Illinois Fighting Illini

Encyclopedia : I : IL : ILL : Illinois Fighting Illini

The intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are known as the Fighting Illini. In the world of popular intercollegiate sports, the University's teams are also known as "the Illini", or commonly "Illinois". The University offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports. The University operates a number of top athletic facilities, including Memorial Stadium for football, the Assembly Hall for men's basketball, and the Atkins Tennis Center for men's and women's tennis.

Contents

Organization

The University's Division of Intercollegiate Athletics administers the official athletics teams of the University. All of the University's athletics teams participate in the NCAA's Division I, and form the Big Ten Conference with 10 other primarily midwestern universities. The football team participates in a subdivision within the Division I known as Division I-A.

Men's Sports

Baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, gymnastics, tennis, swimming and diving, track and field, and wrestling.

Women's Sports

Basketball, cheerleading, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

Championships

Baseball

Big Ten Champions: 1900, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1911, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1921, 1922, 1927, 1931, 1934, 1937, 1940, 1947, 1948, 1952, 1953, 1962, 1963, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2005

Basketball: Men

NCAA Final Four: 1949, 1951, 1952, 1989, 2005
Big Ten Champions: 1915, 1918, 1924, 1935, 1937, 1942, 1943, 1949, 1951 1952, 1963, 1984, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005
Big Ten Tournament Champions: 2003, 2005

Basketball: Women

Big Ten Champions: 1997

Cross Country: Men

Big Ten Champions: 1921, 1947, 1984

Football

National Champions: 1914, 1919, 1923, 1927, 1951
Bowl Game Victories: 1946 Rose Bowl, 1951 Rose Bowl, 1963 Rose Bowl, 1989 Florida Citrus Bowl, 1994 Liberty Bowl, 1999 MicronPC.com Bowl
Big Ten Champions: 1910, 1914, 1915, 1918, 1919, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1946, 1951, 1953, 1963, 1983, 1990, 2001

Golf: Men

Big Ten Champions: 1923, 1927, 1930, 1931, 1940, 1941, 1988

Gymnastics: Men

NCAA National Champions: 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1950, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1989
Big Ten Champions: 1911, 1912, 1929, 1935, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1981, 1983, 1988, 1989, 2004

Gymnastics: Women

Big Ten Champions: 1990

Swimming and Diving: Men

Big Ten Championships: 1911, 1912, 1913

Tennis: Men

NCAA National Champions: 2003
Big Ten Champions: 1914, 1917, 1922, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1946, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Big Ten Tournament Champions: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005

Track and Field: Men

INDOOR

NCAA National Champions: 1921, 1926, 1943, 1945, 1946
Big Ten Champions: 1912, 1913, 1914, 1916, 1920, 1921, 1924, 1928, 1946, 1947, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1977, 1981, 1987, 1988, 1989

OUTDOOR

NCAA National Champions': 1921, 1927, 1944, 1946, 1947The Illini were voted unofficial National Champions in 1927, since the NCAA did not hold a National Championship competition that year.
Big Ten Champions: 1907, 1909, 1913, 1914, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1934, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1975, 1977, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994

Track and Field: Women

INDOOR

Big Ten Champions: 1989, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996

OUTDOOR

Big Ten Champions: 1988, 1989, 1992, 1995, 2005

Volleyball

Big Ten Champions: 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992

Wrestling

Big Ten Champions: 1913, 1917, 1920, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1930, 1932, 1935, 1937, 1946, 1947, 1952, 2005

Famous athletes

Nick Anderson - basketball (1987-1989), played professionally for the NBA's Orlando Magic and Sacramento Kings
Lou Boudreau - baseball, played professionally for and managed the Cleveland Indians, and an enshrined member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
Dee Brown - basketball (2002-2006), senior point guard, 2005 Consensus All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year
Dick Butkus - football, (1962-1964) played professionally for the NFL's Chicago Bears, and an enshrined member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Brian Cook - basketball (1999-2003), Third all time scorer for the Illini, currently plays professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers
Dike Eddleman - football, basketball, and track and field (1947-49), also tied for 2nd at the 1948 Summer Olympics in the high jump
Perdita Felicien, track and field, first female in Illinois history to win a gold medal in an individual event at the World Championships
Jeff George - football, first overall pick of 1990 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, also played for a variety of teams including the Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders, and the Washington Redskins
Kendall Gill - basketball (1986-1990), 1990 consensus All-American and Big 10 Player of the Year, played professionally for 15 seasons in the NBA
Red Grange - football (1923-1925), played professionally for the NFL's Chicago Bears, and an enshrined member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
George Halas - football, professional player, coach, and owner of the NFL's Chicago Bears, and an enshrined member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Derek Harper - basketball (1980-1983), played professionally for 16 seasons in the NBA, ranked 11th all-time in steals and 17th in assists
Luther Head - basketball (2001-2005), rookie guard for the Houston Rockets
Eddie Johnson - basketball, played professionally for 17 seasons in the NBA, and the league's 35th all-time leading scorer
Ray Nitschke - football, played professionally for the NFL's Green Bay Packers, and an enshrined member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Ken Norman - basketball (1984-1987), played professionally for 10 seasons in the NBA
Simeon Rice - football, played professionally for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Deron Williams - basketball (2002-2005), rookie point guard for the Utah Jazz, highest Illinois basketball player ever drafted in the NBA at number three
James Augustine - basketball (2002-2006), the all-time leader in rebounds at Illinois

Noteworthy Teams

Here are a few of The University of Illinois Athletics Teams' that did exceptionally well.

Men's Basketball: 2004-2005 Season

Overall Record (Tournaments Included): 37-2

(Tourneys Not Included): 29-1

Big Ten Conference Play: 15-1

Head Coach: Bruce Weber

Starting 5: G - Deron Williams, G - Dee Brown, G - Luther Head, F - James Augustine, F - Roger Powell, Jr.

Story: The return of Lou Henson's "Flying Illini"??? Maybe... The only thing that stood between them and the best record in Big Ten history was the team's sole regular season loss; in their final game of the regular season, The Illini lost on the road to Ohio State, 65-64. They still won the Big Ten Tournament, and they were the overall number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. The University of Illinois Men's Basketball Team traveled all the way to the NCAA Finals, including a come from behind win against the University of Arizona, before losing to The University of North Carolina, 75-70. Many have said that this was one of the greatest college basketball teams not to win the national championship. Illinois tied the NCAA record for most wins in a season with 37. Four of the five starters are currently in the NBA.

Symbol and Controversy

A symbol of the University's athletic teams is a Native American figure, Chief Illiniwek, who has sparked significant controversy. Critics of the symbol claim that it is a racist stereotype, while supporters claim that it is unoffensive and is a source of pride for many students. The University is deeply divided on this issue; while some of the faculty have condemned the symbol, the administration is largely supportive of it.

External links

[Official U of I athletics site]

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