promenade to cheer on the Fighting Illini football team.
3."I" Got You Covered: Fans finding themselves missing items on gameday can come to the guest service stations in the East and West Great Halls. Illinois Athletics has fans covered with sunscreen, hand sanitizer, band aids, stain removers, hand wipes, female hygiene products, and much more.
4.Student Patio Deck: The patio deck in the NE corner of Memorial Stadium, now vacated by the football offices moving to the Smith Center, has become a social area for the Illini student section. The area includes high tables, a concessions station, televisions and a drink rail for game viewing. The area is open to all students sitting in the North End Zone.
5.Grange Grove Band Lineup: Grange Grove will once again feature some of Central Illinois' best musical live entertainment, performing on the main stage two hours prior to kick, and following Illini Walk and the Marching Illini Grange Grove performance. The season begins with the Red Hot Band for the opener against Akron, followed by the popular 80s cover band, the Brat Pack on Sept. 14. Country comes to Grange Grove on Sept. 21 with Wreckless Whiskey, and Tons of Fun will play prior to the Oct. 12 game. DJ Delaney will spin the tunes for Homecoming on Oct. 19 and Feuding Hillbillies will entertain Illinois Dads on Nov. 2. The season finale against Northwestern on Nov. 30 will feature DJ Guido.
6.Photo Booths in Grange Grove: A new social sharing photo station has been added to Grange Grove, which will allow fans to create gifs, boomerangs, and pictures texted directly to their phone or shared to social media sites. Coca-Cola has also added a "Join the Fight" photo wall to Grange Grove.
7.Revamped Food and Beverage Options in Premium Areas: The Colonnades Club will be introducing new concession concepts that will include Colonnades Brewery and CU Dessert Co. The Colonnades Brewery will offer a large selection of craft and local beers for fans to enjoy while the CU Dessert Co will feature freshly made waffle cone ice cream sundaes and other items that will satisfy fan's sweet tooth. Also in 2019, suite owners will enjoy a completely re-formatted menu. The new format will continue to allow suites a choice in their menu while also including gameday favorites for each suite.
8.Advanced Parking Sales: Illini has partnered with ParkHub to offer advance paid parking options to ensure spots on gameday. For the first time, fans will be able to pay for parking with a credit card at the gate. Prepaid passes will be issued digitally for ease of entrance and transfer. Season ticket holders passes have the new electronic bar code and have the ability to be transferred. Parking must be purchased by 11:59 p.m. the night before a game to be recognized on gameday.
9.Grainger Grove for Eastern Michigan: To celebrate the long tradition of engineering excellence at Illinois, Grange Grove will become Grainger Grove for the Sept. 14 game against Eastern Michigan. More than 20 engineering interactive booths will be on display in the Grange Grove kids' zone for fans of all ages.
10.Shaker the Stadium: Illinois will distribute 30,000 Orange shakers for the Oct. 12 game against Big Ten foe Michigan to create a festive environment as the Illini take on the Wolverines at Memorial Stadium for the first time since 2011.
11.The Return of TailGREAT: The popular 80s competitive pregame tailgate tradition has returned to Memorial Stadium and will reward Illinois' most creative tailgaters and best BBQ chefs before Illinois takes on Nebraska on Sept. 21. Celebrity judges will honor great tailgating with the winners taking home big prizes.
12.Coors Light Pregame Radio Show in Grange Grove: The WDWS local Illinois football pregame show, hosted by Scott Beatty, as well as the Fighting Illini Sports Network Coors Light pregame show hosted by Steve Kelly will broadcast live from the Grange Grove Promenade. The shows will begin 90 minutes before kick and will feature live guests.
13.Cellular DAS Enhancements: Verizon has improved and increased Memorial Stadium's Distributed Antenna System for better permanent cellular capacity. The changes help support large crowds in-venue.
14.Butkus Statue Unveiling: On Friday, Oct. 11, Illinois will unveil its second football statue to honor another legend, Dick Butkus. The platform will adorn the main plaza outside the new Henry Dale and Betty Smith Football Center off Fourth Street. The ceremony will be open to the public.
15.New Team Entrance: This season the team's entrance to the field will allow fans to watch the team walk through the new Smith Center through the East Great Hall and into the Memorial Stadium tunnel.
16.Upgraded Beer Garden in Grange Grove: The Coors Light Beer Garden has undergone a facelift and will now include patio-style furniture, television and traditional tailgating games. The Coors Light Beer Garden opens three hours prior to kick and is open to fans of all ages (IDs needed for beer purchase).
17.Nebraska 4 Pack: The Illinois Ticket Office is offering a 4-pack of tickets for the Fighting Illini Big Ten opener against Nebraska. Fans can get four tickets for just $89.
18.Mobile Ticketing: Tickets purchased online can now be marked for mobile delivery, optimized for use on smart phones for easy purchase and venue entry, while helping to eliminate lost, stolen and counterfeit tickets. The mobile ticketing delivery method replaces the Print-at-Home (PDF) and Will Call options in order to provide a faster, more efficient, and secure way to enter UI Athletic Facilities. Mobile ticketing gives fans the ability to manage, transfer, re-issue or sell tickets at any time directly from their mobile device.
19.Upgrades: Fans can upgrade their experience at Memorial Stadium when they register for experiences on the gameday app. Experiences include trips to the sidelines during the game, pregame tours of the stadium, seat upgrades to premium areas and exclusive gear and prizes.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – During the past year, Illinois Athletics has evaluated and created new initiatives to help improve fans' experience for the entire Illinois football gameday. New facilities and fan surveys have presented many opportunities to offer new amenities for loyal Fighting Illini fans. Those attending games in 2019 will see very visible differences that have the ability to impact the overall atmosphere at Memorial Stadium.
Below are changes, enhancements and improvements fans can count on for the 2019 season.
1.Beer Sales in the General Seating Area: Ranked #1 on the list of gameday improvements, beer sales in the general seating area has been added for the 2019 season. Fans will have the opportunity to purchase beer in all areas of Memorial Stadium with specialty kiosks set up in the East and West Great Halls. It will be served out of the concessions stands in the North End Zone and Horseshoe and available in the balconies on the East and West sides.
2.New Illini Walk Route: With the opening of the Smith Center, the football team will take a different route to greet fans in Grange Grove. The team will travel West on Kirby Ave. from the Smith Center and will enter First Street from the South. Fans are encouraged to line the south side of First Street as well as the Grange Grove promenade to cheer on the Fighting Illini football team.
3."I" Got You Covered: Fans finding themselves missing items on gameday can come to the guest service stations in the East and West Great Halls. Illinois Athletics has fans covered with sunscreen, hand sanitizer, band aids, stain removers, hand wipes, female hygiene products, and much more.
4.Student Patio Deck: The patio deck in the NE corner of Memorial Stadium, now vacated by the football offices moving to the Smith Center, has become a social area for the Illini student section. The area includes high tables, a concessions station, televisions and a drink rail for game viewing. The area is open to all students sitting in the North End Zone.
5.Grange Grove Band Lineup: Grange Grove will once again feature some of Central Illinois' best musical live entertainment, performing on the main stage two hours prior to kick, and following Illini Walk and the Marching Illini Grange Grove performance. The season begins with the Red Hot Band for the opener against Akron, followed by the popular 80s cover band, the Brat Pack on Sept. 14. Country comes to Grange Grove on Sept. 21 with Wreckless Whiskey, and Tons of Fun will play prior to the Oct. 12 game. DJ Delaney will spin the tunes for Homecoming on Oct. 19 and Feuding Hillbillies will entertain Illinois Dads on Nov. 2. The season finale against Northwestern on Nov. 30 will feature DJ Guido.
6.Photo Booths in Grange Grove: A new social sharing photo station has been added to Grange Grove, which will allow fans to create gifs, boomerangs, and pictures texted directly to their phone or shared to social media sites. Coca-Cola has also added a "Join the Fight" photo wall to Grange Grove.
7.Revamped Food and Beverage Options in Premium Areas: The Colonnades Club will be introducing new concession concepts that will include Colonnades Brewery and CU Dessert Co. The Colonnades Brewery will offer a large selection of craft and local beers for fans to enjoy while the CU Dessert Co will feature freshly made waffle cone ice cream sundaes and other items that will satisfy fan's sweet tooth. Also in 2019, suite owners will enjoy a completely re-formatted menu. The new format will continue to allow suites a choice in their menu while also including gameday favorites for each suite.
8.Advanced Parking Sales: Illini has partnered with ParkHub to offer advance paid parking options to ensure spots on gameday. For the first time, fans will be able to pay for parking with a credit card at the gate. Prepaid passes will be issued digitally for ease of entrance and transfer. Season ticket holders passes have the new electronic bar code and have the ability to be transferred. Parking must be purchased by 11:59 p.m. the night before a game to be recognized on gameday.
9.Grainger Grove for Eastern Michigan: To celebrate the long tradition of engineering excellence at Illinois, Grange Grove will become Grainger Grove for the Sept. 14 game against Eastern Michigan. More than 20 engineering interactive booths will be on display in the Grange Grove kids' zone for fans of all ages.
10.Shaker the Stadium: Illinois will distribute 30,000 Orange shakers for the Oct. 12 game against Big Ten foe Michigan to create a festive environment as the Illini take on the Wolverines at Memorial Stadium for the first time since 2011.
11.The Return of TailGREAT: The popular 80s competitive pregame tailgate tradition has returned to Memorial Stadium and will reward Illinois' most creative tailgaters and best BBQ chefs before Illinois takes on Nebraska on Sept. 21. Celebrity judges will honor great tailgating with the winners taking home big prizes.
12.Coors Light Pregame Radio Show in Grange Grove: The WDWS local Illinois football pregame show, hosted by Scott Beatty, as well as the Fighting Illini Sports Network Coors Light pregame show hosted by Steve Kelly will broadcast live from the Grange Grove Promenade. The shows will begin 90 minutes before kick and will feature live guests.
13.Cellular DAS Enhancements: Verizon has improved and increased Memorial Stadium's Distributed Antenna System for better permanent cellular capacity. The changes help support large crowds in-venue.
14.Butkus Statue Unveiling: On Friday, Oct. 11, Illinois will unveil its second football statue to honor another legend, Dick Butkus. The platform will adorn the main plaza outside the new Henry Dale and Betty Smith Football Center off Fourth Street. The ceremony will be open to the public.
15.New Team Entrance: This season the team's entrance to the field will allow fans to watch the team walk through the new Smith Center through the East Great Hall and into the Memorial Stadium tunnel.
16.Upgraded Beer Garden in Grange Grove: The Coors Light Beer Garden has undergone a facelift and will now include patio-style furniture, television and traditional tailgating games. The Coors Light Beer Garden opens three hours prior to kick and is open to fans of all ages (IDs needed for beer purchase).
17.Nebraska 4 Pack: The Illinois Ticket Office is offering a 4-pack of tickets for the Fighting Illini Big Ten opener against Nebraska. Fans can get four tickets for just $89.
18.Mobile Ticketing: Tickets purchased online can now be marked for mobile delivery, optimized for use on smart phones for easy purchase and venue entry, while helping to eliminate lost, stolen and counterfeit tickets. The mobile ticketing delivery method replaces the Print-at-Home (PDF) and Will Call options in order to provide a faster, more efficient, and secure way to enter UI Athletic Facilities. Mobile ticketing gives fans the ability to manage, transfer, re-issue or sell tickets at any time directly from their mobile device.
19.Upgrades: Fans can upgrade their experience at Memorial Stadium when they register for experiences on the gameday app. Experiences include trips to the sidelines during the game, pregame tours of the stadium, seat upgrades to premium areas and exclusive gear and prizes.
