Illinois college football sees major makeovers
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The new video scoreboard at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign, IL. Photo: Courtesy of the University of Illinois
College football will look a lot different around Chicago and Illinois this fall, from a brand-new program on the South Side to a brand-new stadium in Evanston — and a really, really big TV screen in Champaign.
Why it matters: College football is a huge moneymaker for universities, restaurants and other businesses around the region.
The latest: The Illini kick off their season Thursday in Champaign against UAB.
Illinois is coming off consecutive nine-win seasons, but coach Bret Bielema will be breaking in a new quarterback, Katin Houser.
- The Illini also lost several key players from last year's defense. Can a new quarterback and reworked defense keep Illinois competitive in a stacked Big Ten?
Zoom in (not too close): Fans won't have a hard time seeing the action at Memorial Stadium. The stadium will unveil what the school says is the largest main video board in college football.
- It's more than 17,300 square feet. For comparison, the second largest is at Auburn University, at 10,690 square feet.
- It's more than three times the size of Soldier Field's main video board.
Northwestern's most significant offseason project wasn't on the field — it was building one.
Driving the news: The Wildcats will start the season at their temporary lakefront stadium before the new Ryan Field is expected to open Oct. 2 against Penn State.
Details: The state-of-the-art stadium will be one of the smallest in the Big Ten, but Northwestern is betting that a more intimate venue will create a better game-day experience.
- Crews are installing upper-bowl general admission and club seating, interior finishes, signage and other elements.
By the numbers: The new Ryan Field is estimated to cost $870 million, putting it among the most expensive college football stadiums ever built.
- Capacity will be just 35,000, down about 12,000 seats from the old Ryan Field.
- One unique addition is the "Wildcat Wall," a steep student section with standing "seats" at a 33-degree angle, reminiscent of supporter sections at European soccer stadiums. Northwestern says it will be the first of its kind in college football.
State of play: On the field, the Wildcats hope the new digs coincide with a return to Big Ten contention. They landed former Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles through the transfer portal, while former NFL and UCLA coach Chip Kelly takes over as offensive coordinator.
Meanwhile, Chicago has an entirely new college football team. Chicago State University is playing its inaugural football season, giving the South Side its first Division I college football program.
- The Cougars [RESULT SATURDAY] in their first game against Roosevelt University last week and travel to Tennessee on Saturday to face UT Martin.
- Chicago State will compete as an independent this season before joining the NEC in 2027, with coach Bobby Rome II essentially building the program from scratch.
- For now, the Cougars will play their home games at SeatGeek Stadium.